gjdale

Just wonderful Nils. Such a joy to see your updates.

Thanks Sam. I used thick CA to bond the planking to the Sinatra. It required a LOT of kicker! That's just one more reason to coat the whole thing in a fibreglass jacket - I don't really trust the CA bond strength over time. If I were to do this build again, I would replace all the Sinatra subplanking with timber - either light plywood sheeting or balsa strips. The Sinatra is supposed to be a weight saving, but I think it introduces more problems than it solves.

Thanks Slog and Carl. Slog - it was watching the Paul Budzik videos that sent me down this path in the first place. I can thoroughly recommend the Airbrush Megastore - check out their website. Great friendly service, reasonable prices, prompt delivery, and good advice. Go on, you know you want to............. Carl - that gun has a 1.0mm needle as standard but also comes with a 1.2mm in the package. With the recommended spraying pressure of 40psi, you can cover a large area very quickly indeed. To answer your question, I made up a batch of about 50ml and used only a fraction of it. I was able to decant the leftover back into a glass container afterwards. Not sure how well it will keep, but we'll see.

The Fibreglass Trials As I have never attempted fibreglassing of anything, ever before, I decided it would be prudent to do some trials before “going live”. I read a number of “how-to” guides, and found that the one by Pat Tritle on RC Groups Forum was probably the simplest to follow. For anyone that has never done this before, my advice up front is “trust the process!” It is really quite a simple process, but if you don’t know what to expect along the way, it is easy to think that something has gone wrong. It hasn’t (probably…..) Materials used for the test were exactly what is planned for the actual job, and comprise some 2oz. fibreglass cloth, West Systems Epoxy Resin (No 105), West Systems Hardener (No. 207, which is supposedly designed for use with a clear finish), Feast Watson Spar Marine Varnish, and Krylon Premium “Copper Brilliance” (rattle can spray paint – for the below the waterline colour). I made up two test pieces of roughly three inches by four inches Sintra (the plastic sheeting that also forms the sub-planking). One of these was planked with Mahogany strips just the same as the sides of the hull, and the other was left ‘au-naturale’, the same as the bottom of the boat. The first step was to cut some cloth a little over-size and drape over the test pieces. The Epoxy was mixed according to the West Systems directions (a three to one ratio by volume in this case). A lot of folk say to thin this mix by adding up to about 20% denatured alcohol (methylated spirits here in Australia). The reason given for this is that it supposedly helps the epoxy penetrate the timber substrate and also reduces the chance of bubbles in the mix. The West Systems website advises against thinning and states that strength is significantly reduced by thinning. I decided to stick with the West Systems advice and did not thin. I applied the epoxy by pouring a small amount onto the centre of the test piece and then using a hotel room keycard (same size and shape as a credit card) as a squeegee to spread the epoxy and press it into the weave of the cloth. The important part of the process here is to ensure that the epoxy gets into the weave all over, and right up to the edges (though excessive over spill along the edges is to be avoided). Here’s what the test pieces looked like after this step: Once the epoxy had cured, the excess cloth was roughly trimmed back with a single edge razor blade, and then block sanded with 80-grit sandpaper to the edge of the test piece. The surface was then lightly sanded with 120 grit to remove any high spots. Care needs to be taken here not to sand through the glass itself. Note that the weave of the cloth is still visible here. Don’t panic! Here’s another couple of shots to show clearly how much of the weave is still visible. A second coat of epoxy was then applied, this time with a stiff brush. The aim of this coat is to fill the weave of the cloth. This is what makes the cloth seem to totally disappear. Once that coat had cured, it was again lightly sanded and a third coat applied. The aim here is to get a smooth surface with the weave of the cloth completely filled. If it isn’t to your satisfaction you can keep adding more layers until it is, but I stopped at three coats for the purpose of this trial. Here is what it looked like after the third coat and wet-sanding with 240 grit. Not sure if the variation in “shiny-ness” is due to light reflections (which is what I think it is), or whether that section was still wet from sanding. Again, the aim here is a flat smooth surface – don’t worry about “shine” at this stage (remember, trust the process!). At this stage, it is time to start adding the clear coat (or colour in the case of the bottom) I brushed on one coat of Spar Marine Varnish on the planked test piece, and then lightly wet-sanded with 1200 grit. On the unplanked piece, I sprayed one coat of Copper from the can, followed again by lightly wet-sanding with 1200 grit. My observation at this point is that the Copper paint probably needs at least two coats, and probably no sanding on the final coat. For the remaining clear coats, I wanted to spray the varnish. I thought that a standard airbrush with a 0.35mm needle might not be the best approach, so after seeking some advice from the Airbrush Megastore (based in Adelaide), settled on this as my weapon of choice: The directions for the Spar Marine Varnish say to thin by 10% with Mineral Turpentine for spraying, so that is exactly what I did. Oh boy, what a piece of kit! Took no time at all to lay down a good coat of varnish and I can see that when I’m painting the whole boat, I will be praising my good sense in purchasing this! As the varnish is thinned just that little bit, it also levels very well. Here is a picture of both test pieces having had one coat of varnish sprayed on. It's really difficult to capture the gloss shine on these pieces in a photograph. You'll just have to trust me on this. The copper painted piece shows both some variation introduced by sanding, and also a blemish where the initial epoxy coats did not quite level. Lessons for the “real thing”. And finally, here is a shot of the planked test piece next to the un-treated hatch cover. Notice how the grain is much more apparent after glassing and varnishing, as well as being a slightly richer colour. At this stage, a few extra coats of varnish would be followed by further shine imparted by very fine sanding and polishing. I'm not going to bother with that on the test pieces as the purpose of the test was purely to get comfortable the fibreglassing process. Okay, on that basis I think I’m ready to declare a win and proceed with glassing the whole boat. I’ll be back once that is well and truly underway.

Another interesting update Slog. Safe travels and we'll look forward to resumption of play in due course.

I'm reserving a front row seat for this build once you start it Mike. On the question of fittings, I have read where some guys have done there own copy chrome plating. The DIY plating kits are relatively inexpensive - look for Caswell plating kits.

Okay then! I've shifted my chair, now in the front row for a close up view. Can't wait to see what you do with this Bill.

I'm in for the ride too!

Think I'll pull up a chair and follow your progress here Dave.

Great to see you back Bill. Looking forward to resumption of play!

Congratulations Mike - I'm sure you will enjoy this adventure. I look forward to following your build log in due course.

Take 2 on the seats looks great Aydin.

Great work Slog! Really enjoying watching this come together.

Elijah, JesseLee just posted on his Syren log about a jig he made for drilling the mast holes at the correct angle. Have a look here: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/10420-syren-by-jesselee-model-shipways-scale-164/page-33#entry442086

Mike, Would a marking knife give you better result than a pencil? I know that EdT swears by this method of marking. Your ship is looking great, by the way!

Julie Mo, The binding problem is being caused by exactly the reason you have described. To avoid this, you can either add a degree of back taper to your fence (ie move the back of the fence slightly away from the blade), or add a "half fence" to the leading side (a fence that finishes just before the middle of the saw blade). This will give the cut portion of the strip space without binding against the blade.

Wow, Thanks so much for all the input guys - really appreciated! Sam - some great tips, especially the safety reminders! And yes, some test pieces are called for. Daddyrabbit - you're quite right that lighter glass is available, and used extensively by the aircraft folks where weight is a real consideration. I'm basing mine on advice from guys who've built a number of these boats before, over on the RC Groups forum. Sam - Wefalck is spot on the money. The fibreglass not only adds strength and waterproofing, it also prevents the wood from shifting and cracking open seams later on - a problem I've certainly read about. Mike - me too!

Thanks so much Ken, Rusty, Sam and Mike, and all the "likes". Sam, to answer your questions: Yes, fibreglass will go over the hull. Cloth weight is 2 ounces (very light) Epoxy will be West Systems and using their 207 Hardener, which is specifically designed for clear finishes (as I understand it anyway). No to the vacuum bagging. Please bear in mind that I have never fibre glassed ANYTHING before, so I'll be learning as I go! What could possibly go wrong?

Thanks Don and Bob, and also to all of the "likes". Just a little more progress this week. The hull has finally been prepared for fibre-glassing. Rather than continue with progressive grits of sandpaper, and the all of the dust that that entails, after the initial rough sanding, I used some cabinet scrapers to smooth the deck and remove any residual glue stains. I had been apprehensive about using the scrapers but after watching a couple of YouTube videos on how to prepare and sharpen (burnish) a scraper properly, I felt confident to give it a try. I have to say, it is a lot easier than I’d anticipated. It is also a lot quicker than sanding, and the major bonus is that there is not a lot of dust – just some very fine shavings. It also ensures that the plastic “caulking” strips have a smooth finish. Once the scraping had been completed, I brushed on the mahogany stain provided in the kit, as per the kit directions. It is a water-based stain and was very easy to apply. The caulking strips were simply wiped over with a piece of paper towel to remove the stain from them and prevent any discolouring. Here is where she is at today: And a close up of the fore-deck: I intend to delay fibre-glassing for a couple of weeks for two reasons. Firstly, we are going away for a few days next weekend, and secondly, I’d like to wait for the weather to warm up a little before tackling this as from what I’ve read the process is somewhat easier to get right with a little heat in the air.

It may have been tedious Bob, but well worth the effort. Great job!

Hi Slog, I'd never heard of a Japanese Screw punch before, but a quick consult with Prof. Google brought up this Australian supplier: http://www.cxdaustralia.com.au/product/6168-a-the-original-japanese-screw-punch Looks to be the genuine article. Hope this helps.

Best wishes for your Chemo results Danny. I look forward to seeing you back at the bench soon.

Thanks Don, Yes, definitely a gloss finish - fibreglass/resin, two more coats of resin, then several clear coats of high gloss varnish, and then polished as shiny as I can make her! The bottom will be a gloss copper paint.

Thanks again for the kind remarks and all the "likes". After a few weeks of absence from the shipyard due to work and other commitments, planking is at last complete! The remainder of the deck was completed in much the same way as the fore deck, with the hatch being left in place and planked together with the rear deck. The hatch was cut free on completion, the hatch openings and rear cockpit opening cleaned up, and the transom was then planked in much the same way as the sides of the hull. The transom was trimmed flush with the deck, sides and bottom of the boat, and then the decks were given an initial sanding with 80 grit sandpaper. The aim of the initial sanding is to bring the white caulking strips down level with the deck planks. While it was not difficult to do, it did require a little more elbow grease than I’d anticipated. Anyway, here she is as she sits today. The “spare” hatch is in the foreground (in case my two-part hatch doesn’t work out). There’s still quite a bit more sanding to be done before she will be ready for staining and fibre-glassing.

I'll second Slog's vote of confidence in the Airbrush Megastore, Greg. Excellent service, great advice, good prices, and very quick turnaround. There's also a series of videos on their website. Paul Budzik's videos on YouTube are also excellent and well worth taking a look at.