Leaning Post/ Livewell

[strick]

Ya know I think you are on to something there fellowship. I knew the comsumption of beer was important however I never knew about this mathmetical formula. Does it have a name? If not can we call it Fellowships Law? I think it can be up there with Ohms Law etc. From the looks of it I have been taking in way to little beer therefore I will take your advice and make a trip to the grocery store.

Briguy sorry to hear about your hatch. Wasent that a pain in the A$$ taking out all that old wood. Mine was made of tiny squares of plywood that had to come out one at a time.
Congrats to you on finding a lady that you plan to marry. Any lady that can put up with guys like us that grind fiberglass for fun and recreation is definatly a top notch women. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Strick

[abl1111]

Strick. Your manufacturing work is very impressive. Everytime I check out what you are doing, I am left w/ my jaw dropped.

I have a few questions:

Do you always use epoxy ?

The center console: when you used the foam to make the curved edge - how did you shape the foam and how did you make the inside smooth enough for glassing.

Once you make a mold, do you use cabosil or micro balloons for the corners ? Prior to glassing, do you apply a light coat of smoothing resin, let it harden and then put release wax on before you glass? Or do you do it another way.

Lastly, why didn't you gelcoat the console 1st, then glass ?

Sorry for all the questions, but your work is well beyond my scope of ability and I "ain't afraid to admit it or ask how "...

-Alan

[strick]

Alan-

Thanks for making my head bigger [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I use epoxy only. It's expensive but I cant stand the fumes of polyester. Also I live in a residential area I dont want to make the neighbors mad because of the smell. It would be cheaper and work just as well if you used polyester or vinylester. I used the "Ringleader technique" for making the foam curve around the corners. PVC pipe wedged into the corner and seal the edges and pour in the void. It needs to be sanded afterward and then a layer of cabosil/microballoons over it. Scroll through the pics and you will see that part. For finishing the corners into bevels I used cabosil/microballoons mixture. Careful not to put too much microballoons or it will sag. For small voids etc bondo works well as a filler. After you have the mold the proper shape then coat the entire thing with epoxy. Dont use a roller that will leave small fibers stuck to the epoxy or you will have to sand it off. Yes I put 5 coats of wax buffing each coat so it is slick as a babys bottom. The terry cloth should slide easily over the mold surface. To answer your question as to why I did not Gel coat 1st it is because the molds I make are not perfect by any means so I anticipate some fairing and sanding afterward. A good sanding primer like Duratec is what i usually use. The leaning post has a few minor blemishes that I will fix and then it will look factory built when It's all done. I need to go to the grocery store now and get some beer. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Strick

[warthog5]

HeHe I love the "Fellow Ships Law" I to use it, but I didn't know the math formula.
The wife sometims would come out to the shop and see me sitting staring at it. She'd say "Are you alright" Sip Sip Sip What ah yea. I'm studying. Sip Sip Sip. HeHe
As usual Strick has shown the way to perfection. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

He is a piece of an email he sent me the other day and I hope he dosen't mind me posting it.

I have an invite to go sturgeon fishing tomorrow but am not going so I can work on my boat. Am I sick or what?

My responce;

HeHe That's a illness we have. Only true boat restores get it, but every day we don't work on our boats is one less day we get to use it. I've done the same thing.

[strick]

During the fall when I was working on my boat in the early mornings I would hear the shot guns going off in the distance.... it was my buddies in the marsh hunting ducks. I was invited many times to go but my disease prevented me from doing so. The only cure is to get it finished so I can use it. I'm hoping the beer will speed up things. Thanks guys.

Strick

[abl1111]

"A Disease " - that's so true. Some people are tinkerer's and other's aren't.

Since I discovered tools as a kid and good directions on how to do things, I cannot remember the last time that I did not have some huge project going on; from tearing my 10 speed apart to re-paint, re-doing a P.O.S. '69 Mustang, building dunebuggies out of VW's, rebuilding motors, then the boats came: gutting and minting an old '65, 17' Boston Whaler, gutting and minting a 19' Sailboat, and now this - the 23' SeaCraft...

And during each project, I promise myself that this is the last one. That's the beauty of fading memory, over time, you forget the bruised hands and body, the fiberglass itch, the frustration, all the agony - and all you remember is, " Hey, look what I did "

So, if my track record means anything - I'll be doing this stuff till I'm an old fart...

[strick]

I'm still waiting for the cushions to be made but here is where I'm at right now. It's all primed with Duratec sanding primer. There will be a big cushion covering the area where the live well sits and for your back to rest on. The front will have a set of cushions as well for leaning against and then to sit on with a back rest. It's going in the backyard for now till it's time to paint everything. I've got a ton of other things to work on [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Strick