Day 10: Sanding the toe-rail epoxy and mounting the keel

-
Ok, lots to do today. I start by using my RO sander to sand the epoxy flush with the hull and toe rail and generally smooth everything out. I did a little hand sanding as well to smooth the inside and outside edges of the toe rail (I used 220 grit on the slowest speed setting):


At the transom, you can see the beginnings of my shaping of the transition between toe rail and transom:


This is the side view of the transom and you can clearly see the build up of epoxy on the side of the hull and the shaping going from toe rail to transom:


More of the same...


In the photo below you can see the same epoxy treatment after I have completed most sanding and you can see the shape of the bow:


Bottom of the bow:


And the top of the bow:


Amidships, you can see the joint between the toe rail pieces but they are smooth to the touch after epoxy and sanding:


The next step was to apply pore filler to the entire hull (not the deck). Why? If you choose to paint the hull, you will likely want a super-smooth and glossy finish. You don't want wood grain showing up in the finish. Wood filler (pore filler) fills in the grain in the wood and results in a smooth surface once sanded. This pore filler brand is highly recommended and I use it in my woodworking projects all the time. It is water-based and enables you to create a fast drying putty at the right consistency. I suggest a pretty runny consistency so it can be brushed on with a small utility paint brush - stiffer is better. Apply a thin layer and let dry:


Timbermate applied and sanded back (220 again but this time by hand):


Next up, mounting the keel to the hull. Follow the included instructions as there is not much to add to the already well-documented steps. Here are some photos to help...


Test-placement of the ribs. Mine were a tad higher than the keel - not sure why...


Here you can see I was about an ⅛ inch too high:


So off to the bandsaw for a slight trim:


Now, make sure the keel is square to the hull:


The optional stand for the boat works great to keep things level:


Clear-coat epoxy applied to the platform for the servos: 


Clear coat applied to the ribs and since I had extra clear coat I went ahead and did the inside surfaces of the rudder pieces. 


Clear epoxy applied to the inner surface of the hull from side to side and front to rear slightly past where the keel support rests:


Be sure to apply clear epoxy to the keel while out of the hull and extend the clear epoxy down about ¼" on the part of the keel that will be exposed outside the hull - a fillet of epoxy will be added here later:


Hardner being added to the pre-thickened epoxy. I opted to ditch the syringes and started using some cheap plastic measuring spoons - the mixing container is a plastic shot glass:


A fillet of epoxy applied all around the keel where it protrudes into the inside of the hull, and shaped with a plastic spoon. I was not overly concerned about neatness here as most of this is covered by the servo platform. Note the raised runners of epoxy applied where the ribs will sit:


The ribs are placed firmly down into the epoxy:


After adding a healthy bead of epoxy on top of the keel and ribs, the servo platform is pressed firmly in place. 


Another view:


and another:


Starting to really look like a sailboat now:


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction — Why do a build log?

-
I recently received the T37 sailboat model, from Tippecanoe Boats, for Father's day. The T37 assembly instructions are exceptionally detailed and Tippecanoe has clearly put a lot of care and thought in to the product and the whole process. Hopefully the addition of my assembly photos will be a useful complement. I encourage everyone to upload as many photos and explanations of your own personal experience, so that others might benefit. I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have. For what it's worth, this will be my first time building a model sailboat - we'll see how it goes. Gary August 30, 2015: Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review this build log. I have been quite busy with my business, my kids, some real sailing and have not had the time to continue the build for a whole year - crazy how time flies. I have started back on the project now and plan to move through to completion quite quickly. Many posts to follow. I hope you enjoy ...
Read more

Day 4 - Assembling the keel, finishing fairing

-
Image
Day 4 began with preparing the keel for sanding and mounting of the ballast. In preparation for sanding, I marked off the area where the ballast will be positioned so I can more easily avoid sanding aggressively in that area. It should remain flat for adhesion to the ballast pieces: Next, I marked the areas of the planned taper for the leading and trailing edges of the rudder. Here the  leading edge [R] is marked ¾ of an inch back and the trailing edge [L] is marked 1.5 inches in. The trailing edge should slope continuously to a fine edge while the leading edge should have start with a fairly fine edge but round off into more of an arc (think about the shape of an airfoil or airplane wing). Racing regulations require that 1-1/2 inches at the top of the keel and 1" at the bottom of the keel maintain at least ¼" in thickness. This area lies a bit forward of the center line giving the rudder chord its familiar airfoil shape. I marked this area off with the ha...
Read more

Day 16 - Applying varnish to the deck

-
Image
In the steps below I am already into applying varnish. Not photographed were the steps involving applying tape to the toerails but you can see the end result. I have chosen to varnish the deck up to the rails and then paint the rails the same color as my hull - this is more like what is done on real sailboats. Here is just the first coat of varnish applied: I applied several coats in one day and built up the finish to my liking. I used the varnish kit that came from Tippecanoe. It works fine but is a bit too glossy for my taste. The finish will get dulled back a bit at a later finishing stage. 
Read more