SK14 in TX

[Reid]

AggieGirl,

Fuzz is absolutely right! Probably not what you want to hear but you need to get spacing in between EVERY panel. You don't want any wood touching wood, you want a small gap so the fillet can do its job. I would start over, cut the zip ties, and add some spacers. I think you will see the gap the bow come together a little better. When you start to re-stitch, start tightening a little at a time, working your way from front to back. Take your time, make sure everything lines up and has some spacing. Remember, the cleaner you work in the beginning the better off you will be later in the build. It's funny how little imperfections can compound later in the build (I think almost every builder on this Forum can attest to that).

-Reid

[Dougster]

Yes what Fuzz and Reid say. It's no big deal and easy. Take an hour. Like Fuzz said, cut a zip, stick in a spacer (nail, popsicle stick, etc. between it and the next zip. Replace cut zip, move on to the next one, repeat process right down the panel. No problem. Then work a bit more with the bow and it'll close some more, though you could make what you have there now work.

Dougster

[AggieGirl]

Ok, so I added spacers along the seams as everyone suggested. I ended up slipping a zip tie between the stitches to get some space between the panels. When I did this, the bow came together a lot better. Restarting and being patient was definitely a good decision.


Here are some photos of the new stitching.

Everything lined up much, much better this time.

Went ahead and added the epoxy to these seams.

Here's step one of this process. Added epoxy between the stitches.

Step two was removing the zip ties and sanding any build ups. After this, I added the epoxy to the rest of the seam. Here's a photo of that.

I am going to let that dry tonight and tomorrow I will sand and fiberglass.

[OrangeQuest]

Very good work!


Are you going to power this boat and if yes, what with?

[BB Sig]

It looks a lot better!

I noticed you said epoxy. Did you mix any wood flour in it?

[Fuzz]

I am very happy to see what you did. It will make your life much better. As said you need wood flour glue fillets to hold things together when you cut the ties. If the bow panels are under a lot of stress you may need to use some glass tape also. When you are working on the bow if there is a large gap you can fill it with wood glue and then shape it with a sander. Some of the best looking bows have been done that way.

[Fuzz]

Well I see I did not pay enough attention to the photos You already have the ties removed and it is still together Good job and it is on to the taping. It is hard to see but if the seams are rough or have low spots you can lay a small would flour fillet over them and as soon as it firms up just a little put your glass down.

[Netpackrat]

Nicely done.

[AggieGirl]

The interior seams are fiberglassed!! First thing we did was roll out the fiberglass and cut the pieces. Then we mixed the epoxy and wet all the seams. Then we rolled out the fiberglass, added extra epoxy to ensure the pieces were totally saturated, and smoothed out any bubbles or wrinkles. I checked it this morning and everything looked good. It was basically dry and I should be able to trim up the overhang after work. Here are some pictures.

The whole boat

The bow

The transom

The puzzle piece joints

[AggieGirl]

Yes, I will be powering this boat. I have not decided if I want a 6 hp or an 8 hp motor yet. If I remember correctly, the plans say 8 hp is the maximum.