A Fun Day

Well, I had a fun day!

This morning I went to TAP Plastics to pick up a different epoxy filler material. I have been using micro-balloons all along but decided I'd change fillers for more strength. After discussing my project with the clerk, I bought a container of chopped fiberglass filler.

At the shed I first checked on the glued up box boom timber. Using a chisel and the block plane I dressed the scarf joins and decided I had done a pretty good job with this one!

Set up for gluing the chine-logs went pretty well. I made a gauge for setting the 10mm overlap using a craft stick cut square and drawing a line at 10mm from the end. Placing the chine-log on top of the side panel I could set the overlap by holding the gauge against the edge of the side panel, setting the chine-log at the 10mm line, and clamping or screwing (as needed) the chine-log in place. Once the chine-log was in place I penciled a reference line on the hull panel. I repeated this process for both sides.

The spring clamps worked very well but I realized I didn't have enough! No surprise there. I made a quick run to the big box store for additional clamps and decided to renew my practice of buying two clamps each time I go into that store! At a buck apiece they are quite affordable. The ones I bought today have a much stronger spring (and green grips instead of blue) than the ones I bought earlier this year.

Not knowing how much epoxy to mix up I went conservative and mixed a 3 ounce (2 resin 1 hardener) batch, figuring it would coat both surfaces (chine-log and side panel) for one side with enough left to thicken and finish the one side.

I coated both surfaces and thickened the remaining epoxy. I've never worked with chopped fiberglass so it was a new adventure. I mixed in the filler until I had a consistency that seemed "right." That batch coated about half of the side panel so I quickly mixed up another, smaller, batch.

The chine-log went on pretty smoothly. Using 4 screws and 11 clamps I was able to seat the chine-log against the hull panel and eliminate all gaps between the two surfaces.

There was one change in this process for the second side. After coating the mating surfaces with straight epoxy, I used a combination of micro-balloons and chopped glass to thicken the epoxy. This gave me a "better" consistency and it was easier to spread on the side panel (I applied the thickened epoxy to only one of the mating surfaces).

I had planned to begin assembly of the box boom today but decided to glue up the second timber instead.

Here's how I left things this afternoon:



Yes, the side panels are stacked. The gox boom timber is there on the right.

Tomorrow's plan is to dry-fit the hull!