| 08/08/06 |
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Building the Jimmy Skiff (continued).
Last week, I stitched the hull and glued the pannels ("tack welded"). Now I am applying a continuous fillet. These joints are reinforced with two layers of fiberglass tape. |
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On this picture, I am saturating the first layer of fiberglass on top of the fillets. The second layer of tape, wider, is cut and ready to apply. |
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I am done with the second layer. |
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Click on the photos to see larger versions. |
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Another view of the same step. |
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Meanwhile, I am applying a last coat of varnish on the Chester Yawl which I'll deliver a few days from now. |
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Back to the Jimmy Skiff: I am plugging all holes and cracks before fully fiberglassing the outside of the hull. |
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| But first, a good epoxy saturation... |
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The temperature is over 30°C these days so I am cooling the epoxy in this bucket of water, which I refill when it warms up. I'll keep this picture to look it up next winter, when I'll have trouble reaching 15°C! |
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Detail of the bottom pannel scarf joint: it's a step-joint rather than a straight scarf. I rounded over the corner in preparation of fiberglassing. |
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| In between I am preparing to glue up the two scarfs on the mast. |
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The mast is glued. It's made up of three laminations and already profiled to lighten the extremities. |
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Detail of the gluing of a mast scarf. I put tape to avoid gluing the pieces of plywood scrap which protect the wood from makking with the clamps. |
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| I too the Jimmy Skiff out to sand the epoxy saturation so that the fiberglass gets a "hold". This also avoids that the little wood shards raised by the epoxy saturation tear the fiberglass cloth. |
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I applied two layers of cloth overlapping on most of the bottom pannel width. |
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Last picture before applying epoxy. |
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| My wife is learning to use the squeegee to spread the epoxy through the fiberglass. It has to become transparent (wet enough) and dull: the weave must "print through", otherwise there is too much resin and the cloth "floats" in it. In the background, the Chester Yawl is on the trailer ready to get delivered next day in Plouer-sur-Rance, Brittany. |
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I also started assembling the rudder pieces. Here one cheek is glued to the core. |
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Last glue on the daggerboard well. |
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| Then, on with the sheer clamps, which strengthen the top of the side pannels on the inside. |
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Another view of the clamps gluing. |
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I have had to strenghten my "stiffener" which must now withstand the pressure of both sheer clamps, tending to shut the top of the planking. |
