FS14 -2 week (+11 month build).... Done and spashed

[jacquesmm]

Deuce, I just saw your question. Sorry if I did not reply, I do not always have the time to visit the building story section.
In the future, if you have any technical question, please post it in the technical section, the one at the top of the forum.
It looks like you are over that hurdle anyway.

[deuce_454]

im over that hurdle .. just finished the "spot welding " with thickened epoxy, My lovely assistant Stine pre wetted all the wood with epoxy and i followed with thickened epoxy, ...will probably have to leave it for 24 hours before removing the zip ties and glassing the outside, i would hate for it to come un done on me while i was glassing



its to late to fix now anyway

[deuce_454]

the strips are removed, the epoxy spot welds have been knocked flush and rounded with a handplane and the boat has been sanded with 120 grit to knock all radii down to 1/2 inch.. the assistant have fled the sanding and boatbuilding site for some time on the water herself (caught a shot of her on the SUP with the GF14 in the foreground)
the lines for the biax have been marked up so once the assistant is back from her escapades we will fill the seams, and cover the boat in biax and epoxy.. wet in wet, and try to cover it with some polyethylene sheeting (poor mans peel-ply) to get it little smoother for sanding later ...

[jacquesmm]

Now that I see the picture, I remember that GF14 with the steering all the way forward. How does that work for you? Does it get on plane easily?

[deuce_454]

it works perfect... jumps on a plane... and there is plenty of room to row it just by turning 180 deg on the seat... it really isn't in the way .. right now the tohatsu sputters a bit, thinks it wants a good carb cleaning and a pair of plugs so i can't upload a video just now.. but it works so well im planning to duplucate the setup on the FS14

[tcason]

How many HP on the GF 14?

Would you want more?

[deuce_454]

its an 18 horse tohatsu 4 stroke.. the bottom o the hull has a slight rocker, and i had to retro-modify the floor of the boat to take the speed.... so yes and no.. with a stiffer bottom from the get go... and no rocker, i guess you could put a 25 on it.... but it is a flat-bottomed boat, so 4 inch chop feels like a lot at 25 mph... 10 isn't enough though (tried it and hated it)

if i had to build it again and have my choice of any engine... id probably get an evinrude etec 25, but we are building the FS14 as its replacement, and im guessing the tohatsu will feel right at home on her

[deuce_454]

ok... we had a bit of a marathon epoxy/glass session.. everything wet in wet (even the reft of the thickened epoxy on the joints and holes rom the stitches) 1 inch offset lines marked out and after we wetted everything it got covered in Polyethylene sheeting, that way its really easy to squeegee (spelling?) the air out and when we peel it off tomorrow it should be as smooth as it looks now (should cut down on the sanding requirements a fair bit)

pictures to follow:

[deuce_454]

here it is covered in PE

[terrulian]

What was the thickness of the plastic sheeting?