gjdale

Ed,
 
You continue to bring smiles to many faces here at MSW, not to mention a high bench mark for all to reach for. Is there a future home already determined for this beauty?  
 
Next time someone asks for a definition of museum quality on one of the forums here, I will respond that they should look at your build log as a prime example. 
 
Allan

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 177 – Mounting Bower Anchors
 
The plan has been to suspend the wood stocked bower anchor from the starboard cathead as depicted in the picture of the ship docked at San Francisco.  The iron stock anchor is to be placed in its storage position on the port side of the forecastle.   The first picture shows mounting chocks and two securing eyebolts for anchor storage.
 

 
The next picture shows the iron-stocked bower anchor in position, secured by a rope lashing to eyebolts on the margin plank.
 

 
The positioning and means of securing the anchors is somewhat speculative, but typical.  In the next picture, eyebolts have been installed below the arms and a lashing is being touched with thinned white glue to secure the seizing.
 

 
In the next picture, the starboard anchor has been suspended from the trip chain on the cathead. 
 

 
The cable chain is also threaded on to the shackle.  This shackle has a threaded bolt which will be trimmed to size later.  A hooked brass rod can be seen inserted from above the windlass through the hawse hole to fish the chain under the forecastle.
 
The next picture shows the chain pulled through over the top of the windlass.
 

 
The string shown in the picture has been threaded over the windlass so the chain can be taken over for another turn.  In the next picture the chain has been wound over the windlass and dropped through the chain tube to the hold.
 

 
The last picture shows the suspended anchor ready for release.  The shackle bolt remains untrimmed at this stage.
 

 
The next step will be to make and install the smaller stream anchor.
 
 
 
Ed

Update
 
some of the aft vents, aft boats-deck floor, and outcuts for the aft stairs.....
 
Nils
 

 
 

 
 

 
some of the Dremel bits have 3 mm shafts, (here used as place holders, for vent tube centering...)
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

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.

Here are some photos of the finished base and plinth.  I also applied the bow pulley and the anchor davit plate that sits in the notch on top of the transom.  Rigging is next!
 

 

 

 

In March 2012 I did the fore top to try out the first material for the nettings.
  And also a small provocation. I placed the lantern not in the main top but in the fore top as indicated by Lavery as Nelson was only Vice Admiral. But by now I have enough contemporary sources that indicate the "classical" version.   By now it was time to do the two missing tops. Also I was using the new netting that I deliver together with my etch parts.    So I did the wire frame, glued the netting onto it, brushed the paint onto the material and sticked it into place.     To get the length of the holding line I used a tooth pick and a cheap thread :-)   And then, the surprise, the new netting appears even thinner than the old material, an effect that I liked a lot.       And yes, that is why the old netting had to go. And in the box with the discarded parts we go :-)     XXXDAn   PS: And yes, the opportunity was taken to bring back the lantern onto the main top :-)

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.

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.
 

What a step by step process on the glassing. But what a beautiful finish. I can't wait to see the final result.
 
 
 
mike

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.
 

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.

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.
 

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.

Grant,
That looks VERY good! You mentioned SIntra as a sub deck, what did you use to bond the decking to the SIntra?
Sam

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

Thanks a lot for showing that, looks like it will be a good finish on your boat. Please keep us updated

That test piece looks fantastic. Thank you for showing us the process. I'll keep that at the back of my mind if I ever attempt a model like this. 

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.
 

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.
 

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.