That Was Easy! Adventures With Hayn Hi-Mod Compression Fittings

Throughout this entire rebuild, I've had the rigging in the back of my mind, but it never really mattered until now because there was soo much else to be done.  Well, there's still much to be done but time is getting short and this needs to be done. 

Originally I planned on replacing all the standing rigging, but somewhere along the way I decided that I would just replace both uppers, the forestay and backstay (read: I can't keep spending money).   I figured that this would be the safest way to replace part of the rig and will replace the lowers next year. 

I'm not sure why I decided to do the rigging myself; I had falsely thought it would be cheaper than having a shop swage everything, but in reality, the cost of the mechanical fittings eats up any labor savings. The nice thing is that they will be reusable in the future should I need to replace the rigging again.

In the end I had a shop swage eyes on the top of 1/4" 316 stainless 1x19 wire and bought Hayn Hi-Mod compression fittings and turnbuckles to do myself on the bottom.  I chose Hayn over Sta-lok or Norseman mainly because I heard really good things about them and that setting them up was a bit easier because they use a castellated nut that locks each strand of wire in position. 

Anyway, I've had the rigging bits and pieces sitting in my shop for over a month now waiting for a good time to get it done.  I was a bit apprehensive having never done any mechanical rigging work before, but I really shouldn't have been.  I invited my friend Mike to help me out (he is a fellow serial boat restorer like myself and was interested in seeing how mechanical fittings work as well) so we met up early this evening in my day job parking lot after it had emptied out for the weekend. 

To make sure the new rigging was cut to the right length, I screwed a couple of 3/8" machine screws into a board and backed my truck wheel on it so we would have a secure platform to straighten out the wire.  Next we hooked the eyes of the old stay/shroud and the new wire onto the board and straightened them out. 

Then it was just a matter of marking the wire where the new stud and turnbuckle would be the same length as the old ones.  I wrapped a piece of painters tape around the wire and marked it with a sharpie and we took it back to the liftgate of the truck and cut it with a hacksaw.  I bought a new 32tpi hacksaw blade because I was worried that cutting the 316 stainless wire would be difficult.  This went extremely easy, I'm guessing the new blade made a big difference because it only took 30 seconds or so to make a nice clean cut. 

I pulled the tape off where I cut and then used one of those grippy rubber jar openers to twist the wire against the strands to separate the core.  Again, surprisingly easy, but it took a few pieces to get the hang of it and make it lift off the core in an orderly fashion.  Oh, before you do this step, make sure you slide the body of the fitting onto the wire or you will have to undo what you've done.  Don't ask me how I know this....

After the core is separated, slide the cone (small end first) over the core with about 1/4" of core exposed on the bigger end.  Next, slide the castellated crown ring (concave side first) over the exposed core and then use the end of the stud to push it into place. There is a little divot in the end of the stud (or whatever fitting you are installing) that allows you to use it to get the proper depth for both the cone and crown ring.  I'm not explaining it well but it is super obvious when you see it.

Now for the hard part.  The outside strands that were previously separated now have to be laid back down and seated in the castellated ring with each strand going into each 'cove' of the ring.  In reality, it's not that difficult, but it takes a bit of practice and I think that once you figure out how to smoothly separate the strands from the core initially it goes much better.  The first one we did took about 25 minutes from laying out and measuring the wire to completion.  By the third one, it only took 10 minutes for the whole thing. 

 

Once each strand is seated nicely then it's just a matter of pulling up the body and twisting it with the direction of the wires and then screwing the stud (or whatever fitting you have) and tightening it down.  Hayn recommends lock-tite (I think blue, non-permanent) on the threads but I didn't have any tonight, so I didn't fully tighten them down until I get some lock-tite. 

All told it took 1.5 hours to do three pieces including everything. They were really easy to do, and that never happens to me.  I had never done any type of mechanical fittings before so I had zero experience and by the second one I felt like a pro (except when I forgot to put the body on before I split the core out).   I would say that even a child could do this, but it does help to have strong fingers, a helper, and a little dexterity, but other than that you barely need directions.  I guess the proof is in the pudding, so if the rig collapses when the mast is stepped, I may have something else to say, but I suspect that it won't be the fault of the Hayn terminals.

Ooooh Pretty!

I haven't had much time this past week, but the temperature is beginning to cooperate a little bit more so I was able to start practicing my very rusty varnishing skills on our sun porch.  I'm using Epifanes Wood Finish Gloss for the first few coats because it allows no sanding between applications.  I'm probably going to do 3 coats before I mount these pieces and then do the rest of the coats in place once I plug the screw/bolt holes.  I was just anxious to see something look nice and varnish-y for a change.  Of course after 1 coat there is virtually no gloss because I thinned to 50% so the wood would get a good soaking prior to beginning to build.  I'll do 25% thinner for the next few coats and see how that works and then I'll play it by ear.  The final 2 coats I'll use Epifanes Clear Varnish (the standard varnish) because I'm told it's a bit harder for protection.


I also glued up 2 of the 4 scarfs in the cap rails with a mixture of epoxy and wood dust.  I've been carefully saving all the fine dust from some of my cutting operations so I would have a filler that matched the wood.
At some point this week, I'll get the other 2 glued up and hopefully make some more progress on the cap rail installation this weekend.  I'm still haven't fully decided my approach (see "I Haven't Screwed up the Caprail Yet!" post for more details).

Too Cold for Glue

As much as I want to move forward with the caprail, the weather has not been cooperating and the cold is keeping me from epoxying the scarf joints (12 degrees F is not optimal if you want epoxy to cure). So I'm out of luck until things warm up.  Fortunately, I have plenty of other, smaller things to do so I moved to my basement shop where the weather is much better.

The companionway has been one of the sections I haven't done anything with since I took it apart 3 years ago, so I figured it was time to get crackin.  I started by sanding down the hatch and filled the many gouges and dings with epoxy and set it aside to cure in the shop.  Once I sand and fair the hatch, I'll prime and paint with PrimeKote and Perfection, followed by Kiwigrip for the non-skid.  I'll need to do the same for the 2 lazarette hatches and the icebox lid, but decided to move on to more appealing projects that involve wood (if given a choice, I always choose wood projects over frozen snot).

I decided to get started on the companionway woodwork that is in need of total replacement because the old wood is pretty much a rotten mess.  I saved every piece regardless of its state so I could copy the pieces when the time came; that time is now.  I also took a bunch of photos when dismantling because there are a lot of strangely shaped parts and piecing them back together without a photo guide would prove difficult. I chose to start with the companionway threshold because everything is built off of it.  I epoxied 2 pieces of sapele up to get the required rough dimensions, clamped it and let it cure overnight.

The next day, I took closer measurements and cut the piece to proper size.  There were several odd bevel angles and an inset rabbet cut that I partially completed with a blind cut on the table saw and finished up with a chisel in the corners.  I was pretty happy when I took it over to the boat for a test fit and found that it fit like a glove and looked nice.

There is alot more to do on the companionway, but I'm chipping away.  Most of the other pieces will be reasonably simple and don't have the angles and odd cuts that this piece did.

Rough Fit for the Caprail Complete

Time has never been on my side and this weekend was no different.  March is my favorite time of year for many reasons, but there is never enough time to fit it all in.  The warm sun brings everyone out to enjoy the last days of winter instead of simply trying to survive without losing fingers and toes to frostbite.  The sugaring parties are in full swing and are usually accompanied by strong homebrewed concoctions; the downhill skiing is as good as it's been all year, and I feel obligated to get out with the family for what may be the last cross country skiing of the year.

Sadly, Magic is most often the brunt of my time constraints, but I'm out of epoxy and need to get more before I begin the next step, so I didn't feel too guilty straying from the job at hand.  With that said, I was able to finish cutting the caprail (except for the transom) and got all the scarf joints fitted and tight.  I'm really happy with the result so far, I'm amazed what pretty wood does to the look; it makes Magic start to look downright 'yachty' again.  I'm also pleased to report that I had exactly zero 'oh shit' moments and made no expensive kindling for the woodstove (except for the pieces that I actually planned for).

I have to get another 1.5 gallon epoxy kit this week and I swear this will be the last (I have told myself this many times before).  Once I pick that up, I'm going to glue up the scarfs and then begin tapping the caprail to fix it to the bulkwarks.  Then I'll start fitting the rubrail using method A (see last post).  I decided on this method because I think it will have a better look overall and there will be no vertical seams.  My reasoning that I could replace the rubrail should I bump into something hard if I installed it using the original method (method B in last post) just didn't hold up.  I'm pretty sure that the rubrail on the boat was original and there is no reason to think that this new installation won't hold up for a long time to come.

Thoughts on Interlux Perfection

After re-reading my post I realized I didn't go into too much detail about using Perfection so I thought I'd elaborate while I wait to move on to KiwiGrip.  First of all, the disclaimer: I am not a painter and I've never used a 2 part paint before (except for the primer). My painting experience is limited to latex or oil on the sides of houses and I've dabbled with Interlux Brightsides polyurethane on past boat projects.  So, it's pretty clear that I am an expert and you should take everything you read on the interweb as gospel!  Now for the expert review:

After working with the 2 part primer (Interlux Primekote), I wasn't expecting to get great results with Perfection because the primer just didn't level well even when thinned to the maximum 25%.  Every coat I did resulted in lots of stipple marks and needed a good sanding to level it after it cured.  Also, mixing the primer was a bear; the paint (big can) in its raw form is like peanut butter and mixing it to the right 3:1 ratio was a messy affair.  Maybe most primers are like that and it didn't impact the quality once mixed, but it was just an added chore (to the large list of chores).

So when I mixed up my first batch of Perfection, it was sooo much easier; both the paint and the catalyst flowed nicely out of the can (I didn't need to scoop it with a stick), and the 2:1 ratio made measuring easy (I'm actually not math challenged, but the marks on my graduated containers make doubling ratios a snap).  Once the paint is mixed, it's similar to the primer where you wait for 20 minutes, so it gives you time to wipe down the area your about to paint with 2333N Brushing Reducer.

I had read that white toned Perfection paints could be rolled and not tipped if thinned to the maximum 10% 2333N Brushing Reducer.  I am terrible at tipping out paint (I either drag too much or too little, leaving a very bad looking surface), so I decided that whatever the result, this was the way to go, at least it would be consistent (unlike my tipping technique).  I think that the lower temperatures (low 60's) also helped improve the leveling because it allowed the paint to stay uncured for a longer period, allowing it to level more before hardening up.  This is just speculation on my part, but I noticed that the third coat didn't level quite as well as the second and I suspect it was because the temps were in the low 80's and caused the paint to harden quicker.  I'm sure someone who knows about these things would have some things to say.

For the cabin top sides I used a 6" foam mini hot dog roller and the deck perimeter a 4" mini hot dog.  You can buy six packs of them at Lowes or Home Depot. They work great and leave a very smooth finish.

I knew that the first coat would be an experiment and would give me good practice for subsequent coats. Almost immediately I found that rolling out a thin film seemed to level better than a thicker coat.  They tell you this in the product literature, but I guess I didn't really get it until I saw it in action.  Also, a thinner coat on a vertical surface reduces the possibility of sags or runs.  Once the first coat cured, it had some technique imperfections that needed to be sanded out (you could see how my technique improved over the course of the first coat), but the gloss just blew me away.

I sanded in between the three coats with 320 grit paper, but I learned after I finished the third coat that if you recoat within 24 hours of painting you don't need to sand in between.  The 320 grit sanding wasn't really a chore though; it only took about 30 minutes to sand the whole thing down and since my technique for the first coat wasn't the best, I think it only helped.

I'm really happy this is done and am really impressed with the paint.  I purchased the half gallon kit (64oz) and used 52 oz.  I'll probably need to get another quart to finish the cockpit when the time comes. The only knock I would give it would be the product literature on the Interlux site is a bit hard to find and wasn't that clear to me.  However, the yachtpaint forum (http://www.yachtpaintforum.com/) is a great resource for all things Interlux.  Interlux manages the forum and has technicians monitoring for incoming questions.  All my questions were answered quickly and completely.  I felt like it more than made up for the somewhat obtuse literature.

Cockpit Time

Another busy weekend kept me away from much boat work, but I did manage to get a few things done.  I got another coat of primer on the cabin top and sides and the cockpit one step closer to primer.  I also started building the mast for the dinghy here.

I cleaned up the soft spot I had found on the bridge deck at the end of last week by pulling all the bad core out and sanding down the inner skin.  Next I ground a 2" bevel around the edges to tie the new with the old and epoxied in a new balsa core and the first of 5 layers of biaxial cloth.  The next day I glued in the remaining 4 layers to bring the new surface close to the level of the old.

5 layers is probably overkill, but the deck was thicker here and I decided that it would be easier to add additional cloth to fill the section up to the level of the old deck rather than use a ton of fairing compound to get the same result.  I finished it off by adding a much smaller amount of fairing compound to the section as well as filling all the leftover fastener holes throughout the cockpit.

Cleaned up and ready for new core.  Note the old core on the right hand side.  This was still in good shape so I left it in place rather than trying to rip it up.

5 layers of biaxial in place.  This left very minor low spots for fairing compound.

Fairing compound in place.  I'll probably need another touch up layer once I sand this one down.

That Stripper is Awesome

The paint stripper that is....

It is however really messy and the cleanup takes almost as long as just sanding.  The good thing is that it doesn't score up the surface and gets into corners that I really couldn't have reached easily with a sander.  This stripper (Peel Away) had been sitting in my basement for years (~10) and I wasn't sure if it still worked or not.  It certainly did!

I'm not really up on the latest chemical stripper news but when I first bought this stuff long ago, it was one of the first 'environmentally friendly' strippers out there.  I think it's soy based but I don't know because the label has long since worn off.  In any event, another cool thing that it uses is a paper backing that you adhere to the gel once it is applied (maybe they all do this now).  This serves 2 purposes; the first is that it keeps the stripping gel from drying out so it works longer.  The second is that when you peel it off all the paint is supposed to stick to the paper.  It sort of works, but doesn't get all of the paint off and certainly a lot of the gel is left behind on the surface.  This is where I spent my time.  Most of the paint does indeed loosen up on the surface your stripping, but removing it along with the leftover gel is just a really messy proposition.

So, armed with a garbage bag, a carbide scraper, and a set of cabinet scrapers I set to work getting it all cleaned up.  At first it didn't seem all that bad, and it was kind of satisfying seeing big sheets of paint come off, but after I'd been on my knees in the cockpit covered in the stuff for an hour it gets old.  Couple that with the boatshed temperature approaching the high 90's it gets old.  Mmmmm, fun.  Anyway, it was a job that I was dreading and it's done now.  I finished up with a bucket of hot water and washed everything down to get the residue off.

As I was finishing up, I stepped on part of the bridge deck that I normally reserve for the shop vac and felt something bad.  Further inspection revealed that a 2 foot section of the port side bridge deck was at the very least delaminated, but I suspected worse (wet core).  I drilled out a few test holes and sure enough, the core was completely soaked in that area (&*#^!@$ CRAP).  I really don't know why it was wet there, because there aren't any through holes other than an icebox access hatch that the previous owner had installed.  The only other spot water could possibly have gotten in was a small spot where the boom crutch has supported the boom for years.  Over time it had worn away the paint and had gotten into the roving (visible).  I didn't think that it had gotten all the way through the skin though.

Finding this was a complete kick in the nuts and I wanted to cry.  I thought I was done with core repairs and actually had hopes of getting the cockpit primed this weekend.  I threw myself a full on pity party and went back to the house for dinner.  I need to apologize to Steph and the kids because she had made a really nice dinner and we ate out on the deck, but I was in a foul mood so I don't think there was much merriment.

During dinner I resigned myself to the fact that there was more core work to do and it wasn't going to get done unless I did it. So after eating, I went back over to the boatshed with the cordless circular saw and my dremel multimax (poor man's Fein) and cut out the offending area.  Today, I'll clean up the bottom skin, grind the bevels, and epoxy in a new core.  With any luck, I'll be able to get 3 new layers of biax on over the weekend.  It's a setback for sure, but in reality it isn't a big deal considering what I've already done to this boat. 

Real Progress

Bulwark primed.

Not that I wasn't making progress before, but now it feels like I'm really rolling. I was finally able to lay down the first coat of Primekote epoxy primer on the decks forward of the cockpit this weekend.  I'd been putting it off for a few weeks now because I always managed to find another area to sand, but I finally said enough and went to it.

The temps this week have been nasty for New Hampshire; mid 90's and humid so I decided to do the job as early as possible so I could get out of the boatshed before it turned into a furnace.  Even if I could take the ridiculous temperatures in the shed anytime after 10 am, the sweat that literally pours off me would certainly ruin any finish so I started at 5 am, just after sunrise.

I did it in 2 parts, the first morning I painted the bulkwark sides and top (under where the caprail will go).  I used a 2" high density foam roller that was a perfect fit for the job.  First I wiped down the entire bulwark forward of the cockpit with 2333N brushing thinner and then mixed up 10oz total of the Primekote.  Then I rolled and tipped it off starting at the bow and then working back on each rail.  All told (with the 20 minute induction time) it took about 2 hours.  Everything went according to plan and I didn't sit in any paint or dump the bucket in my lap (this has happened to me before).  I left for the day and let it bake.

Looks good to me.

At 5 am this morning I set out to tackle the fore deck and side decks forward of the cockpit.  Same procedure as the day before but a bigger area and more paint (25oz total including 20% 2333N brushing thinner).  Everything went well with job as well, but I needed to change out the roller half way through because it was showing signs of coming apart.  This time I used a 7" high density roller though.  The only other glitch was that toward the end I was running very low on paint and had to stretch the last few feet (I worked from the starboard aft side forward, onto the fore deck, and then down the port side working aft).

I'm really happy with the results. There were no surprises as far as unexpected 'un-fair' areas.  There are a few areas that still need a bit of additional fairing, but I knew that going into priming.  I wanted to get a more uniform color on the decks so I could better see some of the areas that were still a bit lumpy.  I ordered a 1.5 quart kit of System Three Quickfair for this purpose.  It should be here sometime midweek.  Once that arrives I'll be able to do a final spot treatment for any undesirable areas left on the fore and side decks.

In the meantime I get to get started on the cockpit area aft.  Lots to do in the cockpit and a bit more fairing on the aft deck and areas adjacent to the cockpit.  I have no shortage of work ahead of me, but this was a big milestone.

Very shiny and still wet.  I had to jump off the back of the boat to exit.

In the lower right side of the photo, you can see an area that will need some additional fairing.

Not a great shot, but it all looks pretty clean at least. 

When You Give a Pig a Pancake ...

Getting to the actual task of painting (or priming in my case) seems like I am firmly part of the children's book by Laura Numeroff.  I start on one small task and it leads to another, and another, and another, until I am so far away from the original task that it makes my head spin.  So when I walked over to the boatshed this morning thinking I'd have the cabintop primed by 9:00 I should have known better.

When I started, I was going to mix up the paint right away and use the 20 minute induction time to wipe down the cabintop.  Instead, I decided that I'd give a quick once over with the 100 grit to make sure everything was perfect. Well, that led to me finding some silicon that was still on the window frames so I had to dig out a razor to cut it off and then sand that down.  Then I decided that I would re-sand the area where the deck meets the cabintop to make sure that was smooth.   In the end I spent 2.5 hours doing prep work that I thought was already done.  Oh well.

When it came time to mix up the Primekote things up it went pretty smoothly though.  I had practiced on the dinghy the day before to get a feel for how this stuff behaves.  I decided to use the same amount I used on the dinghy to make things easy.  I had a fair amount left over when I finished the dinghy and I thought it would be about the right amount for the cabintop.  

Measuring this stuff by volume is a bit dicey since the paint part is like putty, so I poured 5 oz of catalyst (liquid) into a quart container and then glopped (technical term) in the paint part until the total volume was at 20 oz (3:1 ratio).  Then I mixed it up and let it stew for 20 minutes (induction time) while I wiped the top down with 2333N.  I should note that Interlux recommends using Solvent Wash 202 for the wipe down, but I didn't have any and based on many other's accounts, I went with the 2333N.  It has many of the same ingredients according to the MSDS sheet and its only purpose is to get any remaining dust/debris/wax off the area to be painted.

After the 20 minute induction period was up and I had wiped everything down, I added 5 oz of 2333N Brushing Thinner, mixed it to an even consistency. I started on the top aft section of the cabintop and worked my way aft on top.  I'd pour a bit out and then roller it in all directions spreading it evenly in roughly a 2x2 foot area.  Once satisfied that it was uniform, I tipped it out with a brush to knock down any bubbles that may have formed while rolling it out.  One thing I forgot to do before starting was to tape off the mahogany trim on the hatch opening.  I ended up getting a bunch of paint on it and will need to sand it all off and re-varnish (eventually).  

Crappy Roller

Once I finished up with the top sections I poured the remaining paint into a roller tray and loaded the roller in the tray to do the side sections.  I used a 7" high density foam roller from Lowes for all the work today.  One thing I learned yesterday from the dinghy project is that not all marine grade rollers work very well.  The one I had for the dinghy (Seachoice High Density) fell apart long before I was finished and I had to do the last sections with a brush only.  The cheapo's from Lowes worked well and never left any chunks of debris in the paint as I rolled.  One thing that is a must is to use a full face respirator with organic vapor cartridges.  At one point while painting I pulled off the mask to scratch my nose and I couldn't believe how bad this stuff smells.  There is no question that exposure to this stuff is really bad.

All in all I'm pretty happy with the first pass.  It's not perfect by any means but it's a start and I think I'll be able to refine my technique as I go along.  Also, now that the cabintop is fairly uniform in color, I can really see any high and low spots from my work so I'll be able to do a surface fairing after I sand the primer.  Then I'll get at least one more coat of primer before real paint, but that's a long way off.

Just the cabintop is primed, decks await.

Fun With 10 Amps and a Bucket of Caustic Solution

After pulling my bronze portlights a few weeks back I've been researching ways to clean them up.  What I originally intended was to have everything re-chromed, but I just couldn't justify spending so much on a cosmetic thing (over $1k for everything).  Anyway, I like the look of raw bronze in both the polished and patina'd forms so I started looking into the various cleaning techniques out there.

There are a lot of threads on wire brushing and polishing and generally labor intensive methods that I wanted to avoid because I am basically a lazy person when it comes to polishing things.  I had some recommendations that Muriatic (HCL) acid worked well and I even picked up a jug of it at Home Depot.  However, during my research I stumbled onto several forums that were devoted to metal platers (eveyone needs a hobby right?) and many indicated that strong acid on bronze can lead to bronze disease because the acid is an equal opportunity dissolver; it will just as happily attack the tin in the bronze as it will attack the chrome.

While on one of these forums I saw a few references to electrolytic de-plating and how it does a great job at removing chrome and rust and best of all, you don't need to spend hours and hours polishing and sanding.  After corroborating the method with some more research on the theory behind the method, I decided that it was worth a try and I had most of the materials/equipment needed already.

So before I describe what I did, I want to give the standard disclaimer when bad stuff could happen:  I am not responsible for any death, dismemberment, shock, hazardous waste, or anything else that could be construed as bad.  Just do your research and be careful;  the big risk is shock if your not careful and properly disposing of hazardous waste after your done.

The basic theory behind it is that you reverse the process that plated the chrome onto the bronze to begin with.  The result is that any chrome or rust on the part is removed over a period of several hours. The ingredients are as follows:

1. 12 volt battery charger
2. 5 gallon bucket
3. Several 2 foot lengths of rebar
4. Sodium Carbonate (Arm and Hammer washing soda found at grocery store)
5. A few gallons of water
6. A part to de-chrome
7. A few c-clamps
8. 2 feet of house wiring (romex)
9. Small length of wood to span the bucket.

To put it all together, do the following:

• Take 2 or 3 pieces of rebar and c-clamp them to the inside sides of the 5 gallon bucket
• Wire the rebar together with some of the house wiring.  
• Add a few gallons of water and add a cup of sodium carbonate to make the electrolytic solution.  
• Take another piece of house wiring, expose some of the  copper in the wire and wrap it around the part tightly (to make an electrical connection)
• Suspend the wired part on the piece of wood in the middle of the bucket so that the part is submerged.
• Connect the positive lead from the battery charger to one of the pieces of rebar and the negative lead to the wire connected to the part.
• Turn on the battery charger.

Both the rebar and the part should start bubbling in short order.  Remember that this should be done outside or a well ventilated area because the fumes are potentially toxic.  I left each part in between 4 and 8 hours before pulling it out.  When it first comes out the part will be black, but putting it in another bucket of water and give it a good scrub with a scotch brite pad will bring out the bronze shine.  All in all it is WAY easier than trying to polish or wire brush them.

Before and partial after

Final product

So far, I've only done one portlight and an anchor chain hawser, but the results are incredible.  I think I could have left the portlight in a bit longer because there are still a few sections of chrome (or possibly nickel) that proved to be pretty stubborn to remove.  I may buff these out or dunk it again at some point but it's good enough for now.
Another word of caution: what I've read is that the bi-product contains hexavalent chromium (of Erin Brockovich fame).  It should be disposed of properly and I have an empty 2.5 gallon screw top container that I plan on using and bringing to hazardous waste day at our dump (they hold it periodically).

Ready for Prime Time?

Not quite, but getting closer (at least the cabin top and sides).  I did 2 sanding sessions over the weekend, 3 hours on Saturday, and another 3 on Sunday.  With the temps being as warm as they have been (high 80's) I only have so much working time in the boatshed before I feel like death is imminent.  So I've used the past few mornings while it is still cool to get the cabin top and sides sanded down.

The first thing I did was longboard the recored cabintop followed by the sanding down the bore holes I refilled the other day with the random orbital sander.  Finally I went around the whole cabin sides (except for the cockpit area), and sanded off any loose paint.  There was a lot and I'd say that 3/4 of the sides are down to bare glass and the rest is down to the primer.

I still have to clean the butyl goop around the small port openings before I can get those sanded to well (it just gums up the sandpaper).  Also, the area along where the deck meets the cabin sides has to be sanded a little more closely.  I'll be knocking those spots off over the next few days.  The primer should be here tomorrow, so I hope to get the first coat of primer on the cabin top and sides before we go to Maine for vacation next week.

AWOL

Ok, so maybe I disappeared for a while, but I'm back on the job again.  I pretty much squandered the winter doing nothing but I was burned out from my previous efforts and needed a bit of a break.  I feel a little guilty about it, but this is a long term project and I'm not going to kill myself getting it done.

With that said, I did about 1.5 hours of work sanding the foredeck to see how fair it is.  I'm happy to report that it looks pretty darn good. Not perfect, there are a bunch of spot fills I'll have to do before I'm really ready for paint, but given that the vast majority of the deck will be under Kiwigrip (which will hide many a sin), I'm not too worried and can live with a few imperfections.   I decided that I would spread a quick coat of primer right at the bow to see how it looks and I'm very pleased.  Of course, I slapped the primer on in just a few minutes with a brush and will have to sand it off before I get the real primer on, but it was really satisfying to get a glimpse of the finished project.

Those are brush marks not fiberglass scatches.

Without a uniform color, it is hard to tell if it is fair.

The biggest problem I'm finding as I sand my way aft (6" Rigid Random Orbit) is along the bulwark/deck junction.  I'll have to go along the whole edge on both sides and do a small radius filet from bow to stern.  Then I'll have to fair that in, so it's a bit of work.

I'm putting the toerail project on the back burner for the time being while I re-assess my method.  I was going to do 3 - 1.25 inch strips laminated together and bent on a jig, but some helpful advice on the plastic classic forum has me rethinking the project.  Stay tuned!

Last Post

Last post for the year at least. The last month and a half has been pretty crazy and I haven't done much of anything on the boat. The holidays are always kind of a mess when it comes to working on the boat and this year was no exception.  Given that we've had some pretty good weather, I'm kicking myself a bit for not getting out there and forging ahead.  Oh well, I was getting burned out from the constant juggling of boat, family, and job so I took the time off with no regrets.

For the winter, I have 2 main projects; laminate the new toerail and sand the decks fair so once warm weather arrives I can get started with primer and paint.  Today I had some time and decided that I wasn't up for sanding so I jumped into the toerail project (building projects are always better than sanding projects).

I've agonized over how to do the toerail for some time now.  Initially I was going to scarve a bunch of 3/4x3" mahogany and bend it on to the rail, but after talking with a few folks who have done it, I was worried that I would break the rail when bending it on.  It can be done, but I'm not willing to risk several hundred dollars in exotic wood on a chance.  It has to be right the first time.

The method I came up with should look good, will run no risk of breaking, and could possibly be a cheaper solution.  I'm going to laminate 3 - 1" pieces on a form that has the same curve as the bulwark (See bad drawing below).

Anyway, to get started I had to remove the existing toerail.  I left it in place over the course of the recore to serve as a splash guard for the hull, but now that that is about done I'm comfortable removing it.  I had taken out a bunch of the screws previously, but there was still about half left and I had to use a hacksaw to remove the genoa track.  The track was fastened through the entire bulwark and into the cabin where the nuts turned into a rusty ball of nastyness over the years so there was no hope recovering the 5" drift bolts.

Once I had gotten the toerail off I laid 1'x8' pieces of plywood that I had previously cut down on the exposed bulwark and traced the curve of the hull onto them.  I brought them back to my basement shop and screwed a bunch of blocks 3" behind the curve.  Next I test fitted a piece of 1" mahogany to the curve to see how difficult it would be to bend.  To my relief, it bent on without any problem at all.

In the next few weeks or so, I'll take a trip over to Goosebay lumber in Chicester and buy up a bunch of mahogany.  To do the lamination, I'll butt 2 of the plywood forms together (of the 4 total) so I'll only have one scarf in the middle.  I haven't figured out exactly how I'll do the bow and stern because they widen out somewhat. See you next year!