Texas LB22

[Dougster]

Hey fellas, how's it going? Yeah Eric, no fear on the seam run. It was just a three foot test and half of it is really good. Try that packing tape thing. It's peel ply for seams. The bottom half didn't run and I got a great smooth, rounded fillet on the the seam (bow stern). Gotta grind out the the top half a bit but that looks like ten minute job. But I don't get the stuff on pics. I can post 'em fine, just don't have anything new to add. There's a bunch in my gallery. Can you see 'em? If you search for Dougster you get this silly one picture file, but go to page 25 and it's pretty up to date. Doesn't have the last pics of the blown seam, but a guy needs some dignity

I haven't touched her since my last post. Other stuff and such. Not to worry, Nina calls me every day. Tomorrow is wife stuff, of course. V day and all. Next day I'm not welcome in the house after work: girl's bunco night. I told Shirley I'm picking up Bar-B-Que on the way home and heading down to the shop for the duration Gonna bust the seal on the EZ fillet and see how easy. Just do a little. Any way, what's on my mind is the step after next. I mean, I can slop on some 'poxy and then pull the screws and cut the zips (please God no sproing!). Then I'm good with the tape. But oh my, the glass puts fear in me Been reading old Boatbuilder mags circa 1999 and found a 3 part article where the guy (Tolman of the Tolman Skiiffs no less) recommends wetting out the ply first on 20 plus footers and then laying the glass on 'cuz it sticks better on the vertical sides. Oh, and because it makes leaching out 'poxy goody less likely. Thoughts? Yeah, and BTW, what's with Boatbuilder? The recent ones don't do it for me, what have they done? I've been a wanna-a-be for 15 years, reading that thing. Thank God I got off the fence. I'm thinkin', succeed or fail, bein' wanna-be gives some nice reading, but sawdust and 'poxy mess is big time mo' fun. Kinda like kissing your sister versus that little thing next door.

Gimme some pics Eric, how you doin' Mad?,

Gonna check out that EZ fancy fillet 'poxy Dougster

[Spokaloo]

Just returned from Mexico D, and kinda kicking myself in the ass. Had a 14 hr layover at DFW and forgot to get ahold of you. Ah well, the bed in the DFW Hyatt was NIIIICE

Stitched my bottom panels together tuesday. Other than the bow mold not being anywhere near short enough (going to have to monkey a bit with it), the whole centerline seam stitched up nicely. The ply took the curves better than yours did, but still not tolerating some of the bends and giving me a 1-2" peak over the C frame. Ironically it hits the B frame really well from the center to 2/3 of the way down. Im reasonably happy, as I havent had to cut the slits yet.

One side is glued up, the other will be gluing tomorrow.

Tomorrows schedule:

leave work, glue up side panel, back to town for surgical consult on my sniffer, back home to strip the dock for a rebuild.

TOO MANY PROJECTS!

E

[robbiro]

Dougster,
I work in a psychiatric hospital and one of my psychologist friends continues to remind folks that I think that I am the new NOAH. I have to keep reminding him that I only have three animals at my house all cats, 2 female, one male(they are ALL FIXED!) So I guess that that blows that theory. I will admit I have gotten several other comments concerning the need to build my own boat and I guess it would have been nice to be a fly on the wall to hear all of the grief that Noah really had to listen to over the 100 years that his build took I hope that my GF-16 does not take that long or my sons son will be finishing it. Keep on plugging away at it, we are all following your work and learning from it.

Keep on Buildin'

Robbie

[ks8]

Of course Noah didn't HAVE two of everything.. nor did he have to go hunt them down... they were sent to him, and some critters came in sevens, not twos. Quite a backyard zoo! Maybe you should have made that GF two feet longer?

Nah... isn't it supposed to be fire next time anyway?

[Dougster]

One does get a more sentimental perception of Noah during this process it seems. Hey Eric, DFW is 250 miles north of me, but if you're ever around, let me know. I'll be in Vancouver Island this summer, maybe you'll be vacationing that way again. Check out my turnbuckle 2 by 4's setup on the gallery (page 25). It worked well. The 2 by 4's distributed the load along the keel and prevented dips. The wire slid down from a cross piece on top of the 2 by's through the keel and down to the strongback. Cinch up on that with the turnbuckle and you'll get a good inch back anyway on the C frame peak. Lucky not to need the slits, they're a bit of a pain to fair but sure do work well. That Okume sounds nice, taking the bends a little better. I'm gonna get going this afternoon and tomorrow on the tack welding thing. Hey Robbiro, your son and you will be using that GF-16 and he'll get hooked and build his own boat.

Keepin' on building Dougster

[MadRus]

Hi Dougster,

Frankly, I think the filleting and taping of seams is far more frustrating than wetting out a large piece of cloth. Working wet-on-wet, which I would strongly suggest, takes a bit of timing and grace to get into a good flow. It doesn't take long to find your rhythm, but it's definately harder than spreading out a big piece of cloth and soaking it with a squeegy.

Having seen your work so far, I'm sure you'll have no problem with either job.

[Dougster]

Hey MadRus, thanks for the support. Yesterday a spent a couple of hours gooping on some EX fillet with a tongue depressor (spot welding). Makes a bit of a mess but putting the packing tape over it seems to help. Today I'll try the put it in a zip lock baggie and cut the corner off to pipe it in thing. To me the EZ fillet is still a little too thin, certainly it is for vertical seams. I guess one could add some wood flour to it for those needed areas. It's also a big pain to mix accurately by volume, as it doesn't pour. I think mixing by weight with a good digital scale (100 to 44) would make it easier. We have one in the kitchen, but talking my wife out of it may be a bigger pita than continuing to mix by volume. Any way, the stuff is more expensive and I'm not convinced worth it. Mixing your own to the desired consistency for the intended use seems more practical.

This spot welding is only a bit tedious so far. More so the bow around the slits, they need fairing and I can't use quick fair 'tll the glass is on. Anyway, after the outside is spot welded I gotta crawl underneath with little bits of glass and 'poxy goop to spot weld the frames good so I don't get the dreaded SPROING when I let go the screws and turnbuckles. That's overhead work so maybe I'll thicken the 'poxy a bit, I'll see.

Goin' down to the shop today Dougster

[Spokaloo]

Superdoug, dont thicken your epoxy before wetting out your glass. Itll stick, you will get it dripping down your tools, but it wont wet worth a damn if there is thickening agent. Just glove up and throw on an apron. If you have something plastic for sleeves, use that too.

Dont be shy about putting good sized straps of glass inside. Whos ever gonna see it?

E

[MadRus]

I like the baggie used like a cake decorator and I usually use a plastic spoon to shape my fillets- I just find it more comfortable that's all.

Sounds like you're about ready to get goopy. Good for you.

[Dougster]

Roger that Spoke, no thickener on the 'glass tack welds. Cover up and get goopy. I finished the bow slit area and the chine seams. Keel seam to go. After several days, the 'poxy is still tacky to touch, but can't be dented with a thumbnail. Oh well, it's hell mixing that darn "EZ" fillet. I did talk the wife out of the digital scale, but it only measured to the quarter ounze. Here's a picture with the packing tape on the seams, which holds them in place if need be and really makes them smoother.




I still gotta climb on top and do the keel line, then get underneath and tack with the glass. Do I need to put in little fillets for the glass? I assume so or the glass won't take the 90degree corner. I don't want it to be too hard to break/cut loose to get the stations out later. BTW, after overmixing the first batch of "EZ" fillet and cutting the corner too big I learned and had good luck with the baggie/cake decorator thing. Like it a lot. Next I'll I'll try the plastic spoons.

Moving along slowly Dougster