Bob's FS18

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by VT_Jeff »

toadfish wrote: Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:39 pm
As finishing of the compartment continued, something started to really bug me and I hesitated to post this part for fear of looking like an over-thinking nut.
If it weren't for over-thinking, I'd do no thinking at all!

Looking really great, giving me too many ideas, per usual!
There are only two seasons in Vermont: boating season, and boat-building season.

Completed Paul Butler 14' Clark Fork Drifter
Completed Jacques Mertens FS14LS + 10%, Build Thread
Started Iain Oughtred Tammie Norrie

joe2700
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by joe2700 »

toadfish wrote: Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:39 pm
Connections soldered and double shrink-wrapped.
I only mention this since you are doing such a neat wiring job you might care about doing it by the book. Your solder connections will likely be fine but according to ABYC standards you cannot use solder as the sole means of connection. You can crimp and then solder, but not just solder. The idea is that the soldered join will get brittle with the constant motion in a boat, so if you do solder after crimping you must support the joint.

I've been using the adhesive lined heat shrink crimp connectors and they work really well while adhering to the standard.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXTK37Y

Again, in the real world you connections will probably be fine, but just thought you might not know about this because a soldered connection is the top choice in other situations. The relevant part of ABYC E-11 is below.
11.14.5.7 Solder shall not be the sole means of mechanical connection in any circuit. If soldered, the
connection shall be so located or supported as to minimize flexing of the conductor where the solder
changes the flexible conductor into a solid conductor.
EXCEPTION: Battery lugs with a solder contact length of not less than 1.5 times the diameter of the
conductor.
NOTE: When a stranded conductor is soldered, the soldered portion of the conductor becomes a
solid strand conductor, and flexing can cause the conductor to break at the end of the solder joint
unless adequate additional support is provided.

toadfish
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by toadfish »

Thanks very much Joe. Completely did not know the standard and am thankfully not too far down the road on electrical connections, so not too many to switch out. I appreciate the link to the connections you use and the advice.

Bob

joe2700
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by joe2700 »

toadfish wrote: Fri Oct 23, 2020 10:00 am Thanks very much Joe. Completely did not know the standard and am thankfully not too far down the road on electrical connections, so not too many to switch out. I appreciate the link to the connections you use and the advice.

Bob
No problem, you'll probably want a crimper made for the insulated connectors if you are doing more than a few to prevent tearing the heat shrink. I see some of the connectors very similar to the ones I linked come with a crimper for a good price. I don't have personal experience with them having the ancor crimper, but it might be a good way to start if you don't want to spend a lot.

Something like this, but again I haven't tried it myself.

https://www.amazon.com/IWISS-Shrink-Con ... 07QGZFP9S/

Fuzz
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by Fuzz »

I have that crimper. It does a decent job. One thing I do not like is you have to close it all the way before it will open back up.

joe2700
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by joe2700 »

Fuzz wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2020 1:40 am I have that crimper. It does a decent job. One thing I do not like is you have to close it all the way before it will open back up.
Most ratcheting crimpers will have a small toggle to release midway so you can realign. Normally I think the intent is that if it opens again you know the crimp was tight enough.

toadfish
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by toadfish »

A little more aft compartment progress. Like the forward compartment, there is a false floor above the bilge floor for "dry" storage. So that it can be removed, the false floor is in two pieces because of its size and has a a barrier on the back edge to keep things from sliding off the back.

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Here are the floor pieces in position.

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The notch in the back barrier of the false floor panel has a purpose. One of the other things I really wanted was easy access to the bilge pumps, since they frequently act up and in some boats are hard to get to. The pump in the sump that drains the cockpit is easily accessed under the forward false floor panel. I wanted to figure out a way to mount the main bilge pump as well, so that it could be removed without a lot of acrobatics for maintenance or replacement. A notched bracket was made for the pump that fits into the notch on the back barrier of the floor panel and allows the pump to rest flush on the bilge floor without fasteners in the hull or transom.

Bracket shape sketched up

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Trial fit

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Pump is wired and mounted to the finished bracket

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Drain tube just needs to be connected to the through hull

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toadfish
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by toadfish »

One additional thing to do before the aft deck goes down was to install rod storage tubes. I mainly have fly rods so needed the additional length, but also wanted them under the aft deck to make access easier for the angler on the bow. All are made from PVC, which is a tiny bit heavy, but I've economized on weight elsewhere so should be OK.

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A heat gun was used to curve the tubes inboard. This effectively increases length, but also will flex each rod against the sidewall of the boat under the gunnel. Brackets were made to support the tubes, and are laminated and glassed to the sidewall between frame E and the transom

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The tubes are actually "strapped" to the bracket with a strip of fiberglass tape.

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Cut flush on the cockpit side of frame E

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Ready to go

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Jeff
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by Jeff »

Nice work!!! Jeff

toadfish
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Re: Bob's FS18

Post by toadfish »

This post is long but pretty much brings me to real time. The goal was to get as much finishing done to the center console/coffin box before it was fiberglassed into place.

Console storage is accessed by a rear door, while the coffin box has a top hatch. Cleats were placed inside the console portion for two small removable shelves. Plywood spacers were used to make sure the cleats were positioned accurately. A lot of the interior fairing and painting was done at this point while access was much easier.

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The grab bar was fabricated and trial fit so that screw holes could be accurately placed through the teak top and plywood underneath. The holes were then overdrilled and filled with epoxy.

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I finally decided on a stainless piano hinge for the top of the box. The rabbet was the tough part and would have been much easier to place as I was building the top, rather than after it was already together.

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Hinge trial fit

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Console glassed into place

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The interior of the box completely faired and painted. Epoxy filled grab bar mounting holes are visible in the plywood top. The teak top will be laminated to it later.

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Yet another thing I want easy access to is the fuse box. The "divider" that is visible between the console and box storage areas is actually a door, to which the fuse box will be mounted. The door folds down to provide access to the box and its associated wiring, that will emerge through the chase in the floor of the console section.

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