Build Progress - Panga 25

[PangaRon]

Good luck on your build! It does take patience, but I'm enjoying the journey as much as I'm sure I will the "destination". Try to only think of the next step and before you know it, there's progress!

[subbie95]

After a WAY too hot week on Lake Superior (with far too few fish), I got back to work on the Panga. So far this week I've completed the initial splice on both bottom panels. I plan to cut them latter this week and splice the other side and build the jig on Saturday morning. Things seems to be moving faster than I thought they would...by the middle of next week it should actually look like a boat!

[subbie95]

Quick glass question: When the epoxy is fully cured on the 12 oz tape, should there be rough patches where it seems like the tape threads are "exposed"? This is my first time ever wetting out glass, and I guess I assumed (hopefully incorrectly) that the finish product would be smooth throughout. I'm using the "poor man's peel ply", and portions of it are smooth, but sections of it are rough.

Thanks.

[peter-curacao]

Quick glass question: When the epoxy is fully cured on the 12 oz tape, should there be rough patches where it seems like the tape threads are "exposed"? This is my first time ever wetting out glass, and I guess I assumed (hopefully incorrectly) that the finish product would be smooth throughout. I'm using the "poor man's peel ply", and portions of it are smooth, but sections of it are rough.

Thanks.

This is normal ìt's never smooth as a baby butt, some fairing required it can be done with vacuum bagging I believe, even then it wouldn't be perfect

[subbie95]

Ok thanks, sometimes I just need to check to make sure I'm not doing things wrong!

[subbie95]

Moving along! The jig is up (pun intended), took us forever to try and figure out the whole "origin" thing, finally we just gave up and put a line on the jig at the transom where it would work for us. Couldn't tell you if we did "right" or not, but the pieces went together fine...at the right dimensions; so we took that as a good sign. The stringers at frame D do sit an inch above the baseline, which I can't figure out for the life of me but they sit right at the baseline on all the other frames we did, so I guess it's an anomaly. I plan to continue installing the frames this week and to splice the side panels. By the time my old man returns from the Upper Peninsula, we should be ready to make it look like a boat!

[BB Sig]

You're making good progress!

I have not done this before but I have been doing a lot of reading. Most of the time someone recommends putting some braces on your vertical supports. See the black ~45* braces I added in the picture below. It helps keep everything from shifting. You might want to do the same thing horizontally on the ends as well. Just my opinion from reading.

[subbie95]

Excellent advice! That's why I love posting progress photos, so people can correct mistake before they actually happen. At his point the frames are just standing and they're just "close" to in place right now. Once they're all up I'll spend a day just tweaking them to get all the diagonals perfect as well as making sure that the baseline is level all the way through....then I'll lock it all in just as you describe. When I'm done...they won't move! If there's one thing I'm known for, it's overkill!

[K2FS18]

Wow, that looks like it is half way into your house. You chose a good boat to build, pangas are tough to beat. Like your clean shop as well.

[subbie95]

It does look like that, now that I look at the photos It's actually a detached 40x50 barn that the previous owner had built a paint room in, what you see if the boat (which is huge) passing through the old opening to the paint room. Thanks for noticing the cleanliness...I try to keep it that way...makes working a lot easier. I also love the Panga's, can't wait to get it in the drink!