C17 - Progress report

[macabre]

Here is a quick update on my progress with the C17. After a week of stress over side panels which where an inch too long (due I am sure to a mismeasurement that I still can't find), and an alarm over my glue mix, I took a deep breath and made do. I trimmed an inch off of the side panels at the stern and adjusted my fillet mix (mixed epoxy-silica-minifibres). I decided that my glue joints are probably fine, and that with correct and generouse fillets on the inside of the boat, it will be plenty strong.

Yesterday I ground a small radius where the panels meet at the chines and bow and stern, and filled the joints with putty. I had a nice 1/2" gap at the bow that will sand nicely round before the tape. Here it is this morning before I removed the stitches:


After pulling out the zip ties and pesky galvanized steel wire I used at the beginning, I sanded the hardened glue from the day before so that it was all nice and smooth and round. Then I filled in the gaps with some more putty.


I then put the two layers of tape from the transom along the keel to the tip of the bow. The curve of the bow was a little tricky to get the tape to lay flat, but it worked out. I was planning on taping all of the seams today, but it was a lot more hot and tiring than I thought. It took a little longer than I thought it would too, about 45 minutes per peice. I'll do the rest tomorrow and maybe the next day.

[bbuckl]

Wow, you got a lot done quickly!

[jacquesmm]

It looks very ncie and fair, good job.
Glad to hear that the mysterious extra inch is gone.
What counts is the result and it looks great.

[macabre]

I glassed the chines yesterday. What a pain in the arse it is to keep the glass down where the angle nears 90 degrees. I have a 2-3 dime sized sections where the glass didn't dry all the way against the wood, the rest of the white you see is from fillet beneath the tape.


I had to run the biax past the transom and needed to wait for the next day to trim off for transom tape. I did this because on the keel tape that ended right at the transom, I couldn't get the little ends to stick down. They ended up drying sticking up about 1/4 inch, and I had to sand them down. With the glass going past the end I didn't have this problem and will trim flush when dry. Here is another shot(crappy compression, sorry) with the biax for the transom cut and waiting(I know, I have the messiest garage in any of the building pictures, thats why I crop my pics so close):


Transom tape next

[UncleRalph]

I glassed the chines yesterday. What a pain in the arse it is to keep the glass down where the angle nears 90 degrees. I have a 2-3 dime sized sections where the glass didn't dry all the way against the wood,

This probably means the chine should have been rounded off a little more.

Ralph

[Evildwarf]

Hey dude,looks excellent! You just keep on,it will work out. And I mean it looks excellent,remindes me of me. Evild.

[JimW]

OH no you don't, my garage was horendous. I only cleaned it up about 5 times during the whole year of construction. And those five times were just enough surface cleaning to get the wife unit off my back. Basically I'd sweep a path to walk through. When I was finished I picked up ties and glass and wood scraps and splinters that had been there for 8 months! Home boat building requires a paradigm shift in the standards for garage cleanup. If the shift doesn't happen double or triple the building time. I gave my wife a choice, one year or three, her choice?



Boat looks good so far.

[JerryF]

I love the lines of this hull and you are doing a super job. This boat ought to be perfect for Monterey Bay. Keep us informed.

[macabre]

Thanks guys for your positive comments!
Jim, I always show the good half of my garage too, the other side looks like a hurricane hit it. I have had to fend off my wife unit too for the last year and a half, she wants to fix up the other half of the garage and put a rug and couch down there with a radio and a tv, sort of a guy hang out place. I thanked her for thinking about me, but unless she wants her rug and couch covered with epoxy and fiberglass dust she is gonna have to wait. I have been sweeping everything under the boat, its going to be a sight when I move it out to flip.
Jerry, you nailed it! I have a 180 degree view of the Monterey Bay from my house, and an unfinished boat in my garage, its driving me crazy! You live pretty close, when I get finished we should have our boats meet.

Progress:
I taped the transom seams yesterday, nothing to talk about there. I bought enough biax fabrix today for the bottom and the transom surface. I used marine fir so I need to cover all exterior surfaces with fiberglass. Which brings me to my first deviation. I decided to use the full width of the biaxial fabric from the hull, which will overlap the upper chine panels by 4 inches, I'll then finish the top of the side panels with the less expensive 4-6oz. woven tape. I had already put fillets at the bow and transom so I could run an uninterupted length of tape over the step in the panels. In order for the fabric to do the same thing I ran a small fillet along the length of the 'style line' where the chine panels overlap. I took my time deciding whether to do this or not, I realy hope I don't disapoint anyone by killing the style line! I may put a small spray rail there to make up for it.


I may glass the bottom tomorrow. I only have a gallon and a half of epoxy left, so I may have to wait until I can afford some more.