Next big step has been accomplished... the Pygmy Pinguino 145 deck has been taped into place and epoxied together.
NOTE: The deck has NOT been epoxied to the hull yet... that step will come later on. In this step, the panels #5 and #6 have been epoxied together but panels #4 & #5 have NOT been epoxied together. The entire deck can still be removed from the hull. You will be doing a number of additional steps on the underside of the deck and on the inside of the hull, so the deck must be able to be removed!
Start by adding some tape over the edges of the hull at the ends. Put tape over the edges for about the first 8" or so at each end.
NOTE: In the picture below you can see that the two stern ends of the #5 panels are neatly lined up. What you can't see is the huge amount of pressure that the strapping tape is exerting on the two panels to twist them into place. You will need to use the tape's holding power to keep the panels in position. Don't be afraid to really pull at times.
NOTE: Also see the tape wrapping over the edges of the hull on the ends of the hull protecting the #4 panels from sticking to the deck. If you don't tape the top of the hull at the ends you run the risk of epoxying the deck down and that would be a disaster at this point. Use tape, or Mylar sheets, to keep the deck epoxy away from the hull!
Here's how it looked after taping for only 15 minutes. I started with the two #5 panels and taped them to the top sheer line on the #4 panels:
The manual says to start with the two #6 panels, but I've found that it's easier to get them all lined up well if you start with the #5 panels and perfectly line them up with the butt seams on the hull #4 panels. You can also easier tape the two ends at this point.
And below is how it looked after only an hour of taping. The entire deck is now taped together. Try that with the wires and holes! It will take you hours to align and drill the holes, sew it together, hope that you got them lined up just right, and so on... Even if you "stitch and glued" the hull, the deck is SUPER easy to tape! Don't use the wires!
In the picture below you can see that I used tape UNDER the front end of the two #6 panels to hold the ends up. They kept hanging down and this was able to keep them in perfect alignment with the #5 panels. No, you don't have to do this, but my point is that you have to be clever with how you use the tape and pins. Do whatever you need to do to get the panels to line up properly, and don't be afraid to use some muscle!
Yes, after the seam epoxy has cured, the tape can still be pulled out of the seams. Just cut one end flush and pull on the other end. It will take some muscle but it will come out. Then you go over those spots with additional epoxy. For the tape that went under the #6 panels, I waited to pull the tape out until after the deck was flipped over and I could cut it in the middle.
Note also that the front tape is really pulled down hard to keep the two #5 panels twisted into place.
Here you can see that the panels are all lined up neatly and are ready for the first run of epoxy down the seams.
The trick to getting the recessed aft deck panel to fit in is to HEAVILY bevel the aft underside of the recessed panel. See the picture below. It will then, with some determination, ...usually..., just snap into place. The forward bottom edge will sit on the ledge that you created when you glued the two top panels together. Don't bevel so much that you change the profile of the top of the panel, but really give it a good, sharp edge underneath. NOTE: ONLY bevel the AFT UNDERSIDE of the recessed panel, not the front or any other edge.
For now, you need to bevel the underside of the recessed panel far enough that only a sharp edge touches the aft #6 panels.
Once beveled, the aft recessed panel "should" snap into place if you've accurately placed the other panels.
Don't worry about the very small amount of wood that actually touches the aft #6 panels. Yes, you'll have a pretty obvious gap underneath, and for now it doesn't look too strong, but that open gap underneath will be filled with thickened epoxy and then two layers of fiberglass cloth. What the bevel gives you is a very clean, sharp seam that fits perfectly. If you don't bevel to a sharp edge it simply will not fit.
Here's how it looked after the first run of epoxy down the seams:
Here is how the intersection of the forward panels, recessed panel, and aft panels looks.
Here's the bow.
Next step: A second run of thickened epoxy down the seams, and then removing the deck from hull, turning it over, and reinforcing with fiberglass cloth.
Cheers!
NOTE: The deck has NOT been epoxied to the hull yet... that step will come later on. In this step, the panels #5 and #6 have been epoxied together but panels #4 & #5 have NOT been epoxied together. The entire deck can still be removed from the hull. You will be doing a number of additional steps on the underside of the deck and on the inside of the hull, so the deck must be able to be removed!
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Start by adding some tape over the edges of the hull at the ends. Put tape over the edges for about the first 8" or so at each end.
NOTE: In the picture below you can see that the two stern ends of the #5 panels are neatly lined up. What you can't see is the huge amount of pressure that the strapping tape is exerting on the two panels to twist them into place. You will need to use the tape's holding power to keep the panels in position. Don't be afraid to really pull at times.
NOTE: Also see the tape wrapping over the edges of the hull on the ends of the hull protecting the #4 panels from sticking to the deck. If you don't tape the top of the hull at the ends you run the risk of epoxying the deck down and that would be a disaster at this point. Use tape, or Mylar sheets, to keep the deck epoxy away from the hull!
Here's how it looked after taping for only 15 minutes. I started with the two #5 panels and taped them to the top sheer line on the #4 panels:
The manual says to start with the two #6 panels, but I've found that it's easier to get them all lined up well if you start with the #5 panels and perfectly line them up with the butt seams on the hull #4 panels. You can also easier tape the two ends at this point.
And below is how it looked after only an hour of taping. The entire deck is now taped together. Try that with the wires and holes! It will take you hours to align and drill the holes, sew it together, hope that you got them lined up just right, and so on... Even if you "stitch and glued" the hull, the deck is SUPER easy to tape! Don't use the wires!
In the picture below you can see that I used tape UNDER the front end of the two #6 panels to hold the ends up. They kept hanging down and this was able to keep them in perfect alignment with the #5 panels. No, you don't have to do this, but my point is that you have to be clever with how you use the tape and pins. Do whatever you need to do to get the panels to line up properly, and don't be afraid to use some muscle!
Yes, after the seam epoxy has cured, the tape can still be pulled out of the seams. Just cut one end flush and pull on the other end. It will take some muscle but it will come out. Then you go over those spots with additional epoxy. For the tape that went under the #6 panels, I waited to pull the tape out until after the deck was flipped over and I could cut it in the middle.
Note also that the front tape is really pulled down hard to keep the two #5 panels twisted into place.
Here you can see that the panels are all lined up neatly and are ready for the first run of epoxy down the seams.
The trick to getting the recessed aft deck panel to fit in is to HEAVILY bevel the aft underside of the recessed panel. See the picture below. It will then, with some determination, ...usually..., just snap into place. The forward bottom edge will sit on the ledge that you created when you glued the two top panels together. Don't bevel so much that you change the profile of the top of the panel, but really give it a good, sharp edge underneath. NOTE: ONLY bevel the AFT UNDERSIDE of the recessed panel, not the front or any other edge.
For now, you need to bevel the underside of the recessed panel far enough that only a sharp edge touches the aft #6 panels.
Once beveled, the aft recessed panel "should" snap into place if you've accurately placed the other panels.
Don't worry about the very small amount of wood that actually touches the aft #6 panels. Yes, you'll have a pretty obvious gap underneath, and for now it doesn't look too strong, but that open gap underneath will be filled with thickened epoxy and then two layers of fiberglass cloth. What the bevel gives you is a very clean, sharp seam that fits perfectly. If you don't bevel to a sharp edge it simply will not fit.
Here's how it looked after the first run of epoxy down the seams:
Here is how the intersection of the forward panels, recessed panel, and aft panels looks.
Here's the bow.
Next step: A second run of thickened epoxy down the seams, and then removing the deck from hull, turning it over, and reinforcing with fiberglass cloth.
Cheers!
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