Search This Blog

Friday, May 28, 2010

Gunnel Growth

Installment 37 of Mako 19 Restoration



We layered on another Quadraxial cloth over the gunwale/transom cutout. This cloth is great for quick buildup.

The previous application just covered the gap with an inch or two contact along the perimeter. This next cut extends much further forward 6 inches or more.








We wrapped it slightly over the transom.




Finished off with a little stay put mojo.

For the starboard quarter we covered this whole mess over.







2 layers of quadraxial roughly equates to 3 layers of 1708 biaxial cloth. No deflection on these corners at-all. A little touch-up work and we're now ready to build down the sides.


Piercing the nose

Installment 36 of Mako CC Restoration Blog




Previously, we fashioned and bonded in a new penske bow eye backing stem. It's cured rock hard and ready for some hardware. Our job this night among others, was putting a ring on the nose of this boat.

For jewelry, we grabbed a hefty oversized stainless 1/2" boweye. This beefed up version has much wider hole spacing. So to start, we drilled a pilot hole for spacing, then drilled again to size, through hull and penske backer. Penske is super high-density glass impregnated foam. We weren't sure if the penske would compress over time, loosening the backing nuts. To rule out this fear, we cut a rectangular G-10 backing plate for insurance. This is a critical anchor point when trailering, mooring, or heaven forbid receiving an assistance tow. For that reason, we shamelessly way overbuilt it for the long haul. Once Humpty boat is back together again, access to this spot is granted only with persuasion from a saw.


We dry fit everything first and ground down all high spots as needed.


A concoction of West epoxy and 407 thickener mixed to peanut butter consistency made great bedding.














Only trick - sticking it backwards over head without a disaster.

Phew!


With artist cap on, TJ prettied it up from the outside, prep work for when we eventually repaint this beast.





Presto! That should hold the Queen Mary.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Bridge the Gap

Installment 35 of Classic Mako Blog

We have a hole to fill. Well, ok, actually a bunch, but let's talk gunwales here. This pic shows the cut made to re-core transom. Three layers of cloth now cover that exposed core, but the gap on the rail is still there. Time to fix that.


We ground a wide bevel around the bonding area.





Might as well grind out this crushed fiberglass on the corner edge and glass that too.

We came up with this high tech mold for extending the splash rail shape ...

High tech cellophane wrap for mold release




Quadraxial cloth wet out with epoxy makes for quick bulk build-up.







All cured, we're satisfied with the rough shape of this first layer. Several more layers, each successively wider, will finish this repair.


Prepping for the Nose Ring

Installment 34 of Mako Reconstruction Project


We drew straws to crawl up under the bow and yank out the old boweye and backing block. I lost. How is it each and every boat has one incredibly uncomfortable spot like no other, and at some point you have to stuff yourself in it. This wood backing was in surprisingly good shape for 30 plus years abuse.

But continuing our modernizing theme, we're going to replace this wood with some rot resistance material.



We grabbed some scrap penske board left over from the transom job. Since the 3/4" thickness wouldn't cut it, TJ grabbed some 5 minute epoxy and bonded two strips together.



We then cut it to shape with a carpenters pull saw.



I buttered the area first with epoxy thickened with cabosil and 407 filler, then smeared more on the stem and set it home. I like the stick properties of 407 additive for holding stuff like this in place.

With a gloved hand I smooshed all the oozed epoxy into any voids around the perimeter and smoothed the backing surface. We'll add a load bearing backup such as G-10 to the face of this when the bow-eye is installed later.

Dressing up the Bilge

Installment 33 of Mako Project


Before we close up this bilge, a fresh coat of paint will pretty her up and add protection.


We grabbed some Interlux Bilgekote and painted the center span the length of the boat.

You may notice the setting of boat has changed also. With warm summer near, we've moved the old Mako into the unheated warehouse building where we can kick up dust with reckless abandon. Having the boat on two of these PWC dolly's is slick. Any time we need to slide her over, we just pull the boat stands and give a shove. The casters allow you to spin her in place or roll her across a parking lot. Much easier than pulling a trailer.


Bilgekote is easy, one part application you can spray, brush, roll or roller-tip. Since this is going over freshly laid fiberglass, we prepped with a quick sand to shake off the amine blush followed by a shopvac.

We rolled with a semi-smooth 3/8" nap roller and 3" chip brush. Directions say to roller tip bilgekote, but since our unfaired glass has a rough texture anyway, we just rolled it on assuring good coverage. She'll look pretty clean to anyone poking their head down the access hatch. Next we'll replace the stem and bow-eye while accessible.

Tying in Loose Ends

Installment 32 of Mako 19 restoration


Mako feels solid. She's got new stringers, new transom and several layers of new glass in the hull. Before we re-deck this old bird, we want to make sure everything below is shipshape.


Reinforce the chine



To transition that added stiffness from hull bottom to the sides, we reinforced the chine with fiberglass tape over the exposed sides.



We laid in 7-1/2" wide strips of quadraxial cloth the length of the hull from transom to bow.





This area will soon be inaccessible once the decks are re-installed.



This extra reinforcement spreads the stiffness to the sides and should quiet hull flex considerably.



Transom Wrap-up



We glassed one final skin inside the transom to prevent engine bolt creep and maximize stiffness. To recap, our new transom has two layers of 1708 laid on the inner face of the outside skin, two panels of 3/4" Penske core, equaling 1-1/2" total core thickness, then two more layers of the same 1708 biaxial cloth. One more final layer completes the laminate. We laid 24 oz cloth with Trevira backing cut for a generous wrap along sides and bottom.


The cut drapes over the top edge, and the bottom has a generous 8 plus inches overlay on the hull and stringers. This encapsulates those tie-in strips from the stringer installation.



We also wrapped the cut another foot along the sides for added beef.


All cured, it's a huge difference. Any hull deflection around the corners is nearly gone. Extra material on the corners compensates for the missing fish box corner structure left out. It also prevents the symptomatic stress cracks in the transom corners seen in most old boats.



The structural phase of the hull is complete. We're going to move our attention upwards to the gunwales and deck, once we've completed one last dressin-up. The sanding dust in these pictures is prep-work for our next phase- painting the bilge.