Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Starting doorway flange

I faired the doorway cut out (made the cuts straight) and rounded the exterior corner with the router.  This is a very powerful tool working with thin laminates and light foam.  You can see at the bottom where the roller guide of the bit slipped off and a lot of unwanted routing happened in a fraction of a second.  Will be filled before laminating.


Then I made the mould for the flange from timber.  This will be covered in packaging tape and temporarily screwed to the inner face of the main cabin bulkhead, and the flange will be moulded over.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Finishing the forward passageway flange

Today I got some good use of my power file again as I trimmed back a few fibres from the outside taping of the flange.  Then I added the second layer of DB at the lower ends, as well as the UD connection between flange and bunk top.  I went on to round the aft corner of the bulkhead, filled all voids in the flange and laminated the last pieces of DB carbon to finish the laminations of this flange.  It still has to be trimmed at the front end.


Cabin seen from aft end of port settee

 

Just forward of the front beam bulkhead there is some room that I will use for storage.  I figure a couple of shelves narrowing in towards the hull, extending to the flange and being parallel with the centreline, will be a good solution.  This is the area in question.


Next up is getting the cockpit together.  But I think it is wise to make the doorway flange first, so that is what I will do next.  I also have to make a few more panels for the cockpit (separating bulkheads and one additional safety compartment panel, as well as the back rests and coaming tops.  It is advised to make glueing flanges before fitting the cockpit seat tops, but it seems to me easier to suspend the hull from the ceiling up side down, working trough the cut outs to make this taping.  Previous experience indicates that making these kind of flanges up side down is not an easy way. Then I have to make an arrangement for the head.  I will not, unfortunately, be able to fit the holding tank I bought, I might make one to custom fit the hull.

I'm afraid the next couple of weeks will be much less productive than the previous as work and other commitments will keep me out of the workshop most of the time.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Demoulding flange. Success.

I have not had time for any more building, but popped in and removed the mould.  I was very anxious to see how the fibres had been lying back there, and it was as good as I had dared hoping for. >95% of the flange seemed perfect, the rest with minor irregularities. Just have to radius off the bulkhead, fair and cover the inner side now.  This is the finished opening size.



This is showing part of the flange from front side, inner layer of unidirectional carbon fibres visible.  Also parts of the outer tape.  Parts of this need some trimming with my power file.


 
This is showing minor irregularities and lack of putty fillet at the lower starboard part of the flange, at the transition to the forward bunk.

Flange mould and starting laminating

I made the mould from pieces of a retired IKEA wardrobe.  That was the plan, anyway.  This is some kind of fibreboard with a melamineish cover on one side, quite flexible, but not enought, it turned out.  It did not cope with the tightest radiuses at the lower part of the bulkhead and broke.  I cut up a plastic bucket and used the pieces for this area, and went on with the IKEA recirculating plan for the rest of the flange mould.

 

I was not sure how to adress the laminating here, as it is partly very tight and only a few fingers fit between the mould and the hull.  I decided to wet out the whole flange on the table and manoeuvre it into the boat and in place thought the deck hatch entry.  The UD went painless this way, the covering DB tape was worse, as anticipated.  And making a putty fillet in these places...  I bet not even Mr. Farrier would be able to do this all the way unless he has some very sophisticated special place putty spreading tools.  Using a candy bag I was able to cover most of the circumference.  I finally got the tape placed in a satisfying manner. No peel ply though, I didn't dare to handle the flange any more after I got everything in place.  This is the carbon for the flange, ready for wet out.  (The finished flange is not accessible for a camera as it is stuck between the mould and the hull, only accessible for digital exploration)


Then I back filled the cut outs in the cockpit panels.


And I made a jig to help placing them straight in the cockpit.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Transforming Panta Rei into a wooden boat

Still working on the front beam structures, I needed a solid fibreglass or hardwood core.  I had a few pieces of oak after last year's refurbishment and decided to build a wooden boat.  The pieces trial fitted.  The opening cut roughly to it's final shape.


Glued them in with micro fibre thickened epoxy and let the epoxy cure a bit. Then I filled around the edges. Doubler plate laminated.


This is the front beam bulkhead waiting for the last reinforcing structure:  The opening flange.

 

Have you ever wondered what a piece of oak looks like when covered in substantial amounts of carbon fibres?  Actually almost the same as any other carbon fibre structure... 

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

More on front beam mounts. Starting cockpit

I did the aft face laminates.  Compression pad reinforcements and cut out flange to come.


I also finished covering the doublers on the front face, and on the aft beam.


A couple of close ups of the front beam mount exterior.  Still to be filled, faired, bevelled and covered with laminate.


I have started to work on the cockpit as well.


It has not been easy to decide on the details concerning layout but I think I finally decided.  I will use a divider bulkhead on each side, to leave the front part of the underseat area dry.  On port side I will obviously have the safety compartment as well as a footwell for the port bunk.


On starboard the plan is a retractable galley, using a Wallas kerosene stove with heat blower lid and, if  possible, a small further retractable sink under it with water from a small removable tank placed in the back rest.  We'll see what I'm able to do.  What I am trying to do is actually quite difficult; building a cruiser and a racer at the same time. So I will have to make some of the cruising/WAF stuff removable.  Then there is choosing the right outboard... Low weight for racing, quiet and low vibration motoring with sufficient thrust and high output alternator for cruising. I'm investigating the possibility of making an F-27 style engine well to move the weight forward, be less prone to ventilating the prop and not the least avoid the aesthetic nuisance of dragging an ugly outboard on the transom.
I think I stated before; if I was building a true racer I would not build a Farrier design.  It's the sailing potential combined with the cruising capabilities that made me start this project in the first place.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Front face laminated

It's a tedious work getting all the pieces in place.  As vacuum is not an option here, a careful hand lay up is the best one can do.  As I'm using carbon, I have fewer pieces but there was still 22 of them on the front face.  This is an under way picture, as I stepped out to mix more epoxy:


And after a few more pieces of carbon, and some peel ply:


The previously mentioned protruding part of the "recess" shown here:


I still have to cover the upper folding strut bolt hole doubler plate.  Hopefully I will find time to do the aft face tomorrow.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Preparations for front beam mount lamination

When several tons of forces from the 200% buoyancy floats (from my target sailing weight of around 700 kg) are distributed to the main hull, primarily trough the front beams, a lot of reinforcements are needed.  The paths to pick up and distribute the loads are carefully engineered and the appropriate warnings regarding the necessity of following the designer's instructions exactly are clearly visible in the plans.  The UD and DB needed for the front beam mount lamination, not including the flange in the bulkhead opening, are now cut. I usually reduce the fabric weight by around 40% from the specified glass weights for 'R' designation, but in these areas, where parts of the hull will be non sandwich, I use a relatively heavier fabric to make sure the laminate is thick enough to give reasonable stiffness.  This also adds extra strength to these critical areas, as well as adds a safety margin that might be needed as glass and carbon fibres are mixed (the glass might not contribute until the carbon breaks).  Carbon beam mounts were so much more expensive due to one of Farrier Marine's sub contractor's pricing that I did not find it cost effective.

 

I finished making the moulds for the forward recesses. The front side is actually an "inverse recess", as it mostly protrudes from the hull.  Hence, the mould is also inverse from the others.



Port front beam mount recess moulds in place

 

And the inside getting ready for lamination, here showing the starboard front face of the bulkhead and beam mount. White outline suggesting the fabric overlap.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Bunk tops taped

Somewhere around 14 m of putty fillings and tape is now in place.  Front beam mounts next.