Jeffs FS14 LS

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narfi
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by narfi »

Once I let the cleanless obsession go on our fs17 it became more fun. Leaves and gravel and sand in the bottom right now but it's ready to go :)

It was hard to let go though...... So much time into something you want it to look nice.

Fuzz
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by Fuzz »

One of the problems we all seem to have is making the boat too pretty to use. There is something to be said for a work boat finish. Little boo-boos don't hurt as much :wink: Now if you were like me it is a good excuse for never really getting to the pretty stage :lol:

bamaguy0
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by bamaguy0 »

VT_Jeff wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:51 pm
There are some stress cracks that I need to address, I'll post about those at some point, but I've definitely learned that fairing compound needs to be used sparingly and thinly, it's not structural. I knew this in theory before, I now know it in practice.
Could I maybe get a preview? It would be good to understand where you're seeing them so I can watch those areas while building.

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by VT_Jeff »

bamaguy0 wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 7:06 am
VT_Jeff wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:51 pm
There are some stress cracks that I need to address, I'll post about those at some point, but I've definitely learned that fairing compound needs to be used sparingly and thinly, it's not structural. I knew this in theory before, I now know it in practice.
Could I maybe get a preview? It would be good to understand where you're seeing them so I can watch those areas while building.
Yes, good call. One is where the deck meets the transom and should probably not be any surprise. Maybe should have hung the motor and pre'stessed this before filling. There is a clamp glued to the transom and the deck sits on that, so it's not in any danger of going anywhere, and the transom is still locked into the stringers etc so no concern there. At least not yet...I trailer with the motor all the way down to reduce bouncing and flexing as much as possible. My transom is doubled from spec.

The other spot is where I needed to fill the gap between the radius I cut in the deck and the radius that my bent-lam settled at. One corner is worse than the rest. I need to dig through photos to see what I did there. I know i used some wood and some fill, i cant tell which seam the crack is forming.

I was a little obsessed with stress cracks on the deck and v-grooved all the joints and filled with a strong mixture to avoid any hard lines. These have held up, no signs of cracks at any of those joints yet.
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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

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by VT_Jeff »

TomW1 wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:57 pm
VT_Jeff wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 10:51 pm
cracked_ribs wrote: Thu Aug 12, 2021 9:59 pm Awesome that you're getting to use her now - sure a great feeling to see them on the water at last eh?
You said it CR! Initially there were some jitters that tempered the joy a little bit(Is the transom gonna fall off? Is the slightly used motor gonna start everytime? etc) but now it's like a comfortable ball glove, a real pleasure to be on and enjoy.

There are some stress cracks that I need to address, I'll post about those at some point, but I've definitely learned that fairing compound needs to be used sparingly and thinly, it's not structural. I knew this in theory before, I now know it in practice.
So glad your enjoying her Jeff. Just throw some paint on the stress cracks till you get a chance to fix them and don't worry about them. :D

Tom
Thanks Tom and that's my plan, they'll need to wait until boating season turns back into boat-building season before any major surgery happens. Monitor and use in the meantime.
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

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by VT_Jeff »

narfi wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 12:58 am Once I let the cleanless obsession go on our fs17 it became more fun. Leaves and gravel and sand in the bottom right now but it's ready to go :)

It was hard to let go though...... So much time into something you want it to look nice.
Absolutely! the amount of time I spent taping off the deck for the non-skid, applying the non-skid, trying to get it all looking pretty and perfect, and it's all really just for that pre-launch photo! I have honestly not really tried that hard yet to get the deck clean again: I hit it quickly with an electric powerwasher before some guests came but have not suds-soaked it yet, which is really what it needs, I'll do that next crappy day and see what it looks like.

It's weedy here, and we are constantly dragging weeds onto the deck with flies/lures/paddle/trolling motor/push pole. The weeds are dirty and the deck doesn't really have a chance. Oh Well, Elaine is still walking on clouds from the stout small-mouth she bagged so it's all worth it!
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

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by VT_Jeff »

Fuzz wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 1:29 am One of the problems we all seem to have is making the boat too pretty to use. There is something to be said for a work boat finish. Little boo-boos don't hurt as much :wink: Now if you were like me it is a good excuse for never really getting to the pretty stage :lol:
Agree, Fuzz, a work-boat finish is really the only one that makes logical sense. But we all know that building your own boat first requires the setting aside of all logical thought: there is no greater distance between needing a boat and having a boat than building a boat. :lol:
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

bamaguy0
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by bamaguy0 »

Thanks! That's a good point with the transom. I have a tilt n trim bracket that I'm installing so that will add an additional moment arm to the weight of the motor on the transom.

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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by bamaguy0 »

VT_Jeff wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:46 am
Fuzz wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 1:29 am One of the problems we all seem to have is making the boat too pretty to use. There is something to be said for a work boat finish. Little boo-boos don't hurt as much :wink: Now if you were like me it is a good excuse for never really getting to the pretty stage :lol:
Agree, Fuzz, a work-boat finish is really the only one that makes logical sense. But we all know that building your own boat first requires the setting aside of all logical thought: there is no greater distance between needing a boat and having a boat than building a boat. :lol:
Ooof. Right in the feels.

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Jeffs FS14 LS

Post by VT_Jeff »

bamaguy0 wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:52 am Thanks! That's a good point with the transom. I have a tilt n trim bracket that I'm installing so that will add an additional moment arm to the weight of the motor on the transom.
Yeah, not to reinvent the wheel, but I'm wondering if a flexible fill is the way to go there. Walking around the marina, I see glass boats with stress-cracks at the transom/deck joint.
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

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