Sabalo build finally underway!

[OnkaBob]

My mind boggles at how tedious that will be.

Steve the filleting material is relatively brittle (compared to timber or glass/epoxy) so if you don't glass over the fillets there is a real danger of them poppoin loose when th boat flexes a little. If this happens then you will need to cut large pieces out of your boat to effect repairs. If you can imagine how tedious THAT will be then it will help keep what you are doing in perspective.

Also think of the years of use you will get from a strong well built boat.

Look like it's coming along really well - keep up the good work and don't forget to invite me to the launch so I can take photos.

[jem]

they need to be secured to the hull.

[goanywhere]

Thanks guys. Yes, I get it, don't be impatient, it's worth it in the end, think of your grand kids etc. etc.......

[ayjay]

Extremely tedious, but necessary. A dremel with a grinding drum on it comes in handy for cleaning up the fillets before putting the little patches of glass tape on, and then for going back over them to smooth out burs and bumps and such once the epoxy cures.

The inside needs a good coating of epoxy, because if water gets in, it may sit in there for some time if you forget to sponge it out.

[goanywhere]

Thanks Ajay.

I spent most of the afternoon filleting little gaps I had left in the sub-frame, re-coating the rest of the inside of the hull and filleting and taping the inside of the top panel. I should be finished taping and coating the inside stuff and be ready to glass the outside hull by next weekend.

I can't say it's a terribly neat job but it will be serviceable and as good as I can make it. I do have a few dremmel bits to help clean up the more messy fillets.

Just a note. I notice that when using the 'frosting bag' technique for filleting, I mix the material fairly stiff, but a few minutes in my hand and it goes very soft, and even drips all over the place if I don't watch it. I guess that's what heat does to epoxy. It does mean that filleting can be a bit messy, specially in tight little corners.

[makenmend]

I used to do my filleting toward the end of a day to set up overnite, but have since found if I do them earlier and catch the goopie as it kicks, gently running a wet finger over the fillets resuilts in nicly rounded smooth jiont that requires no sanding, you do have to catch it just right, but it works well for me.

MM

[jem]

I used to do my filleting toward the end of a day to set up overnite, but have since found if I do them earlier and catch the goopie as it kicks, gently running a wet finger over the fillets resuilts in nicly rounded smooth jiont that requires no sanding, you do have to catch it just right, but it works well for me.

MM

That's how I do it. I take it a step further and apply the fiberglass over the fillet while it's still pliable. Saves a lot of time and then there is no sanding step in between fillet cure and fiberglass application.

However, I only do this for about 10'-15' worth of seams at a time. Otherwise it's too much to manage with smoothing out the fiberglass in other places as well at the fillet area.

[goanywhere]

That's how I do it. I take it a step further and apply the fiberglass over the fillet while it's still pliable. Saves a lot of time and then there is no sanding step in between fillet cure and fiberglass application.

However, I only do this for about 10'-15' worth of seams at a time. Otherwise it's too much to manage with smoothing out the fiberglass in other places as well at the fillet area.

Yes, that's how I've been doing most of my fillets. The only ones I didn't do that with were the first ones, but I managed to get them fairly neat in the end.

I got most of the taping done on the sub frames last night. Actually it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I tilted the boat on it's side and it made getting to the little bits easier. I'm using Bote Cote, which is fantastic stuff, but it is quite thick, and in the cooler weather makes wetting out tiny bits of tape almost impossible. So I thinned the epoxy down a bit with acetone, and it made wetting out the tape so much easier.

The only thing was that many of my fillets down there were quite messy, so I had to try to tidy them up a bit by sanding with a dremmel bit. It was only partially successful, but the seams look ok this morning, the thinner epoxy helped the tape to conform to the little imperfections much easier. At least it's getting done.

[goanywhere]

I did a trial setup of the CP, TW and decks just to see how things will line up, and everything is spot on, except the foredeck. The hull is splayed a bit and will need to be drawn in to line up with the edges of the deck. What is the best way to do that? I am thinking straps. Any other suggestions?

As for the sheer clamp setup, this is what I have in mind. This would allow me to strap everything up and fill from the outside, whereas if I just made it all flat I would have to apply glue then try to clamp the deck into place with glue oozing everywhere, which has me thinking 'big mess'.



I would apply a little glue to the top of the sheer clamp also, but only a little to prevent blobs of glue oozing out into the inside.

[jem]

How off is the hull from the deck?

Straps can get the job done if it's not too bad.