Page 1 of 1

FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:23 am
by 94'325is
After a lot of going back and forth, reading and more reading I decided the FL14 would fit my useage/budget the best. I drove down on 1/2/14 to Vero to pick up the supplies, I bought 6 sheets of 6566, the epoxy kit and an extra gallon of epoxy and 6oz 50" wide cloth to cover the bottom due to many beachings planned.

And it begins on Thursday 1/2:

Image

That first day I cut the side panels and epoxied them:

Image

The next day, Friday 1/3 I traced out the frames and transom.

Saturday 1/4 was the stitching and cutting out the bottom:

Image

Image

Image

On 1/5 I was able to get the bottom stitched in and the epoxy fillets put in on the inside:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Hopefully throughout the week after work I'll be able to fill in the remaining gaps and get the inside glassed. This weekend the goal is to flip the boat and glass the outside/bottom.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:35 am
by tech_support
Thanks for posting the pictures, your making good progress. Seems like you just picked up that stack of wood a few days ago :)

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:24 am
by 94'325is
I'm working on the fillets on the inside now. I ended up using way too much material so I am working on removing the epoxy with a rasp/grinder/sander and I was wondering if there was a general rule for how smooth the fillet needs to be before putting on the glass cloth. Also if there are seams that are hidden (inside of the transom) is it critical to smooth this for the glass to adhere properly or can I leave it roughly smooth and glass it since it won't be in a visible location.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:56 am
by jacquesmm
If you work wet on wet, there will be no need to sand the fillets.

Knock down the high spots then, when you are ready to apply the tape, do a quick pass over the fillets with a putty slurry to fill the voids and apply your tape.
Sanding fillets is difficult, try to avoid it.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:56 am
by tech_support
if you work "wet on wet" then the fillets do not need to be prefect. If you let them cure before glassing then any dip or protrusion will result in an air bubble in your glass

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 5:32 pm
by Vanagod
The exact thing that Shine mentioned happened to me. One option that was shared with me (I haven't tried it yet) is taping the entire outside of the chine with masking tape or duct tape. That will give the putty nowhere to sag out to.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 9:10 pm
by 94'325is
You guys weren't kidding sanding the fillets was a pain. I ended up using a rasp to knock down the highest spots then followed up with a few passes with the random orbital and 60 grit. Ended up with smooth seams (like I should have had in the first place).

I taped the outside chine with duct tape and it worked really well, need to re-do a spot in the bow where the taped peeled off while curing but everywhere else it worked great.

Ive already learned a ton for the next build which will hopefully go smoother and quicker.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 9:23 am
by jacquesmm
Stitch and Glue 101 in our How To section:
The Steps:

-Cut all the required fiberglass tape.
-Prime the plywood.
-Prepare putty: mix epoxy resin and woodflour to the consistency of peanut butter.
-Apply putty in all corners, work in one ?box? at a time.
-Apply the fiberglass tape over the wet putty and apply resin to the fiberglass.
-For a smooth finish, brush epoxy over the finished seam: no sanding will be required.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 9:45 am
by remedy32
Seem to be coming right along.

Looks like my garage 3 years ago :)
Image

Really like seeing the RC planes in the background (esp the Extra 230 (or 300?) of your pictures. Just like home except you seem to be more into flying than I've been for a while. Caution, this boat building can become be habit forming.

On the other hand building these monsters puts me into both hobbies.....
Image

FL14 is a great little boat. Have fun and keep up the good work.

Bill
CT

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 2:39 pm
by 94'325is
Nice sailboats!

Behind the wood is a 30cc Extra 300, 30cc Slick (modified edge 540), smaller electric slick and the one heap vertically was at one point a 50cc Yak 54.

Going to get the glass down on the inside tonight, hoping to be able to flip by the weekend and getting started on the outside.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:24 am
by 94'325is
I have the inside glassed and structurally completed. Where the resin was a little thick from where I applied it Wednesday evening I noticed this morning it was still a little soft. It feels hard but if you push your nail into it you can leave a small impression. My garage has been in the 60s lately so would this be a reason for it not being completely hard at this point? The weather is supposed to warm up to the 80s this weekend so I'm hoping that will be warm enough to complete the cure process.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:56 am
by Vanagod
Which speed hardener are you using?

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:26 pm
by 94'325is
Slow. These were the first batches that I mixed with the pumps, before for the butt blocks I poured the amounts and it seemed to give me a very good cure.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:52 pm
by Cracker Larry
That is normal for slow hardener and cool temperatures. It will completely cure in a another day or 2. As long as it's curing at all, it will continue to do so.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:13 pm
by 94'325is
Thanks for the responses guys. I wasn't extremely worried due to like you said it's started the cure already but I wanted to make sure this was normal. Thanks to a 40 degree temperature swing this weekend should be good epoxying weather and I have the bottom glassing for Sunday.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 12:27 pm
by 94'325is
This weekend I prepped the bottom and chines then glassed everything. I did a second layer of epoxy this morning for a little extra material buildup. The first coat went on very well with a roller and but I figured since the reason I glassed the bottom was to be able to beach it another layer of epoxy wouldn't hurt. Next step is to flip it and start working on building the decks/seats. Overall I'm really pleased with how this is turning out so far, can't wait to see it in the water the first time.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:10 am
by jacquesmm
I am moving this to the non-technical section.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 10:14 am
by 94'325is
Haven't done an update in a little while, I'm still making good progress despite the cold weather (cold for Florida at least) and feeling under the weather.

Got the outside glassed:

Image

Made a cart out of some 2x4s, castors and foam to move it around the garage easier:

Image

I flipped it and built the rear frames for the seat and a storage area in the middle:

Image

Then finally glassed the entire inside. I put cloth down on the decks where I will be standing/fishing the most for abrasion resistance. Since it's a displacement boat and will be trailered I'm not too concerned with weight, within reason of course.

Image

Hopefully by the weekend I'll have pictures of the decks/seats being mocked up.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2014 8:47 am
by 94'325is
Worked on the front deck this weekend and got the hatches cut. Looks rough still since it's not sanded/painted yet but i really like the fitment of it. I am planning on having a built in cooler on one side and the other side will be dry storage. For the cooler side I am going to use foam insulation and install a drain pipe for draining water out at the end of the day.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:58 am
by 94'325is
Another update, got the hatches, front deck, cooler and deck installed. Just need to build the interior of the center seat and construction should be over then it's fairing and sanding time.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:08 am
by 94'325is
Worked on building a tackle box into the rear of the middle seat and cleaning up the decks/hatches. Seems to be coming along pretty well, hopefully I'll begin sanding/fairing this weekend and start getting paint on soon.

Image

Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:57 am
by 94'325is
Built a smaller version to test out different colors, I think I've settled on a light yellow outside and white on the inside.

Image

Image

Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:17 am
by Bluefish2
Hi 94,
Nice pictures. Love the incorporated rod holders. Choice of of colors is nice too.
BF2

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:20 am
by 94'325is
Thanks! I'm still fairing but I think I should be getting close to paint in a week or two.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 8:11 am
by 94'325is
Got the interior faired and primed, this picture doesn't show the inside of the hatches being painted but that happened just after:

Image
Image
Image

Also got the skeg mounted on the bottom:

Image

On Saturday I bought a trailer, a 14' Continental from B and G Trailers in Deltona. They made me a great price and everything was turnkey minus adjusting the bunks which is typical.

Image
Image

From the above picture I dropped the boat another inch which should be better for getting the boat on/off the trailer in low water.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 8:07 am
by 94'325is
Inside of the boat painted, still needs the non skid but I'm happy with the results. I used Interlux 2 part primer then Rustoleum Marine for the top coat. The reasoning for using the Rustoleum is the price and availability, and also if I have to do touch ups down the road it should be easier using the 1 part. The outside will be primed with 2 part Interlux and the the 2 part Interlux top coat.

Image
Image
Image
Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 12:21 pm
by 94'325is
Did the fairing, priming and top coat this weekend. Used Interlux 2 part primer and 2 part top coat (Perfection).

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 12:47 pm
by jacquesmm
Whow! Very nice paint job.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:07 pm
by 94'325is
Thanks!

Also thanks for all the help and support along the way, official splash date is this Sunday.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:40 am
by tcason
How did you finish your brightwork transom?

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:19 pm
by 94'325is
I sanded the resin down with 60 grit and a random orbital to smooth it. Then I taped it off and used Z Spar varnish that was actually over 20 years old (still worked great!). In between coats I sanded with 320 grit sandpaper by hand and in total did 5 coats.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 7:34 am
by 94'325is
Boat Launched!

I'm extremely happy with how it went, I used a 24lb thrust trolling motor until I get an outboard for it and even with 3 people w/ fishing gear, and the cooler full of ice and water it handled very well. There are a few things left to do like put the rubrail on and get the boat rigged correctly but overall it was a complete success.


Image
Image
Image
Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 8:32 am
by jacquesmm
Congratulations on the launch.
Put that rubrail on as soon as possible, it adds lots of stiffness to the side panel.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 7:46 pm
by 94'325is
Thanks!

I plan on getting the rubrail on soon. I have 1"x2" teak strips cut to 8' lengths (4 total pieces) but I need to get them ripped in half so it will bend to the contour of the hull. Any recommendations or where to get it cut in half? I was going to look for local cabinet makers. One of my friends has a table saw but we're not sure if it will be precise enough to cut it in half accurately.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 9:31 am
by jacquesmm
I expect builders to use leftover strips of 1/4" plywood: no need to rip them.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2014 4:30 pm
by remedy32
You really want to get them on soon. It will stiffen the sides of the boat a lot. These are 2 layers of 6mm from scrap during the build. Might be a bit more difficult to get the teak (or mahog) to follow the contour of the hull. You'll probably want to remove the paint from the area where you bond the rail for best results. Mine was a combo of epoxy, ss screws and many clamps overnight.

Bill
CT
Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:55 am
by 94'325is
Thanks for the suggestions, the rubrail will be put on before I put the boat in the water again. The past Sunday was a shakedown cruise to see how it floated and handled.

I already have the teak, I need to cut it in half in order to bend it to follow the contour of the hull. I was planning on using SS screws to fix it to the sides so I can replace it later if needed. I might do a thin layer of epoxy under then screw it in place, I'm going back and forth on that. The sides of the boat definitely need some stiffening up and I can see why everyone puts a rubrail on.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:04 am
by jacquesmm
Yes, the rubrail is part of the structure.
Can you build it from plywood and cover with teak?
The epoxy lamination is what makes it strong.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:30 am
by 94'325is
Good idea, rip off some strips of scrap ply then make a teak outer layer. Would it be a good idea to epoxy laminate the scrap plywood strips on then screw the outer layer of teak to the ply? I plan on using the boat a lot and I don't want to be afraid of the rubrail being used due to not being able to replace it.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:07 pm
by Cracker Larry
Would it be a good idea to epoxy laminate the scrap plywood strips on then screw the outer layer of teak to the ply?
Yes. Teak is a very oily wood and does not glue well, especially something like a rub rail that is under a lot of stress. You wouldn't want to use it as a structural laminate, but as sacrificial trim it's fine.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:25 pm
by 94'325is
Thanks for the suggestion, I never put any thought into the rubrail since I always had so much more work to do.

Just to clarify is it an acceptable option to screw a teak rubrail to the outside of the boat (teak will be multiple layers, probably close to 1" thick)?

If not, 1/4 strips of spare plywood epoxied into place then the sacrificial teak rubrail screwed to that?

Thanks again for the help, other than filling the tackle boxes and rigging it for fishing this should be my last step!

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:36 pm
by jacquesmm
Screwed layers of teak without epoxy glue will not be as strong as a laminated rubrail.
The problem with teak is that it does not bond with epoxy as well as mots other woods unless the teak is very dry.
Try it. You can always replace the rubrail later if it is not strong enough.

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 9:10 am
by 94'325is
Bought a brand new 4hp Tohatsu 4 stroke, looks like it's going to be a great engine. I know Jacques says this isn't a planing boat but it almost got on plane, even with an engine with less than an hour on it. It definitely pushes it much faster than the 24lb trolling motor I had on for the first trip. This weekend is going to be the first trip to Mosquito Lagoon where I hope the boat will primarily be used.

(excuse the Carolina Skiff shirt)

Image
Image
Image

I built an engine stand out of the leftover wood from the boat stand, a large rubbermaid container fits in the middle perfectly for flushing and being on wheels it's easy to move around the garage.

Image

Re: FL 14 in Florida Build

Posted: Mon May 12, 2014 9:44 am
by 94'325is
I went out to the Indian River Lagoon this weekend, pretty rough out there but the boat took the waves fine. Very stable with 2 people fishing and I burned about 0.5 gallons of gas running for 3 hours. Can't really beat that!

Image

Did a little bass fishing on a local lake too, there's no curse on this boat!

Image
Image