Fruits Of My Labor (A-113)

[marymandara]

I didn't have any on the topsides of T397, but a gazillion on the bottom. They appeared after I abrasively removed all the paint and did a bit of fairing-by-gelcoat-lump-removal. The spots that didn't just pop open showed up as little short lines or halfmoons, which once pressed at with a jackknife were just the same thing.

These are no big deal (unless they are topside and you have to fill 'em all, hehe) in a structural sense or whatnot...the outer layer of matting just didn't get saturated all the way thru in a way that would have bonded it completely to the gelcoat and there were little air bubbles there. Wouldn't take it as indicative on the rest of the laminate, either. These boats were all made in an incredibly resin-rich fashion...de-airing roller? Hunh? What?
The only roller these boats are likely to have seen was a paint roller dripping with resin which was used to both saturate (!) and smooth down the laminates. Makes perfect sense now, don't it?

Dave

[commanderpete]

Grinding back each of those little chips sounds like alot of work.

I would probably dewax the hull and just give them a once over with a sander or dremel attachment to knock out anything loose. Fill with a peanut butter of epoxy and microbaloons or microlite.

[Tony G]

Yeah, you're right. It does sound like a lot of work. We'll fiddle for the middle on the best way to get it done right with the least amount of swearing. But I'm okay with that as long as it cures the problem. My biggest fear now is missing a dozen or so and having them 'pop' open in a couple of years after I put the jizzilion dollar a gallon paint on. Isn't there a serenity prayer for sailors or want to be sailors? Tony G

[marymandara]

Yep, goes like this:

(Insert appropriate deity or saint here) I hope this works!
( ") I hope this works!
( ") I hope this works!

[Tony G]

I thought I'd post these here so the threads don't get too unweildly.

This is the Dwyer boom fitting after some judicious filing. As it turns out they don't just slide into our extrusions. Next on the list is to mold an epoxy "T" that will be inverted and glued inside to (hopefully) make up for the material that I removed. Probably unnecessary but it's winter and what else is there to do?

[Tony G]

...a better view of just how much was removed...

[ebb]

Tony'
That slip fitting looks just fine!
Just fine the way it is. Will get plenty of strength from the surrounding boom extrusion especially if it's a close fit.
Any thoughts of anodizing or powder coating or otherwise painting the fitting befor it goes in the extrusion?

Ballenger's parts for the 338 mast were all clear anodized.

[Tony G]

Ebb,

Well, like I said, they don't just slide right in. the attached pic should explain it alot better than my fumbling words about the screen can do.

Dwyer has the same dimensions on the outside but a drastically differing profile or shape. Our extrusions have a teardrop shape while theirs have an almost perfect eliptical outside profile.

So while I shaved off the shoulders a bit I'll have to build up the sides to give a snug fit inside the boom. That fit is what, I believe, will give it strength at the union between the boom and the new pieces. That will be more evident when I get to the outhaul fitting where it will have even less material left after the file. I keep picturing it 'flipping' out of the boom end and shooting toward the mast head. How will I ever overcome that?

[CapnK]

Am I reading it right:

"Tony's Nude Honky Workshop"?

L M A O !!!

(methinks it is probably a good thing that there are pictures only of the pieces being worked on, not of the workers! )

[mbowman]

Hey Tony, I'm about to tackle my rotten sole on my Ariel. I've been checking out your great progress. What type of wood did you use on your sole, braces, etc. I like the way you braced up under the sole.

mike

[Tony G]

Mike,

The braces were made of white oak and the decking for the sole is 3/4" baltic birch. In hind site, 1/2" baltic birch would have been more than adequate considering there is still a 3/16" solid lay up to go on top of the sole for a finished surface. The braces were attached to the hull with 3M 5200 and the sub-sole(?) was attached to the braces with the same. Of course the whole thing gets tabbed in on the top surface. Everything got two to three coats of epoxy depending on where it resides. Thanks for the kind words and if you have any questions feel free to pm me.

P.s. Man, am I chomping at the bit to get started again!!!
.................................................. ..........................................
If you can access Good Old Boat Sep/Oct or Jul/Aug there is an article that I stole the support idea from...

[mbowman]

Thanks Tony, I'll be letting you know how the progress is going!

[Tony G]

Just when I thought I'd focus on more 'important' jobs or bigger aspects of this get-to-sea project I ran across this while perusing some of my usual boat-porn sites. Now I'm all hot and bothered to make new moulds and cut more holes in Dream Weaver. Sure hope the economy bottoms out/levels out starts doing something so I can sell some parts, buy some other parts, and get this show in the road!!!

[larry]

Love the bright work!

[Lucky Dawg]

HA! "boat-porn"

I can relate. I think there's treatment out there for this addiction.