FS17 build in central Texas

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wadeg
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FS17 build in central Texas

Post by wadeg »

Here we go again. I finished building an OB15 last year. Great boat and great design, but I figured out that I needed a bigger boat. To save me from the time involved building another boat, I purchased a used production bay boat but I was not at all happy with it, so I just sold it. Those things are way too heavy and I was constantly finding things I wanted different about it.

I guess once you get spoiled with a custom build, you just can't settle for a production boat. I purchased the FS17 plans a few weeks ago and purchased the first load of ply today. I will also try to keep a better record of my build here. My OB15 build was not well documented, but here is a link to the build thread if anyone is curious.
http://forums.bateau2.com/viewtopic.php?t=20793

This FS17 will be built as a center console and powered by a 50hp Tohatsu TLDI. I love these motors and was very happy with the 40hp TLDI I had on my OB15.

Once I start cutting, I will start posting pictures. I know how much you all love boat porn.

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tech_support
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by tech_support »

I remember the OB15, that was a great build. I like the tohatsu motors as well :)

Look forward to seeing the FS17 go together. Your right about having a boat your way, once you build your own you wont be very happy with anything else

wadeg
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by wadeg »

Nothing really exciting to post yet, but I decided to keep a better record of my full build process so here we go.

This weekend, I completed the rolling base to my building jig. It took a while to get it pretty square but I finally got it to within 1/8th of an inch and branced it. I also installed some heavy 4" casters on the bottom so that I can move it in and out of my garage easily. The strongbacks and molds will be mounted to this base and after flipping the boat, it will act as a cradle. Right now I am using it as a cutting platform.

Due to the waviness of 2x6 lumber that you buy at the home store, I decided to rip a sheet of 3/4 inch ply into 5 3/4 inch strips that are offset and laminated together to form my strongbacks. My molds will all be disposable except for the transom since I plan to bring the rear deck and a small deck at the bow to the gunwale and install a 6 inch wide gunnel deck between them.

I really like the metric plans over the Imperial ones. I don't have an issue with arithmetic involving fractions but, having everything in mm, I can do it all very quickly in my head. At least when I have not done too much pondering. The act of pondering usually involves at least one alcoholic drink and often more. The one challenge I did have with the metric plans is finding metric tape measures. The local homestores are not big on carrying metric measuring tools. I had to order a pair of tape measures off of Amazon and absolutely love them. They are both accurate to within 1mm or 1/32" which is very hard to find in a tape measure. I also find the flat one easier to use when outlining my molds. Here are some pics of my new favorite tools and my build area.
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sitandfish
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by sitandfish »

wadeg wrote:...I decided to keep a better record of my full build process so here we go...
I remember that build very well. I wish guys would publish more performance information once the build is on the water. I do see where you posted some info. This is not a specific question for you only. I guess I am just taking the opportunity to ask ALL the builders to PLEASE tell us as much as you can about how it handles on day one and on day 1 plus 100, 500, 1,000, etc.

Your OB15 was a great build. This new build is going to be great fun to watch, I'm sure. :wink:
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Lower
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by Lower »

Looking forward to watching another FS17 come together!!

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remedy32
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by remedy32 »

I guess I am just taking the opportunity to ask ALL the builders to PLEASE tell us as much as you can about how it handles on day one and on day 1 plus 100, 500, 1,000, etc.
Could not agree more!!! IMHO one of the impediments to starting a build is the uncertainty that the finished product will meet one's needs/expectations. About a year ago I made a similar request that finished boats document as much information as they can: things like configuration, finished weight, engine, prop and of course performance at various loads. Idea didn't go anywhere though. Let's face it, it's a big leap to start a build of any of these boats both financial and especially in terms of time and space. I still believe that well documented successful completions will only serve to help both the builders and the sales of plans/materials. A general topic like " FS17's on the Water" might be what we need, where a number of builders can collect information and general thoughts AFTER the boat has hit the water.

Sorry if this hijacks your thread a bit but I do feel it would benefit many. Good luck with the build!! :D

Bill in CT
FS17
FL14
Both "on the water"

wadeg
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by wadeg »

I took a little time off last week and made some progress on my build. Now I am working on fairing and debating about the skeg. The plans say it is optional. I still have to put on the rub rail and sharpen the chine, so I have some time to debate. I am not sure I want a skeg on this one though. I can understand the need for one on a flat bottom and my last OB15 did not require one. I don't want to create additional drag if it is not needed. The 3 degree dead rise as the transom makes me think about putting one on though. I also debated about strakes, but really don't want those either. Just more drag.

Here are some pics of my progress as I know how much you guys love pictures.
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steve292
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by steve292 »

Fast worker :D
FWIW, I put a skeg on mine. It turns like it is on a rail & tracks really good even at low speed with a side wind. I'd put one on, unless you want to keep the draft as small as possible.
Steve

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remedy32
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by remedy32 »

Lookin' good!

I agree with Steve about the skeg. I put one on mine and the boat tracks well from very slow to flat out. With only 25hp my boat still exceeds 20kts. on flat water easily. Good luck with the build.

Bill in CT
FS17

wadeg
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Re: FS17 build in central Texas

Post by wadeg »

I have been neglecting my build documentation a lot. It looks like my last post was even before I flipped the boat. Wow!! I have now finished primer and am painting. After reading a lot of posts about spraying the System Three primer and topcoat, I decided to post some of my information about how I am spraying it. I sprayed almost all of the primer and have now sprayed the first top coat on the outside.


Spraying System Three primer
For the primer, I used an old gun that I had sitting around. This is a cheap Husky HVLP gun with a 1.4 tip. It worked pretty well with the primer thinned about 10% using a 50% concentration of IPA. I only got drips where I spayed too heavy and these were minimal.

Spraying System Three WR-LPU
I have sprayed my first coat and if I can spray the rest as well, then I will be very pleased with the results. Three spots developed a drip. All three were due to my going over a spot twice. One of then is on a corner, and I like to double coat the corners, so a little drip here is expected. The other two were from my trying to fix a spot that I thought had some light coverage. I believe the right gun and compressor along with the right thinning are the secret to spraying this stuff well.

The Gun
I used a cheap LVLP gun that I purchased from Grizzly online. This gun has a 1.3 tip and sprays this topcoat like a dream. It also sprays really fast. I believe I can move fast enough to paint exactly like they do cars doing while side panels in long strokes and still keep a wet edge.

Thinning
I thinned the material to 20% for the first test and was not pleased. It did not get the atomization I wanted. After turning the pressure up to 40psi and upping my thinning to 25%, the material atomized really well so I went with that mixture. I used only pure water to thin the paint as I did not want the paint to flash too quickly.

The Compressor
I purchased a Dewalt 200psi 15Gallon compressor specifically for spraying this boat and could not be happier. It puts out enough air to drive both of my guns well. When spraying, the compressor does come on to recharge shortly after staring, but the recharge keeps up very well and the tank pressure does not drop below 150psi using either gun. The instructions for this compressor say that it is rated for 100% duty cycle, but they recommend for long life to let the compressor rest for 15 mins every 45 mins which is more than enough time to finish a coat of paint or primer.

Prep work
I sanded all of the primer using 6" and 5" RO sanders and 150 grit sand paper. After looking at the outside a little more, I also went over the primer with 150 grit lightly by hand to give a little extra tooth for the paint. Before spaying the primer, I sanded with 80 or 120 grit using the RO sanders. Before the primer, I used a tack cloth, but after the tack cloth, I used a liberal amount of IPA to clean any possible residue from the tack cloth. For the topcoat, I only used IPA and plain water to clean the primer. I don't know about the adhesion of the top coat yet, so I won't comment on that, but the primer adhesion looks really good. Just before spaying the topcoat, I also sprayed about 8 ounces of water into the air to up the humidity level in my garage.

Here are some pics of the gun, compressor and the side of my FS17 after the first coat. If you are really curious, you can view my entire album by following the link.
https://picasaweb.google.com/awgouge/Fs ... directlink


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