The Steamboating Forum

The layup over a smooth surface has worked really well for me when I was making fiberglass panels. That is, with no plywood. But on this job, I used a 7" disc sander and it didn't turn out to be a big deal to get a really nice finish. Really dusty but not that much work. Maybe an hour for the whole hull. Using a foam brush the epoxy flowed on with a very smooth surface.

No real sanding after the first coat of epoxy only. Then I knocked down any small defects that stood up after the cloth (9 oz), and then a few minutes smoothing after the last coat of glass. I primed and then ran my orbital over it to find any pits and filled them with dabs of bondo and then flowed on two courts of Brightside one part epoxy gloss coat. I could have used a long hand sanding board for a perfect finish like some sort of America's Cup sailboat but I didn't feel the need. Too lazy also.

I used 9 oz cloth on the deck and, in retrospect I should have used 6 oz. I can see some cloth pattern in one place. This may have, however, been caused by some left over amine as I did my vinegar/water wash down with a rag rather than a hose.

At very few points will this hull offend the gods by being too perfect.

_________________
Galileo - Great mind.
Newton - Genius mind.
Einstein - Extraordinary mind
Me - Never mind.

Mike,
Foley has kinda become your hallmark. When someone at a steam up would ask which one is Lopez Mike it was easy to tell them to look for the guy with the big ugly flat sheared boat. Now we may have to start telling them he's the one with the straw hat and seersucker suit.!?

Great job and I hope to get a chance to see it this summer.

Cathlamet Dave

I have a friend who is a naval architect. The first time he looked at Folly he said, "It is a little esthetically handicapped." I was just looking at Triangle Tom's test picture and thought to myself, "Where did he get a picture of my boat?"

Sad to say, I will still be using my old hull, Folly, for the most of the rest of this season. Too many projects. Among other things I am planning on launching Spiffy, the new boat, with the boiler and engine strapped down temporarily in order to get the fore and aft C.G. reasonably close. Things like this plus a desire to go sailing for a month or two, make the rest of this boat project a late Summer and Fall activity.

I think coveralls and an old felt fedora are more my style. Try look my age if not act it.

_________________
Galileo - Great mind.
Newton - Genius mind.
Einstein - Extraordinary mind
Me - Never mind.