Trent's FS14 LS Build

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VT_Jeff
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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by VT_Jeff »

Couple of great posts here Trent, extremely instructive for those following behind. I really like your poured-skeg idea, that will be indestructible.

I have very mediocre finishing/painting skills and so cannot comment much there, except to say that your are right to spend the extra time to get it how you want it, too much time and cost already to end up with something you feel you could have done better.

On the tack-cloth, my understanding is that a tack cloth is basically cheese cloth and varnish, which is typically oil-based, and so it can leave behind oil, which is fine for removing dust if you're varnishing, but much less fine if you're painting. That's just my .02 since you mentioned it, sounds like it worked fine for you. I had the same experience trying to figure out what to clean with: I read good and bad about acetone, alcohol, etc. With all the painting horror stories out there it's easy to get paralyzed in the prep step, no doubt. In the end I did wipe with acetone but I had a few areas where I did not get good adhesion, still no idea why.

Your rubrails are stout, I really like that look. Mine are tall, quite tall, and work pretty well for spray, I suspect yours will be amazing with the extension they have out from the sheer.

Best of luck with next steps, really looking great!
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Completed Paul Butler 14' Clark Fork Drifter
Completed Jacques Mertens FS14LS + 10%, Build Thread
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Mojosmantra
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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Mojosmantra »

Thanks Jeff. One thing about tack rags - I think you have to use them properly. I've never used them at all. They always seemed a bit overkill to me. So I looked up a few videos and found that you don't just take them out of the package and start wiping. You probably already know this, but you unfold them, let them dry out a bit, softly wad them up and then just lightly sweep the surface with them. I was paranoid about it and probably erred on the cautious side. Maybe they didn't do anything for me and I just wasted some money. Anyway, had I not done the research, I would have taken it out of the package and just started wiping and I have to think that's how the "stuff" gets transferred to the surface. I do know that I've had no issues with dust. One good thing about washing the boat is that, as part of that process, I also sprayed down the floor and soaked the landscape areas in the immediate vicinity. That probably did more to reduce dust than anything.

And yes, the rubrails are stout. Perhaps too stout aesthetically - especially once I add the finish rail. My wife said they were deep enough before I added another layer and she was probably right :oops:. I do hope they will help with spray as that was the thinking behind them...we shall see. I made the nose extra deep because I had planned to put a hole in it for a stake out pole, while still leaving room for a future trolling motor mount, if desired. For the moment, I've stepped back from the stake-out idea but it's still in the back of my mind.

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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Jaysen »

Mojosmantra wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 3:49 pm My wife said they were deep enough before I added another layer and she was probably right
You’ve been married long enough that the first two words ensure the last four words no matter how wrong she may have actually been.
My already completed 'Lil Bit'. A Martens Goosen V12 set up to sail me to the fishing holes.
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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Mojosmantra »

:lol:
Jaysen wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 6:36 pm
Mojosmantra wrote: Mon Aug 23, 2021 3:49 pm My wife said they were deep enough before I added another layer and she was probably right
You’ve been married long enough that the first two words ensure the last four words no matter how wrong she may have actually been.

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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by bamaguy0 »

I will say that I did not know anything about those techniques with Tack Cloths. Although I did read after I bought mine that there's painters tack cloths and woodworking tack cloths. I think the painters ones are less tacky and less likely to leave residue?

I did also use the reccomendation from Pettit of wiping the entire surface to be painted with brushing primer after the tack cloth wipe. That stuff burns my nostrils when I don't have an OV filter on my respirator so I'm sure it took care of any tack cloth residue.

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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Mojosmantra »

Little to no progress in the last month or so. With school starting back with full "normalcy", my living arrangements have changed and I'm back in Miami. After being in the Keys full time for the last 18 months - not happy about that at all, but it is what it is. I'll still manage to be there 2 or 3 times a month, but only in 3-4 day spurts and there's fishing to do :D . I did attempt to perfect the paint. Sanded. Painted. Got hit by a Hurricane Ida cell and some 30 MPH sideways rain just as I was finishing up and had to do it all again. In the end, it looks no better or worse than when I started and it seems that paint "perfection" is not in my skill set. So the paint is done, she's flipped and ready for the deck.

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So - if I want to finish her up in a reasonable amount of time, I've come to the conclusion that I have to move her to Miami and am thinking that I need to adjust my trailer plans. I had added some bunks to my "big" trailer with the expectation that I only needed to get her to the ramp two or three times a year a couple of miles away. Now I have to tow her 130 miles (partly in 70 MPH Miami traffic) and think I need well-fitting trailer and proper weight distribution - looking for some advice on that. I gather from Cameron's posts that he got a Continental A1515 (see chart below) and he's a +5% build. That model seems a bit bigger than necessary for my spec build so I'm looking at the A1412, which seems sufficient from a capacity perspective and I like the small size given my storage limitations. At only 66" wide (my beam is 64" at the rubrail) the bunks would have to be adjusted so that she sits above the wheel fenders. That's probably fine unless it creates a launching issue with the hull sitting so high. Along the same lines, a cheaper and more readily available option would be a jetski trailer (WC3E12) but that's really narrow at 56". Wondering what you guys think. The fallback would be the A1515 like Cameron's, but it will be more expensive and more than I think I really need. There's a good chance that I will end up selling the trailer once she's done and moved back to the Keys, where I can revert back to my big trailer modification. Any input appreciated!

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Jeff
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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Jeff »

Nice work!!! Jeff

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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by bamaguy0 »

I will eventually look at getting mine lower in the back. May make some custom bunk brackets after the boat is finished. My goal is to not get the hubs wet, but I need to go set it in the water to see if that's doable. I understand torsion axles sit the trailer lower as well, so I'll be looking into that eventually also.

Regarding paint, I was the same way. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. As far as mine goes, she's a 10 footer!

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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Mojosmantra »

Finally back at it. Got a trailer - not the trailer I really wanted (not aluminum), but it's a perfect fit and it works great for my build/storage area.

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Back in the Keys - got the deck roughed out and then it was time to pack her up for the move:

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Prepping for the move to the new build space:

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Alot of stuff has to come along:

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This is where I'll have to finish her. Got it as rain-proof as I could.

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Currently laying out hatches, cleats, bow-lift eye and associated reinforcing.

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Re: Trent's FS14 LS Build

Post by Mojosmantra »

Hit a bit of a milestone yesterday - hatch gutters are complete! Also got my bow lift eye dry fit.

Ended up cutting the threaded rod in half (6") to get the right fit. In the pic, it's still full length (12"). Also reinforced the bow deck (the home plate looking piece) for the lift eye pop-up cleat and also for a trolling motor. I still haven't committed to a trolling motor but am making it trolling motor "ready".

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Now for the hatch gutters. Cut out the hatches:

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My method for the gutters is a bit of a hybrid approach given that my compartments are "boxed out". My gutters are more like cleats attached to the compartment walls rather than members than span from frame-to-frame. Given that, I first cut the side, fore and aft pieces and pre-dadoed them to remove the bulk of the wood prior to routing. The wood is clear cypress. There's nothing like the smell of cypress in the morning...

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After gluing up the sides, I then inserted the corner pieces.

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I sanded all that flat, and ten made the interior deck router guides to provide a 1" wide gutter. Like Cameron's, these will eventually be cut down further to double up the hatch lids.

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I never really figured out in advance how the gutters would drain - so I ended up taking a page from Cameron's book to interconnect the gutters. This worked out nicely at the stern, although it did require a bit of surgery on the back wall of my livewell. Just had to remove a bit of insulation and replace it with a solid wood filler. Simple enough.

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At the bow, I had to approach it differently. Extending the gutters to the cockpit would interfere with my grabrail mount locations. It would have worked, but wouldn't have looked very nice. Instead, I just interconnected to two bow hatches and they will drain to 5/8" weep holes in the cockpit bulk head. Forgot to take specific pictures of that, but you can see them at the rear (left side of pic) of the smaller hatch.

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That's it for now. All that's left on the deck is to reinforce/drill for the stern cleats, anchor light, and rod holders.

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