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D5 - OneOff I

Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 12:58 am
by ArizonaBuilder
I have completed the inside seams, one half of the daggerboard box and installed the skeg.

I have placed some pictures in the gallery.

This has definitely been a learning experience as this is my first stitch and glue project...

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 11:28 am
by ArizonaBuilder
i have finally flipped the hull and built up enough courage to attack to outer seams.

I used a resin sanding disk on my right angle grinder to round out the edges. This worked beautifully and I am totally impressed with the ease that the grinder worked with these resin disks... It was a little dusty, but that is okay..

Next i applied a stiff fillet compound using a freebee credit card to the rounded edges to smooth out any defects created by grinding.

After letting the fillet material set for a half hour. the material was fairly firm at this point.. i wet out my tape on a piece of plastic and applyed to the seams.

Those resin sanding disks also worked great knocking down the tape edges on my daggerboard box.

so tonight i am going to knock down the edges on the taped seams.

Now i am not sure what my next step will be.

i know i need to apply epoxy to the hull which has not received an initial coat yet..

Will i let that first coat harden and after that apply a second coat tommorrow, which will be my second coat and will fill the weave of the tape.

After that do i need to apply a third coat or would i move to the fairing stage with the Quick fair material..

I am running low on resin, 1 1/2 left in the bottle.. so i don't want to apply too much resin, unless i need to go out and buy some more anyways.

I feel that i need 3 coats on the hull, but if i only need two before quick fairing that would be great... i just might have enough resin left...

thanks for any input.

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:45 pm
by LarryA
If you are going to go to quikfair, then I would say you do not need a third coat - it is itself epoxy so it provides the next coat for you - you just need to seal the wood so it does not suck the epoxy out of the quikfair mixture.

Sounds like you are moving very quickly, keep it up.

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:36 pm
by ArizonaBuilder
I applied my first coat to the outside hull this weekend and was amazed how far a little amount of epoxy would go when you used a plastic squeegee.

The bare wood looks like it will need a second coat thou, but the taped seams are mostly invisible now..

I used my angle grinder to knock down the edges before i applied the epoxy to the hull..

With using the squeegee for the first time.. i was sure i would not have any runs, but sure enough i had runs around the fiberglass tape.

It is almost like some god, holds back the expoxy from running until i leave the garage..

I guess it must be the epoxy reaction that kicks in and heats up the epoxy and allows it to flow while it sets up. And i specifically played with the stuff for an hour, looking for runs before i decided it was safe....

Right now, i don't want to expoxy anything that is not horizontal....LOL

At least the runs were not as bad as when i did the inside... there i only used a brush and did not squeegee it... so i am getting better, but not where i want to be yet.... PRATICE, PRACTICE and some more PRACTICE

I also glued up my tiller using 4 - 1/4 plywood.. I haven't removed the clamps yet.. Since i want to bond to cure before i release the pressure from the clamps, but it is looking good, so far.. can't wait to finish it bright.

I still want to place some 4 oz cloth on the outside bottom and sides to help with the checking of the fir, since i went cheap and bought AC exterior ply..

But i must say, i have been looking at all the cut edges of the pieces and have yet to find a void problem... There have been a couple of spots no more than 1/16 inch, but that is all i found. So i hope i lucked out with some half decent wood.

I know it was a gamble, but it is a small D5.

Wow, this todo list got longer and longer the more i thought about it.
even thou it looks like a boat, i have a lot of work to do yet...LOL

Todo List
glass outside hull.
Apply second coat epoxy to fill weave.
Finish installing second half of daggerboard box..
Finish outside edges of hull where daggerboard exits boat.
Knock down inside tape edges.
Apply second coat of epoxy inside
Finish mast step..
Add seat cleats
Build/install seats and mast partner.
add backers for oar locks
add backers for handles on transom
shape and finish rudder, tiller and daggerboard.
Build mast and sprit.
Buy sail or build?
get hardware
quikfair inside and out
sand, sand and sand
prime
sand, sand and sand
paint.
Detail outside hull

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 1:52 am
by ArizonaBuilder
Well tonight i decided to fiberglass the outside hull using 4oz cloth and Jacques new epoxy. I had 3 unknowns going in, cloth from US Composites, Jacques new epoxy and never having fiberglassed anything with large sheets of cloth.

I debated a while on whether to wet down the epoxy on the hull and lay the cloth into the wet epoxy or just put down the cloth dry and spread the epoxy on top of the cloth, hoping everything would wet out fine.

so i streamed the epoxy from the cup onto the glass and used my brush to spread it around.. well to my surprise after a single stroke of the brush I had a totally wetted out glass trail behind the brush. So you can guess i did not have any issues with the wetting of the glass. It actually wetted out quicker than the 9 oz tape using system 3. But i don't know if that is a fair comparison.. 4oz cloth and 9oz tape.

I also noticed the new hardener is thinner and easier to pump than the system 3 hardner. The two resins both had about the same viscosity.

So right now i will give the new epoxy 3 stars out of 5. If only they could develop epoxy that doesn't run>>>

I guess i need to develop better skills.

If you are wondering why i glassed the outside of the hull. This is my learning boat.. I glassed the hull for experience, so a larger boat's hull would not be so intimidating, to make the hull more abrasive resistant and finally to stop the fir ply from checking.

I want to use this boat as my shore tender when i am sailing around the Fiji islands with Jacques new unseen VG27. :lol: so i need it to last a few years.

More pics coming this weekend..

Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2004 10:37 pm
by ks8
Oh my.. its the return of the to do lists!

I always make mine too long for a weekend and only get one third thru them. The weather's warming up to 50 on Sunday (fahrenheit- ha, had you going Leon?). I might as well make a list tommorrow!

If the epoxy didn't run, it wouldn't wet out that cloth so nicely either. It's a world of trade-offs.

Happy D5'ing

ks

Uploaded new pics to gallery

Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2004 5:36 pm
by ArizonaBuilder
Well my todo list is starting to get shorter, i have glassed the outside of the hull and epoxied the daggerboard, rudder and tiller.

You can see some pics in the gallery..


Daggerboard Handle with racing strips.

Image

I liked the way this turned out, I am going to take my seats and cut them in thirds and place some 3/8 ply between the cuts and glue everything back together. This should give the seats an unique look and will match the daggerboard handle. I have to figure what 1/2 wood i am going to use for the seats, i want the light look of the pine on the daggerboard to accent the racing strips.

My next task is too cleanup any runs and rough tape or cloth edges so i will be ready to fair the hull when my supplies are delivered in a weeks time.

After that it will be time to flip the hull again.. good job it is a light boat..
and add the seat cleats.. clean up tape edges, sand runs, add those fancy blocks in the rear corners of the transom and get the rubrails on.., build the seats and mast partner... STOP, I told myself, self don't create any more todo lists... look what i went and did anyways.... :lol:

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:03 am
by ks8
vroooom vroooom .......

you can race D5's!

... against other D5's. :roll:

ks

ps. there's nothing wrong with to do lists, as long as they are reasonable and encourage you rather than discourage. I'm learning to keep mine much shorter now. If I finish one early, checking off all four or five items, its easy enough to find something else that needs doing!

Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2004 12:10 am
by ks8
Hey! :idea:

How about an extendable Hydroplane mod for the D5, fore and aft, just enough to border the displacement / plane envelope.

No one needs to know what those extra two ropes and cleats are for. You'll beat the other D5's hands down, if you don't go tipsy and reveal your covert understructure.... :lol:

ks

Posted: Sun May 30, 2004 1:32 pm
by ArizonaBuilder
Well, it has been a while since I have updated everyone on my progress, or even worked on the boat. Other commitments and it is getting really warm here for working in an non air conditioned garage, especially while sanding. But seeing everyone finishing their boats has motivated me to get this thing done, so I can spend a little time on the water, while I build my next boat.

Here is the hull completly faired and ready for some primer.

Image

I decided to place the boat on its side to see if this would make it easier to fair the inside. You will also notice that I put bottles and foam in the rear seat. Amazing how much this stuff expands and how hard it gets. With the temperatures here it had fully expanded after a couple of minutes so it was easy to judge how much more I needed to add to fill the camber. This was the first time I have seen the D5 from a top view and I am impressed with its size and shape.. I can't wait to get it into the water.

Image

Started fairing the inside and it has been great working with the boat on its side. When I am done with the bottom half I will flip it and finish the other half. I was dreading sanding the inside with the heat now. But after connecting my shop vac to the orbital sander, I had very little dust blowing in my face. Sanding has actually been bearable when using the shop vac. I know, I should have been doing that all along..

Well, I guess my break is over now and it is time to go back to my sanding..

Image

Sanding the inside has consisted of using the RO sander for most of the areas, followed by hand sanding with a 1/2 pvc pipe wrapped in 60 grit for the fillets and 60 grit on a 8" sanding block to get those areas along the fillets where the RO missed. Reading another post, I think i might get a detail sander for my next boat. Can't wait for the fairing stage to be over. Oh ya, I am fairing every square inch to cleanup my sloppy epoxy work.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:33 am
by ks8
oy. you're getting worse than me! Fairing the interior? I didn't bother with that, but then with the way I sand, it is almost like fairing, but with epoxy as the fairing compound. Tough sanding. You must like sanding too? It's hard to see the bad epoxy work you are speaking of. Looks pretty good in those shots. I'm overdoing on the seat compartments, but that is because of the lack of access for future maintenance.

I think the main thing I'm doing under there is a GOOD epoxy seal, mostly rounded corners, and smoothed biax edges, so there are no cuts or bruises when quickly reaching in there for any reason.

I suppose your D5 will look nice faired, but are you going to use high gloss or semi? Light color? Neutral color? If you're putting any sort of antiskid on the floor, you might not want to spend too much time on the fairing. But perhaps seal it well when all is said and done. I've put two coats of straight epoxy under the seats and hope to be priming soon. I think only two coats of topcoat , the last being crosslinked. Under the seats, I hope it outlasts the rest of the boat! Yes, it has added weight. When I flip it for the centerboard case, I'll weigh it! :lol:

I'm looking forward to seeing the D5 launched. I hope my Caravelle will be in the water in sept. So your D5 will be one of the inspirations for me to finish. You look like you will be finished very quickly.

sincerely,
ks

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:04 pm
by ArizonaBuilder
oy. you're getting worse than me! Fairing the interior?
I think you still hold that honour. :)
You must like sanding too? It's hard to see the bad epoxy work you are speaking of. Looks pretty good in those shots.
I hate sanding especially as it warms up here. As for the epoxy, I had a lot of runs, from when I was trying out some poor mans ply using 6mm plastic. I figured it would be easier to sand the Quickfair over sanding straight epoxy.
suppose your D5 will look nice faired, but are you going to use high gloss or semi? Light color? Neutral color? If you're putting any sort of antiskid on the floor, you might not want to spend too much time on the fairing. But perhaps seal it well when all is said and done.
Thanks Ks8, I am trying for that finish, when I tell someone that I built the boat, they don't come back and say something like 'I can tell'. :lol:
I am going to use S3's white on the outside with some red accent stripes and a few coats of clear coat. I will use the same white on the inside with 4 antiskid sections in gray on the floor. This will give me a chance to try the antiskid before trying it on my next boat. I liked MadRus's red cushions, so I thought I would also add them to give a color change on the inside to match the outside stripes.
I'm looking forward to seeing the D5 launched. I hope my Caravelle will be in the water in sept. So your D5 will be one of the inspirations for me to finish. You look like you will be finished very quickly.
Lets say your boat has given me inspirations on my next boat to do a better job during the construction stage. Your quality is top notch.
The end is getting closer with the only major construction issue is what mast to build or buy. I may build one of Jacques composite mast to get a feel for the construction and cost issues. The D5 and this forum has taught me alot, about S&G. Hopefully this new knowledge will come in handing during my next build.

Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:16 pm
by ks8
Lets say your boat has given me inspirations on my next boat to do a better job during the construction stage.
blush. I do wish I had used better wood, but part of the project is to test mass market grade exterior on these sorts of boats. Of course I don't know how well the test will be accurate since I have overbuilt beyond the normal instructions and plans. I'm almost ready to prime the starboard seat chambers. Every milestone certainly helps keep me going.

It looks like the launching ramp is your motivation now! Won't be much longer with that boat, unless you get infected by mod mania! I will not have all mods finished this year, but I must have all the mount structures in place for them, else I'd be painting already, probably last year!

I know what you mean by someone saying, *yea, we can tell*. But some people would say that to a recently new mother regarding her newborn baby, if the mother should say, *I made it myself (with Daddy's help)*.

Happy fairing the interior and fending off the disbelief. My rough biax floor won't be seen below the teak floor grates. Unless someone gets more curious....

sincerely,
ks

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:25 am
by richstrat
oy. you're getting worse than me! Fairing the interior?
So what's wrong with fairing the interior? I did my whole cockpit and even under the foredeck!!!

Perhaps that's why people keep asking me where I got the moulds from!?!

Rich

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 12:32 pm
by Rick
richstrat wrote:
oy. you're getting worse than me! Fairing the interior?
So what's wrong with fairing the interior? I did my whole cockpit and even under the foredeck!!!
Rich, the nice folks at the Royal Hospital for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders just called. Apparently, a shipping container of Quick Fair has just been delivered from an address in Florida. It has your name on it. You wouldn't know anything about this, would you?

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 1:46 pm
by ks8
I haven't been fairing the floors (yet), but I sanded like *crazy* under the seats in those compartments! Sometimes you just get involved.... :?

But I know I won't get cut on anything under there when reaching in for anything. It is all smo-o-o-o-o-othhhhh...

Rich,

I didn't mean to imply you are nuts if you do fair the interior. I was speaking at the time from frustratus maximus launchus datusitis. :lol:

sincerely,
ks

Contact ArizonaBuilder

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 5:19 pm
by Big-Red
I would like to make contact with ArizonaBuilder. I also live in the Phoenix area and would like to meet and talk to a boat builder for advice and knowledge. E-mail: david.luke@asg.com

Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 6:58 pm
by ArizonaBuilder
I also live in the Phoenix area and would like to meet and talk to a boat builder for advice and knowledge
There is no better advice than what is given here on this forum.
I was a total novice not 9 months ago. I have however picked up a lot of knowledge from the guys on this forum.

We can meet if you want to discuss boats and the stitch and glue process.

I will be moving in the next couple of days as I have sold my house.
My new location will be near glendale road and 19th Ave. After I get settled in and Jacques releases the MinCruiser 14. I will start building once again.

What boat are you thinking about building?

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 8:22 pm
by pilotsailor
I tried to send you a PM, but the site is not letting me do it. I'm in Mesa, AZ and I'm thinking of building a D5. I've got a few plywood questions if you don't mind. My email is wingbolt@hotmail.com
Thanks,
Pilotsailor

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:16 pm
by redfishla
The PM function has been disabled.

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:33 pm
by Beowulf
Your boat is coming out very nicely. You should be proud of your work.
The first boat is the hardest.