Plastic Classic Forum

I suggest that all areas that are designed to be underfoot should remain unfinished (bare) for traction. Never mind that it'll save you a whole lot of work, too.

A common mistake is to apply this paint too heavily. The characteristics that make this paint theoretically flow and level so well also work against the applicator who applies too heavy a coat: that very flow can, and does, lead to sags anywhere the paint application is too thick, during the period ...

One reason you often see paste filler/stain recommended for mahogany is because of mahogany's open grain. Without the filler, you'll simply need more coats of varnish before the varnish starts to build enough to fill the pores for the smoothest finish. Personally, I never liked the look of muddy red...

Basic wire size table

Sometimes leaving well enough alone is the best approach. This sounds like a solution in search of a problem, as least with the given information.

Your choices are bronze (normally silicone bronze alloy) and stainless, either 316 or 304 (18/8). I suggest using bronze where the looks matters most (bronze hardware installations, etc.) and 316 stainless elsewhere. Use the "lesser" 304 alloy as need be, though this is more prone to rust ...

Remember: there's a lot of ballast down there that really really wants to keep the boat upright, particularly with boats that have long, wide keels like yours. The center of gravity of your boat is very low to the ground. This makes it surprisingly resistant to tipping even with minimal support. I'm...

Tim, do you get a fair lead from chocks to the bitt?! Yes indeed. Of course, I can't lay my hands on a photo that shows the lead right at the moment, but I originally installed chocks and bitt in specific areas in order to ensure the line led properly. That said, I normally run some chafe gear on t...

Is weight a consideration? Unless you're on a serious weight-reduction plan, then absolutely not. (Within reason, obviously.) I have a mooring not a slip, is that a factor? I think it is. For moorings, one generally wants a larger, heavier-duty tie-off point for strength, security, and, most import...

Brush marks in the super-fine finishing primer are indicative of too little reducer, and/or application technique/materials. This primer should level extremely well when applied evenly and properly reduced. You can use far more reducer than the data sheets suggest. Use what you need to make the pain...

No, I meant that sanding out a drip or what have you through additional coats seems silly. If the drip is in the 1st coat, say, then to sand it out you'll need to sand through all the coats above it, if you continue to apply, and then all you've really done is wasted time and product. Major flaws ne...

You can apply as many multiple coats as possible in a day as long your application tools don't lift or otherwise adversely affect the previous coat. How soon this actually is depends greatly on atmospheric conditions, amount of reducer in the paint, and other factors. The solvents in the paint are s...

Here's a photo of the partially-dismantled biax as described above. I didn't want to disrupt the flow of "nice" pictures with one that was all business.

Bolt ropes on foots are a real pain. They make the sail hard to install, and tough to adjust the outhaul.

Consider a loose foot instead.

Fiberglass material with mat secured to the back, like the common stuff we mostly all use, holds it shape far better when wet out than the plain-backed version. Regular 45° biaxial and similar materials distort significantly and easily when wetted out, which isn't ideal for many reasons. With care, ...

My opinion is that it's convenient to have standard tapers, key sizes, etc. on your prop and shafting. It can be hard enough getting what you need sometimes even without the added hassle of non-standard (or at least unconventional) measurements. I'd not waste time with non-standard items myself, as ...

You'll know. If it's not ready, the paper will gum up.

Your boat may not fit into what we (i.e. other Triton owners who have made unsuccessful attempts to clear up confusion over years/hull numbers) think it should, but with clear title in a given year, and documentation to support it, I see no reason to worry about it. Frankly, no one can really put de...

I rolled and tipped the primer/high build coats on my boat, a Renegade that I painted completely. I did 4 coats of primer in one non-stop marathon day (app 16-18 hours) with no sanding between coats. Then sanded the entire boat in a marathon day the next day. It was the most brutal weekend of boat ...

*What grit(s) of sand paper for the highbuild between coats? I'd suggest 220 (definitely no finer). Since I have sprayed exclusively for the past 10 years, I don't have to sand between coats (sorry), so I'm no longer sure what's recommended, but I prep the substrate to 120 grit before high build, a...

*Is it realistic to prime the whole deck in one pass or should we break it up....deck,...... doghouse,......cockpit? Yes, it's realistic; not only that, you should consider your rounds of primer to be dry runs for the topcoat later on. You'll learn a lot about your deck and how it makes the most se...

Completion date.

The only thing I can say unequivocally about stove types is to run away from the old-fashioned pressurized alcohol stoves that you used to see in the 70s. Junk. Ever wonder why there might be so many for such "deals" on eBay? If you want simple, get one of the modern alcohol stoves (i.e. O...

Yes.

Don't worry, design engineers have done all the calculations for you. Pick the block that suits the situation (i.e. a cheek block for redirecting a line in the same plane) and the line size. Sounds like you've done that.

All this being said, your yard may be run by shysters who are looking to bilk every customer. So please take my comments only in the spirit in which they were intended, not as any means of defense of indefensible business practice. I don't know your yard.

Sometimes they come right out, in which case it hardly takes more than a few minutes to replace it. They should come right out, but usually they do not because of improper installation in the past. Sometimes some helpful person in the past epoxied the thing in place, which makes removal substantiall...

No: instead of just measuring the existing track itself when it's time to order, determine how long you need your Strong track to be to extend far enough, and use that measurement for your order (i.e. the length of your existing track plus whatever you need to extend the new track closer to the goos...

Would you make the crossing to the bahamas without the third reef on a 6.4 oz main? Yes, without a moment's thought. Buy the sail you need now. A "normal" sail will take you wherever you want to go now and in the future. Over-equipping for "maybe someday" is an affliction that o...

New pulpits usually have a little rubber grommet to (sort of) seal off and protect the hole through which the lighting wires pass. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a photo that illustrates this right now, but I've never done anything to supplement this little grommet as it seems to work as well a...

All these paints dry quickly, and in the end the flash time (and therefore wet edge, drip/sag potential, etc) is controlled by how much reducer you add more than any other factor. I had poor experiences with Awl-Quik in 2000 (the last time I used it) and don't see any advantage to it over anything e...

High-build primer of any sort isn't necessarily a requirement. I feel most old boats benefit from this additional step, but it's not required beneath any of these paint systems. Any high-build primer will necessarily be thicker and more challenging to apply smoothly, so factor that in against the po...

Well at $200 for the most basic Multimaster kit and $400 for the one intended for people fixing up boats, I'm still going to take a pass for now. I'm already spending plenty o' money on the boat right now, and I have plenty o' tools to do pretty much everything I'm doing on the boat - so far... I a...

I love mine and wouldn't have a new one built any other way, assuming I wanted ease of adjustability. I had my first new mainsail (2001) changed from a shelf foot to a loose foot after a couple seasons, and my newest main (2009) was built with a loose foot from the getgo. The ease of draft/fullness/...

Jeremy wrote: I am continually amazed at ... the extent of your files!

She's the J. Edgar Hoover of plastic classics. :<)

Some of the posts have mentioned applying epoxy before varnish. I assume that's supposed to water proof the wood. Is that really needed? I would think several coats of varnish would do the job unless the wood is under water continuously. Not only is it not needed, but in my opinion it's a potential...

Simple decisions on boats are nothing if not complicated.

Marshall Cat sells a brass (not bronze) version of that Perko teardrop, like these:

Note that I'm a big proponent of dodgers in general--I love mine, and wouldn't go without. I never fold it down or take it off during the season. It has an opening front panel for ventilation, and removable wings as well, so it's versatile, but it's always there. I don't mind this. I think a good do...

The first question that comes to my mind about the "hard top" dodgers with soft fronts/sides is what do you gain over a well-built regular dodger? Aesthetics aside, the supposed advantage of a hard dodger is that it's sturdy, permanent, and, well, hard. Taking away these features to includ...

Like Rachel suggested, David, hopefully what you're taking away from the sections you quoted above is that original structures tend to contain inaccuracies that will pop up from time to time, even if the basic installations are fairly accurate. The layout issue you reference seems to be the result o...

One reason varnish works is that it's a softer, flexible coating--based on natural resins--that moves with the wood.

Two-part finishes are urethane-based, are harder, and tend to be less forgiving to the natural movement of wood.

Thanks, everyone!

moose wrote: what do you think about raising the roof of the doghouse by 4" or so?

At the risk of being overly blunt: eeeeeew!

(how in the heck do you get your name in the quote field...?) [quote="Idon84"]This is what it looks like to install a quote that contains the user's name.[/quote] The result of the above code is this: This is what it looks like to install a quote that contains the user's name. Or, simply ...

(Looks more like a Hunter, but I'll let it slide!)

Thanks!

I think your question is way too wide open to even begin to answer intelligently. Actually, the only person who can answer the question intelligently is you, but you need to ask yourself these (and more) questions first: 1. What do you like? 2. What do you hate? 3. What's important to you in a boat ...

Remember also that masts are about the easiest bright-finished structures to maintain. Most finishes last a long time on the vertical spar, which doesn't receive the harsh direct rays of sunlight the way many deck structures do. One cannot discount this fact when discussing longevity of finishes. Cl...

Yes, my coamings are installed with external screws/finish washers so I can easily remove them. No problems with the curves or flexing (actually the coamings retain most of their curve when removed anyway).

Cetol or varnish? That's not even a choice. ;<) I'm a hardcore varnish traditionalist. I have used Petit/Z-Spar captain's varnish--as traditional an amber spar varnish as there is--for many years now. I love it--it's easy to apply and holds up well. Here in the 4-month-season northeast US, two maint...

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