Jaysen's V12 -- 'Lil Bit' of everything fun

[Jaysen]

Thanks guys. The mess isn't really visible there. I got sloppy above the chine and aft of mid. I either need to break out some 40 and hope I don't see wood or I will use a lot more fairing compound. Even in those pics, you should notice there is quite a bit of pattern in the glass. I stopped sanding when the pattern lines started to get a bit wide so I know I'm not through the glass. I'll need to use some "thing" compound to get that leveled out a bit before I really even think about fairing.

Let me propose a sequence and you all can tell me why it is wrong. For the sake of simplicity "think" is "more epoxy" and "thick" is "more filler".
1. finish all taping (idiot forgot the skeg isn't even glued yet!)
2. 2xthin silica over hull in moderate depth applied with 4"
3. sand back to weave 40g
4. thin silica over hull in thin depth applied with 6"
5. sand to weave 60g
6. thin balloons thin depth applied 10"
8. sand with fairing board 80
8.5 graphite guide coat to justify consumption of extra beer
9. thick balloons super thin applied 10"
10. sand with fairing board 80
11. ???

11 is where I need a bit o' guidance. I'm not keen on dumping more epoxy on the now "smooth enough" hull and having to sand it all clean again. It seems damn near impossible to get a smooth epoxy layer on this thing and if I'm immediately going to screw it up, what was the point of 1-10?

The solutions I see to 11 are
1. Fork it and just graphite/prime right over the fairing
2. heat the epoxy and work in small batches hoping that I don't fork it up with a half kicked batch along the way
3. use a chemical thinner (xylene?) to allow more flow to self level

I expect the answer to 11 will be used with graphite as well.

If all goes well, I should get through #1 at lunch. I'll use fast and it's near 80 today so if should be ready for #2 be evening.

[terrulian]

What is thin silica?

[Jaysen]

What is thin silica?

Vegetarian?



Runny. Will flow to self level but not run to make drips.

[terrulian]

You mean the colloidal silica thickener, then?
Your list isn't consistent with a work boat finish. It's going to look great. Maybe you'll even get some satisfaction out of it along with the frustration of continuing to find holidays. I know I did. As I may have said elsewhere, I am sure, knowing me, that if I'd left any obvious crap in the finish of the boat I'd always be apologizing for it. I could not stop myself from impulsively pointing out bad spots even after someone had given me a compliment. Now, the effort necessary to find those spots is prohibitive for anyone I'm likely to ever run into. And if someone is obsessive enough to look that close, I'll just quietly murder them.

[Jaysen]

You mean the colloidal silica thickener, then?

Yes. There are some voids that I think need to have something hard filling them.

Your list isn't consistent with a work boat finish. It's going to look great.

You may underestimate my ability to hide stuff in photos. I'll get some pics (maybe at lunch) to show you some of the issues. Example... I found a place where it LOOKS like a lines of the weave was completely removed while I epoxied it. There is a slot running diagonally across the hull. I assume that a canyon like that should be filled with structural fill not decorative.

Pics once i get break for lunch.

[terrulian]

Up to you but you don't need any more strength for the fillers. You could launch the boat right now and it would be plenty strong. You're just adjusting the aesthetics at this point. In his weight estimates for the boat, if I remember correctly Jacques doesn't even include the weight of fairing so a bare-bones build could just leave it out and go, as they say, commando.

The advantage of silica at this point is that it is less runny than microballoons. It's harder to sand, but it's not that hard to sand. I often mix my own goop with microballoons and add a bit of silica if the surface is vertical to prevent sagging.

[Jaysen]

I've got straight silica and the BBC fairing mix that includes it. Let me get this self on and thin about it a bit.

[Jaysen]

Here the canyon...


Skeg is attached.

Reminding myself how it goes together..


Stole this from tony but I'm not as ambitious. Found center line via standard bisection. Used T square and spring clamps to create post. On the skeg I clamped a small piece of 1/4" so had to offset post by 1/4" as well. I did a test fit the. Got to work.

Just glued and screwed.


Used up the rest of the glue for fillet. Will used silica for the rest of the fillet.




Back to the day job.

[Jaysen]

Things we need to add to "new builder" lists...

1. stock to easily make multiple sizes of epoxy
2. buy fast AND slow
3. 1/2" craft sticks from walmart/micheals/hobby lobby are must
4. KISS it as much as possible
5. Reinvent the wheel with things

skeg is setting up nicely. Will get screws out post 4p. Was informed I "have plans" this evening so I think glassing the skeg is out.

Tony, did you glass your skeg?

[terrulian]

Yes. Before you give more apologies for you work, consider this:


See? Pretty ugly. But it's strong. I believe it is wrapped in cloth and then attached with fillets and biax to the hull. I did not put any screws through the hull to secure it. You want it strong, since you're going to drag it up the beach where the entire weight of the boat is resting on the skeg. I also put a runner of bronze on the bottom, as I soon wore through the epoxy/graphite: