Sea Hood

How about over bending it by clamping over a single piece laid opposite on the form in the center. Cooked like Chef Mikhale sez, the springback might make it just right.

Steaming requires very fast work. You've lost if you can touch it with your bare hands. Have to clamp it over the form right now. Wood has many pores, it's a kind of insulating material, have get it hot and pliable clear into the center. Whole piece needs equal all over heat. When you see steamers at work: the cooker is producing a whole lot of steam that is coming out of every hole all over the steam box.

With some time and not too many pieces I might bend each one or two individually and clamp each onto a form of slightly less diameter than what you need. Controlled steam bends are often accomplished with metal straps that make even forces over the surface of the work - leads me to think that a nicely bent piece of 3//16s or 1/4" iron could be used as a clamping form. It would be slow but each piece would come off the same. Wouldn't even try to do them all at once.


Some species just don't like to be bent.

Ebbs last post here made me think ... my ex would get plenty steamed and she wouldn't bend either .....guess I should have boiled more water !

"She was a model of mercy, she never cut me no slack" - attributed to Bobby Hancock. But in your case Frank, you probably didn't keep her hot long enuf.

I followed CPete's idea and used the old sliding hatch. I made a jig to hold the hatch upside down and act as a form to extend the sides 1 1/4".

When we glassed the 'inside' 3 layers I used some blue styrofoam strips cut the same thickness as the existing fg hatch to act as 'filler'. When it cured, I turned the piece over and ground away the styro with a wire brush and made up the difference with more mat and roving and fabric.

We also added some stringers to the bottomside for strength.

The plan is to hot glue this form on the sea hood and then start laying on the laminates following the same 'over doing it' schedule I've used elsewhere on 113.

Once cured we'll dig out the styro and add a dash. The only problem is I was planning on tabbing the sea hood to the cabin top and I'm not sure the boat will fit through the door when we're done :eek:

Sounds like it's time for a new door then!

This is as far as I got on my little project last year.

Have to fuss with it some more, then varnish and install it.

Sweetness!! It'll look fantastic all varnished up and installed. Great job Pete! Grace should be proud...

Holy Cats! That is one beautiful sea hood, Pete. I'm embarrassed to put my contraption on film now. Would you sell it? They say everyone has their price...

Lets see......Materials $$......Labor $$$$$$........Meals & Entertainment $$$$$$$$..... I'll have to crunch the numbers

The experimental "peel & stick" construction method carries no warranties, express or implied.

Getting the sea hood wet

Seaweed on deck Arrrrgh

Cut in some drainage cleavage

Left some extra wood around the top edge for when I have to sand it down for refinishing

Tried to keep a low profile

Commander Pete

That's a great looking sea hood. I'll need to add one to my to-do list.

Bill