Monday, November 29, 2010

Did You Miss Me? Lots of Work Done!





Well, it has been a very long time since the last post, but I actually have been getting things done! Not as much as I would have like to, but I am also completing the RV-9A airplane for my buddy Pat! Huge job there! Finally got it completely wired up and ready for paint! Close anyway.
The front part of the planing doublers were added, and I have rounded off the corners on the top side and bottom side of the area of the planing doublers and fiberglassed the planing doublers on the top side. There was also fiberglass installed in between the layers, which was actually part of the top side of the bottom of the boat. I am also going to install another layer of fiberglass tape around the entire sides of the planing doublers to add strength and water resistance. They will be the parts to contact the dock or whatever while in the lake, so they need to be reinforced as much as possible.
I have also angled the bottom of the transom exactly 12 degrees with an electric planer and a hand planer to allow it to angle 12 degrees aft when installed, fiberglassed the transom on both sides, and finally installed the transom on the planing doubler yesterday. I used blocks screwed to the planing surface on the forward and aft sides of the transom to hold it exactly in place, and they had the added benefit to hold it up as well, which I did not expect. I was going to build a jig to hold the top side, but didn't need to. BUT, I did have to stand there for almost three hours yesterday pushing down on the transom after the epoxy was applied, because I could see it not mating properly if I let it go. That was REAL fun, let me tell ya! At least I could watch the TV while I held it in place. I need to put fiberglass tape and epoxy on the bottom now to secure it totally in place. I don't think it will break free, but I definitely want to make sure it doesn't happen. I will also install the quarter round pieces next. The transom is not to the final shape it will be, as I will install the sides first AND decide on a long shaft or short shaft motor to put on it, which will determine it final shape.
All together approximately 20 hours, including all the sanding, etc.