Friday, February 27, 2009

Update

This would have been the view from my workshop today IF I had a window.

The mold finally cured and this is after the second layer of epoxy.


The bow web in the bag for the last time.


Hull side with all junctions filled.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Planking

I have continued planking the cabin sides and a few cm of the deck


All panels finally cut to fit, have to secure them and glue them together.


The epoxy on the daggerboard mold was still tacky and is now getting a treatment from my 40 kW heater.

Skiing

I've been in Åre skiing with my family. We had a great time. And a new shipment of vacuum sealing tape arrived.


I've also done a little bit in the workshop. Tried to sand the daggerboard case mold, but the heater had stopped not long after I left the workshop and the epoxy was still sticky.

The bow web had it's last layers of unidirectional carbon vacuum bagged in place and the low spots have been filled with low density fairing compound.


And I'm working on fitting the foam for the cabin side, making ready for a new lamination party

Monday, February 23, 2009

Bow web and daggerboard case mold

Making ready for the next layers of unidirectional carbon fibers on the bow web


In the bag after wet lay up.


Working on the mold for the daggerboard case. Made up of solid MDF. Using a router to make sure the size and parallelity is exact. Then adding a slight taper at the edges using the random orbital sander. This is also used to rough shape the radiused corners.

After hand sanding I am satisfied with the shape.



MDF is the sealed with epoxy. I will then have to sand this down and wax. On this part I could have used a sheet of vacuum bag or packaging tape, but I want to experiment on MDF moulds before CNC routing molds for the foils.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Update

Here is the rudder web with all laminating finished. And the bow web ready for the last UD laminations. This part still have to go in the bag twice.


I continued planking and I am now finished up to the gunwale, started a bit on the deck. I have now paid the price for a lower strongback, the rest will be more easily accessed. It seems I will try to laminate up to the transition between side and deck in the first bag.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Bow web, rudder web, vacuum strategy

I laminated the first layers on the rudder centre web a week ago or so. Wet lay up and vacuum bagging. It is difficult to get the fabric to lay perfect around these complex shapes, but the vacuum at least makes sure there will not be voids between the core and the fibres.



Here I am making ready to laminate the last reinforcements to the rudder web. Uni and C-fabric cut and the web prepared for further lamination.


I also laminated some layers of reinforcements to the bow web, then I put both parts in a bag.


With the port hull half I laminated from the keel line to the gunwhale line first, then the side and cabin top. I am not sure this is the best way to do it and I am now considering making the "join" a bit higher than the gunwhale, but I am not sure about this yet. The advantage would be that I get a better walking area to finish the planking, the disadvantage will be a little more difficult access when laminating the first portion. I have not yet decided on how to do it, but planking goes on in between the making of other parts.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Lower hull planked

Yesterday I finished the planking of the lower hull, and I glued all the panels together. After a session with the sanding paper I will have to go over and fill all the joins again to make sure it is air tight for vacuum bagging. I also make a strip with bog along the edge for the vacuum tape as tape directly on the foam will leak. View from the bow:


And from midship towards the stern:


A rather large construction from pvc foam is now emerging in my workshop:


I have also started the minor modifications from the original plans on the rudder web. After the misfortunate incident (last paragraph) with the F-22R "Stick shift", that the designer published just as it had happened, mr Farrier mailed all builders and told that an update in the plans would arrive shortly, when he personally had made a new web for "Stick shift". I stopped my work on the part, and when the updated plan arrived after a week or so it turned out I would not have to do any changes, just minor adjustments to the part at my stage. I think that his totally open and forward way to address design problems gives me extra confidence that I bought plans from an excellent designer. The web blank with gudgeons and a bit of bog:


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Heater trouble, new tools, friendly visit and some planking

My heater have been acceleratingly less reliable lately. A few days ago it refused to kick in. Hence, with 10 - 12 below outside (°C) I was forced to spend time on this device rather than planking the hull. I managed to make some temporary repairs and it have been working once in a while for a couple of days now. I've ordered new filters, nozzle and igniter and hope it will behave and be a nice heater when this is installed.

The other day I bought a GOP. I don't know why it's called GOP but it is very nice. Have a look:


It will be very handy when I'm about to cut down the cabin roof to be flush with the bulkheads and for cutting back for the beam mounts.

Today I had a visitor in the workshop. Torkil, who built his own Trailertri 720 Volare in the nineties,and now is the owner of C24 Volare III. His Trailertri is most likely sailing Dutch waters now. We had a very nice chat about boatbuilding in general and about Farrier's designs. The C24 is obviously a very nice boat that sail pretty good, but it seems to be a bit on the heavy side compared to what was listed, and the rudder gudgeon construction does seem to be quite some way from optimal from what Torkil tells. Here is a low quality picture of Volare III sailing in Trondheimsfjorden


And some planking have been done between all the other things

Monday, February 09, 2009

Planking begins

This time, for no particular reason, I started planking from the bow. The steps for each plank are:
Cut a plank from foam. I use the Divinycell H60 foam that comes in pieces of 120cm x 240cm. I cut planks in withs ranging from 20cm up to 40 or 50 cm in areas with less complex surfaces. Then I thermo form the plank, using a heat gun heating the convex side, then the concave side and then at last the convex side again, using approximately three minutes in total, and while heating slightly over bend the foam and then let it cool down while clamped in place.


As a hull is a complex three dimensional shape, each plank has to be custom cut with regards to with. This is especially true for the bow area where the shape bends substantially in several planes. I use this instrument, adjusting the gap equal to the largest gap while touching the neighbor plank at one place. Then I slide it along the neighbor plank edge making a cutting mark on my recently thermo formed plank.


Here you can see the marking all along the edge, if clicking on the picture to get full picture quality:


Then the plank is cut according to the mark with a sharp utility knife.


And the planks are placed side by side and a marking is made on the battens showing the next junction area.

A strip of packaging tape is placed along the marks and usually a few new holes for holding screws are drilled in the battens.

Then the plank can be secured using a whole lot of 5mm Würth Assy screws from the outside of each batten. I managed to plank from the bow and just past the front beam bulkhead position tonight.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Procrastinating

So, I've had one day off over the last three weeks. Long days and night watches. Got off this morning and read Sigi Stiemer's (Owner of F-33 "Hi5") posting on the F-boat forum. Here it is freezing cold, and I should have been out shoveling snow but was sitting inside unable to do anything productive instead. Really hit the nail on the head, Sigi:
4a.

videos: Flying Geese (F24) and Hi5 (F33) - summer 2008 -

part 3 and

Posted by: "Sigi Stiemer"

Thu Feb 5, 2009 2:12 pm (PST)

Here is our way home from Desolation Sound via Gulf Islands to Vancouver:

part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKZ4VUnS3cM

part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbaxVqzGhVo

Not much happening - but better watching those videos (try YouTube
"watch in HD") than shoveling snow ...

Regards,
Sigi - F33 "Hi5"
I recommend the YouTube HD version of both. Excellent for daydreaming!

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Starboard half mold set up

After suspending the port hull half from the ceiling it seemed a little tight between the hull and the frames, ...

... and as no more headroom was available, ...

... I decided to cut down the legs of the strongback.

After re leveling the strongback I started fitting form frames again ...

...and kept on until completion.


The battens, some of them from pine? (pinus sylvestris) and the others cut from 19mm MDF sheets, were redistributed based on the experience from the first hull half. The MDF battens are easily bended and twisted to follow complex hull shapes but quite soft and the pine battens are thus far better in areas where walking inside the hull will occur.


I ended todays work with adding the first piece of keel HD foam.