Saturday, August 17, 2013

Almost there

After round one: filling the lows, cheese grating was due, and then: The big fill.  I have experienced that adding enough filler to avoid having to re fill low areas saves a lot of work.  A bit more sanding, but if you make your compound light and use fresh paper on the torture board it is not that bad.  Several re fillings however can be bad due to different hardness etc leading to new lows etc etc, you get the picture.  However, I have not yet been able to add enough in the big fill to get there.  But better all the time. Filling and fairing looking in different angles at different stages





Monday, August 12, 2013

Planning for a scientific experiment

I decided a couple of weeks ago, that if I were to hit the water before the snow starts to fall around here, there were no way I could finish the work I have started.  The upside is, that when I add one modified and one original float to the boat, I will effectively be able to tell the difference, if notable.  I am also capable to record various data, such as roll and pitch, from my Nexus system.

I had my share of sudden decelerations when the float was "submarining" and the flat deck acted as a break last season, once I was solo I was very close to be thrown over board actually.  To make these stops a bit softer I am adding 40mm foam to the front deck.


Rounding it off to the best of my ability


And filling the transition to the original hull with epoxy/micro-balloons


Laminating, using a 300gsm 2x2 twill carbon fabric.  Conservatively wetted out and vacuum to make sure no bubble trouble
.

The port float had several cracks from the storm last fall.  I turned out, however, that the hybrid lay up I used is very durable.  Except for two places, the cracking was only in the fairting compound, and the laminate was only dented.  No internal delamination either.  I just sanded with my pressured air angle grinder at 22000 rpm and coarse disc until kevlar fibres were lifting from the bottom of the site.  Then laminating over with 300gsm carbon.  Vacuum.




Filling the dents




Round one:  Filling the lows