Boat Builder Central - Builder Forums

Finally getting around to posting. Started my FL14 last week of April. Currently doing the inside seems.

Using Meranti BS1088 wood from Edensaw Lumber. Hydrotek I think its called.

Doing some things like Mike Adams. This boat is for my dad and he wanted a gunwale on the inside. 3 inch wide. Was planning to paint the outside Shaw blue with a lighter blue inside, or possibly Bainbrige White/Vashon Gray. Color choice is the hardest decision so far. We dont want an interior that will show wear easily or glare while out in the sun.

So far no major mistakes. Knock on wood. Thanks to all the help from the folks on this site and the folks that create these plans. This has not been nearly as difficult as I imagined.

As soon as I get my hands on a digital camera I will post pics.

Couple of stumbling blocks so far. Squareness, monkied with this for what felt like forever. Tiny air bubbles in the fiberglass seems. No matter how much I try I get tiny air bubbles in the glass on the seems. talking the size of a pin head. Using a lamination roller on the seems after they get tacky helps, but they still appear.

"No matter how much I try I get tiny air bubbles in the glass on the seems."

I had your problem. For me, it was caused by applying epoxy early in the day to a cool hull. Then as the sun warmed things (day-night temperature difference here can easily be 30-50 deg. F) the air trapped in the wood under the epoxy would expand and form small bubbles.

Solution for me was to apply epoxy to a warm hull as the temperature started to drop. I even fantasized the billions of shrinking little air bubbles would "suck" the epoxy into the wood.

Seriously, the effect is called "outgassing". I believe. Consider it, if applicable.

Hi, Damion - welcome to the forum! Great to see yet another FL14 underway. I will be adding the gunwales to my boat when I get it turned over again in early June and I would be very interested to know how you plan to do it. I look forward to seeng some pics of your progress when you get hold of a camera.

Damion,

Congrats on starting your FL14!

Like you, I thought it would be fairly difficult, but it has not been tough at all and although I've learned an awful lot . . . it has been lots of fun!

Look forward to seeing pictures when you have a chance!

Dane

Lon wrote:"No matter how much I try I get tiny air bubbles in the glass on the seems."

I had your problem. For me, it was caused by applying epoxy early in the day to a cool hull. Then as the sun warmed things (day-night temperature difference here can easily be 30-50 deg. F) the air trapped in the wood under the epoxy would expand and form small bubbles.

Solution for me was to apply epoxy to a warm hull as the temperature started to drop. I even fantasized the billions of shrinking little air bubbles would "suck" the epoxy into the wood.

Seriously, the effect is called "outgassing". I believe. Consider it, if applicable.

I had the same problem. Although I have read this cause before, its finally dawned on me......I was working in a cold basement, around 60F and sometimes had a heater on when it dropped a bit lower! I left the heater on after working to help the epoxy cure.......sounds like I should have warmed things up with the heater, turned it off, then done the glass.

Its safe to say I was incapable in glassing without getting small air bubbles.... now I want to try it again,but all my glassing is done

Have fun on the build....

I did all of my epoxy/glassing on an FL14 in the evening. It was cool, and got cooler at night in the closed garage. Most of the epoxy is as smooth as glass with no outgassing at all. Rick

Sorry I did not update this as progress went. Launched her last weekend for a little pink salmon fishing on the snohomish river. The inside still needed to be painted. But all in all it was a very successful launch and a fun day on the water. Will post pics after next weekend. Had to much fun to remember to take pictures on the water.

Hey Damion... Have you ever gotten around to taking some pictures of your FL14? I have followed your posts while you were deciding what to build. Being originally from WA. state and the conditions there, I think you made a good choice. Now lets see those pics