Bonding in the forward floor bearers on a bed of thickened epoxy.

Now that the forward matrix of floor bearers is shaped and fitted to the bottom of the hull it is now set on a bed of thickened epoxy before it is fibreglassed into position.

Now that this section of the floor bearers is set position the rest of the floor bearers and the engine beds will be set off from these floor bearers

Once the thickened epoxy as cured then the floor bearers will be glassed into place, then it is the turn of the engine bedsto be made and set on a bed of thickened epoxy and then in turn glassed into position 

 

Sometimes we get asked to make up gelcoat panels to fill up holes that where old instruments have been and no longer need to be there

So we start off release waxing a sheet of Perspex which is a little bit over size for the hole we need to fill in. 

The first job is to coat the panel with two coats of the required colour gelcoat and then lay up the panel with 6 layers of 600 g CSM and the let it cure off and then repeat the process again until we have enough panels to do the job in hand.

Sometime we get the  old moulding and after repairing and polishing the original moulding we will take a plug off the and then mould new mouldings. At least we can make new moulding for owners of boat where the original moulding are no longer available from the original builders.  

 

First part of the new inner keel and the forward floor bearers getting rerady to be glassed into position

The forward part of the inner keel dry fitted and ready to be bedded down on a bed of thickened epoxy and then glassed into position

Now that the inner keel is dry fitted to the bottom of the hull, so it is ready to get bedded down on thickened epoxy  and the glassed over and then the floor bearers will be glassed into position to strengthen before the next stage is started. The engine beds to be made and fitted.

 

Starting work on the centre line of the picnic boat

After cleaning out the old filler out of the centreboard slot and degreasing the area it was time to fill the old centreboard slot with epoxy resin and micro balloons filler.

Once it as cured off then the whole area will get a further sanding back and the area will have 3 layers of 600g's of CSM to strengthen up the area.

 

Setting up the engine bed matrix out of thin plywood to take measurement for the permanent engine bed matrix

Having made a thin plywood pattern of the permanent engine bed matrix it is time to get it in the correct position  

The aft section is going to have a cut out to let the propeller shaft run through however the rest will be at the same height as the rest of matrix