Filling the Weave in the FG

I spent a good part of today working on the foils. The dagger board received several coats of epoxy in order to fill in the weave in the FG cloth. Because I used a heavier cloth it takes more coats to complete this task. Also, the method I am using applies thinner layers of epoxy which means I really am using less resin. It just takes more coats. I'm learning to mix smaller batches of epoxy so there is less waste. Based on how the dagger board looks this evening, I will need to do one more coat tomorrow.

The rudder - which I thought was done - received some additional attention today. Upon closer examination I decided I didn't like the somewhat uneven surface at the bottom the rudder. That uneven surface was the result of my original mistake when I first glassed the rudder back in April. Today I wrapped 80-grit sandpaper around a piece of scrap wood and sanded the rudder smooth. It is not perfect but it is much better than it was this morning. I am satisfied with the rudder. It is ready for primer and paint.

The rudder is a good example of Greybeal's Japanese principle of boat building, known as wabi-sabi (I honestly do not know if that is a legitimate Japanese phrase or if David made it up):

• Nothing is ever complete
  
• Nothing is ever perfect
  
• Nothing lasts forever
  

I did not quite finish the rudder this evening so work will continue on it this week.

More Progress on the Foils

Work continued today on the foils. The dagger board looks pretty good and will only get better as I fill in the weave on the FG cloth. I applied the first fill coat of epoxy on the first side this morning. I'll sand that a bit and apply another coat this evening. The second side will be worked on tomorrow. So far I am pleased with how the dagger board is coming along.

The rudder got another sanding late this morning and one side received another coat of slightly thickened epoxy early this afternoon. That has set enough for a light sanding and a coat of paint primer. It needs a little more attention to two spots (it is amazing what the primer reveals) before I can work on the other side.

I am pretty pleased with these small, but necessary, steps toward finishing the foils.

Before long I will need to make a decision about paint. I know I want the hull and foils to be yellow. But there are so many yellows available that picking the "right" one is difficult. I suspect I am making this more difficult than it really is - after all, whatever I pick will be the "right" one.

Working on the Dagger Board

I previously reported being done with the dagger board... but that wasn't quite right. I was done shaping it but hadn't glassed it, or faired it, or painted it. Seems there is a bit more work to do before I can truly say the dagger board is done.

The first layer of FG cloth went on reasonably well last night. This morning I lightly sanded one side of the board, cut a piece of 4 oz FG cloth to size, and "painted" that side of the board with epoxy. Carefully placing the piece of FG cloth, I was able to get it right where I wanted it the first try! I "painted" a bit more epoxy onto the cloth using a foam brush and then used a squeegee to "push" the epoxy into the cloth.

Four hours later I repeated the steps on the second side of the board. And, about four hours after that, I completed the task by coating the front half of the dagger with epoxy and draping a layer of 8 oz FG cloth over the board.

Tomorrow I will work on filling the weave of the cloth using the squeegee and foam brush. I like this combination of tools better than the roller I used on the rudder. It is obvious to me I used less epoxy and got a neater result on the dagger board. Filling the weave will provide a nice smooth - and hopefully, a nearly fair - surface needing little sanding to prepare it for painting.

Progress Notes and Pictures

While saving and reviewing some earlier pictures this evening, I realized I haven't posted any recent progress pictures lately. So, here we go...

Finished frames posed...


If you look sideways and squint a bit you can almost see a boat's shape there in those frames.

Here are the center case side pieces with the outside cleats being glued...

Nothing very exciting about this - other than it is another step toward completing my boat.

Here are the new bar clamps...

The new set of eight clamps gives me a total inventory of 34 clamps. I've gone from a total of ten clamps on hand when I began this project in April, so having 34 clamps seems like a lot to me. However, apparently a woodworker - and particularly a boat builder - can never have enough clamps. And, as it is, I am already planning to buy more!

One more picture... This is the dagger board being glassed.

Again, not much to see really. Once the FG cloth is wetted through with resin it "disappears" from view. You can see the tag ends of the cloth at the ends of the board.

I am using a different technique to glass the dagger board than I used for the rudder. The rudder was done with a single piece of cloth draped over the leading edge of the foil. Applying the resin to both sides was an adventure, and resulted in one minor (could have been worse!) incident. When trying to make sure the cloth was not puckered I pull too hard on it and pulled the resin covered foil off its support and onto the floor!

For the dagger board, I draped one piece over the leading edge but only brought it about half way down the board (on both sides). Each side will get a layer of cloth which will over-lap the first piece. A third layer will be draped over the leading edge and over-lap the sides. Once that sets up I will sand and fair the board. I plan to get all that done in about 10 days as I want to take the board up to Ed's to measure the thickness of the board and cut the center case spacers to the correct size.

Continuing On...

A set of new bar clamps arrived today. There are 8 6" bar clamps and while they are relatively inexpensive they appear to be good quality. (These were $3.70 apiece including shipping; Home Depot sells very similar clamps for $6.95 each.) I now have a collection of 34 clamps. Following the adage, a boat builder can never have too many clamps, I will probably order another set of 8 early next month.

I spent a good part of this afternoon's ride home figuring out how to rig the trimmer as an edge joiner (my term - a joiner makes a smooth square edge to a board). At home I looked at the trimmer and decided that particular tool would not be adaptable for what I had in mind. But, as happens more often than it ought to, there was a WBF thread asking about joiners. As the thread evolved it appeared that the original poster needs to do edge joining (apparently there are other tasks a joiner can perform). One response to that was to use a jack plane or a joiner plane. That makes sense if you get close enough with the saw cut, but it is something to keep in mind.

The dagger board is nearly ready for glassing. I suspect I will begin that process tomorrow.

Plotting and Planning

There are numerous components and elements I need to consider - and plan for - before I worry too much about finding space and assembling the hull. So, I have been plotting and planning.

I've decided that I will use DF for the inwales and gunwales. My guess is the designer knows more about this than I do, and the plans specify DF for those components. But I believe I can get what I need for both gunwales from a single 10' length of DF 2 x 4. The 3 1/2" dimension can be cut in half to provide 2 pieces 1 3/4" (or nearly so), and then those can be cut on the 1 1/2" side to provide four pieces that are 3/4" thick. Then two of those can be scarfed together for the gunwale.

The same sort of milling can be used to produce the 3/8" material needed for the inwales.

Thinking about it, a single 10' length of 2x6 would provide enough material for all of the inwales and gunwales and result in less waste. I need to verify that.

A similar approach can be used to create the gunwale caps from the walnut I will be purchasing. I do need to calculate how much walnut I will need for the caps, transom top frame, knees and skids.

It seems to me I should focus on getting the hull panels cut out and prepped for assembly before turning to the fun of milling the inwales and gunwales.

But it is fun to plot and plan!

Progess and Set Backs

So, I cannot complain about not posting for a week as it has now been weeks since I last updated this journal! Well, that's done so no sense in carrying on about it.

The progress has been slow but steady. The four frames are ready to be installed and give form to the hull. If only the hull panels were ready for assembly...

Components of the centerboard case have been cut and both side pieces for the case have been coated with epoxy. The outside cleats have been glued to the side pieces. The interior spacers have to be milled to size but that will have to wait until later in the month. Deciding what size those spacers should be presents the interesting problem of measuring the thickness of the centerboard. Since the board is a foil shape and relatively long, the thickness is not easily measured. Compounding this issue right now is the fact that the board needs to be glassed and faired before I can determine how thick it is. The spacers need to be 2mm thicker than the board.

The terminology I'm using needs some clarification. The Goat does not use a centerboard, it uses a dagger board. However, the plans refer to and describe the "center case" and I have morphed the word, "center" into "centerboard." I should shift gears mentally and start using the correct terminology, "dagger board."

I have reached a stage of construction where I need to consider what hardwood to use for the transom top frame, the knees, the gunwale caps and the skids. There are a number of woods to select from, Honduran Mahogany, African Mahogany, Cherry, Padauk, Maple, Mokore (also known as African Cherry), Walnut, and others. For the look I want - a rich dark brown to offset the hull's yellow - walnut is probably the best choice. The biggest drawback to walnut is an old superstition that walnut used in building a boat brings bad luck. The thing about superstitions is they are only valid - if at all - if they are believed. Since I didn't even know of this superstition until a couple of weeks ago when reading a WBF thread, how deep seated can this "superstition" be for me? I need to give this some thought.

I have decided to make my own oars. There are plans available and the articles I have read explain in pretty good detail the process of making oars. I am looking forward to that project.

Getting ahead of myself a bit, I ordered the study plans for the Penobscot 17 - a very good looking boat I am seriously considering for a future project. I guess once a boat builder, always a boat builder.

Set backs? Well, yes but the major set back is not as negative as it may sound. I have decided I do not have the time, space or resources to get the boat ready for the Timothy Lake excursion. I was pressing and making mistakes. I do not wish to make a major mistake and this decision relieves me of some of the self-imposed pressure to get it done!