A Cracker Built GF18- Finished 6/28/15

[whosmatt]

Oh, and the boat looks great It's nice to have something to work on to get your mind off of things for a while. My own build gave me an outlet during a tough time in my life.

Matt

[PastorBob]

Tough news... We have spent the last year and a half fighting one of those cancers that are the "best kind to get"... Glad to hear that you are getting positive news and although it takes time and is a hard road you'll get there. We'll be praying for you along the way! Boat is looking great..

[stickystuff]

WOW! I have been out of the loop for a couple of weeks and come on to find this out. I am flabergasted to say the least. It's tough but we all have had our moments. last year at this time I had to call an ambulance for the wife. when you can't breathe somethings got to give. She was diagnosed with COPD. Has been hospitalized 4 times since in the last year.I am not looking for sympathy but it is something we do to ourselves. We were both smokers and we both have been diagnosed with it. She worse than me.

We all have our loved ones and try to do our best. Life is short. Spend the best times you can for the rest of your life. If Dori is anything like you she will snap back like nothing has happened.My prayers and thoughts are with you my friend.

[callyb]

Larry and Dori, I haven't been on in a long time and I just saw this. It actually made me tear up... It sucks, but F*** Cancer! I know that you are both too tough to let it get the better of you. I will be thinking of you and I will see BOTH of you this winter, as I'll be heading down to Charleston for a visit in November.

Hang in there and please keep us all posted.

Carl.

[wegcagle]

Dang Larry,

You've got a trick for everything don't you. I have always wondered how you fill those holes so perfect on one round of putty. I never put a slit in the outside tape, and there's always an air pocket on the outside that I have to fill later.

Slit in the tape...That's definitely one for the memory bank.

Will

[robbiro]

Larry is after all+++"DA MAN!"

[ks8]

yep


CL,

do you ever get an air pocket 'in the middle' of the fill, or, what do you do to prevent it?

and ... do you tape the other side too to prevent a sag that might create an air gap on the 'fill' side. I like to build a little oversize bump on the fill side, and tape it with slight pressure, acting something like a 'bearing buddy'. but that means keeping watch on the 'finished' side to wipe any further oozing, and grinding back the cured 'bump'. what do you do on the 'fill' or 'inboard' side?

[Cracker Larry]

Matt, Bob, Ken, Carl, Robbie, everbody, appreciate it all y'all. Carl, we better hear from you in November if you are close. We can come to Charleston if you can't make it here. Dori says thanks to you all.

Still building

Attached my drilling jig and re-drilled the transom holes to correct size. That's 1/2". Not bad but I need to build a jig for a 1" hole saw. The mounting bolt holes are just right, but not perfectly centered with the filler holes because I drill those with a 1" hole saw free hand. You can't get them perfect without a jig. Not that it matters a lot, plenty strong, but I like perfect and this ain't quite



Not too shabby though, we can live with it

Edit: Hmm... that hole isn't nearly as shabby as the picture makes it look I did cut it with a round hole saw Weird.



Very cool out this morning, had to put on long pants and shoes Wanted to pour some foam later so set it out in the sun early to warm up. It gets a lot better expansion at 85 degrees than at 55. Warm your foam



Figuring out the chase tubes to the bow area.. I think we will want one each for the nav lights and maybe another for the trolling motor power connection. Got to plan ahead. If I don't need it, I can fill it later. Easier than trying to add it.



This should be fun to trim down flush I got a little overzealous That's a tomorrow job. Sure hope the chase tubes work out, because they are set in place forever.



Any extra cut offs and ice cream cones will go into the next void that needs filling. No waste with foam, even in the cups. It is some wild stuff!

do you ever get an air pocket 'in the middle' of the fill, or, what do you do to prevent it?

and ... do you tape the other side too to prevent a sag that might create an air gap on the 'fill' side.

Have I ever? Yeah I have. Not this time though. That depends on a lot of things, the width and depth of the hole, the angle of the hole, the temperature, the mix consistency and I think probably the moon phase If the hole is big and deep and the temps are hot, the epoxy tends to boil and make voids. Then you have to fill it in stages. The weather and mix was perfect when I did this yesterday and all I had to do was fill it once and strike the inside off a little higher than flush with a putty knife. It stayed put right there. Sometimes I have to tape it on the inside to hold it in place, not this time. The moon was right It always tends to shrink a little when it cures so I try to fill it fat on both sides then sand it down flush. Like I said, make the tape bulge, strike it off a little high and it will shrink to almost perfect, then 30 seconds of sanding makes it so.

[Cracker Larry]

I have always wondered how you fill those holes so perfect on one round of putty. I never put a slit in the outside tape, and there's always an air pocket on the outside that I have to fill later.

Tape the downhill side of the slope and just make a little slit at the top of the taped hole. Pack it from uphill. Gravity being what it is, it works Methods that worked last week at 95 degrees don't work this week at 75. 75 is much more forgiving. Last week I would have taped both sides of the hole.

[jessfish]

Larry I am sorry to hear your bad news. I hope everything works out the best way possible. The GF18 sure is coming along nicely.