Plastic Classic Forum

bigd14

He should pay you!

bigd14

Wow, that's a nice look! Very sharp. Amazing what a coat of paint will do. Keep up the good work!

bigd14

You should be able to use a sharp utility knife (assuming its end grain balsa).

Doug

bigd14

I used a cordless impact driver to remove all the corroded hardware on mast and boom. I don't think I could have done without it. Best tool ever. Never once broke a screw removing them (but did once installing!).

bigd14

Can you just use one of those close fitting plastic boxes that fits in your battery tray? It should trap incidental spills pretty well. I don't know what size batteries you are going to use, but I found a great box at the chandlery for 2 6v trojan batteries.

Doug

bigd14

Looking good! It always sounds so easy, doesn't it? I'll just swap this engine out...

bigd14

I went with swages on top and Hayn Hi-Mods on the bottom since I changed the chainplates around and the lengths changed too. So far so good but not much stress on the rigging as of yet. They were very easy to install.

Doug

bigd14

Lousy place for a switch too I guess. I that case, my vote is for a mood light!

http://www.yachtlights.com/item--SpotLE ... ye--343980

bigd14

I'm having trouble envisioning exactly where this is, but how about a gauge of some kind? There must be a gauge with a similar diameter.

bigd14

Well, I work clean! (says I, rubbing the bald spot where I had to cut away the hair from the last time some epoxy got stuck in it) I learned the hard way that this stuff is incredibly messy, so I tried to minimize the amount spread around. Also, the photos are lo res shot with my cell phone. My came...

bigd14

I used the goop the local chandlery recommended. Form a gasket number 2 I think. Hopefully that's the right stuff...

bigd14

Finally finished this project up. Here are a couple photos of the final product. No more 3 gallon plastic tank banging around the cockpit! Now I have to wait until spring to fuel it up and hope no leaks appear at the fittings. I am going to manufacture some kind of baffle to prevent damage to the fi...

bigd14

The key to success in my opinion is to keep the end goal in mind and make a little progress each week. Be prepared to have major setbacks at times. Be prepared to make costly mistakes. Be prepared to learn more than you ever thought you could. Live for the important milestones. And never ever track ...

bigd14

Too funny. I was just wondering why my knee hurts and where the big bruise on my shoulder could have come from. Then I remembered that I spent much of Saturday tying myself in knots in the lazarette working on the new fuel tank. I also made the mistake of adding some non skid tape to the edge of the...

bigd14

Hey mitiempo- What is not shown in the photos are the slats I epoxied on the platform so that there is a lot of airspace under the tank. I am also in a freshwater environment. Hopefully that will be enough to keep the tank healthy for a long time.

Thanks!

Doug

bigd14

Since the last posting I bought a used tank, which turned out to be junk, then purchased a new tank. I spent a lot of time fighting with the tank installation. This was the result of poor planning on my part. I put the stringers on the hull a long time ago, and of course the anchor points for the ne...

bigd14

Yes, dates are meaningless in this business! Although our mutual acquaintance Miguel always says he's launching "On Friday!"

I'll stop in sometime and see how you're doing.

Doug

bigd14

Fwiw I had good success tapping into an inch of g10 for a seacock backing plate. I did an unscientific pull test and it seemed very robust. But I think the traditional method is best.

When is launch date? :-)

bigd14

Started work this week on the internal fuel tank. Some time ago in anticipation of this effort, I glassed some mahogany supports to the hull where the old flimsy plywood ones had been: http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/049.jpg I made up a plywood shelf and covered it with a layer of ...

bigd14

Well, since it seems we went directly from summer to winter here (after a short summer at that), I am back in project mode. Here is a list of stuff I will be working on. 1. Install permanent fuel tank below. Currently I am using a little 3 gallon tank that's sliding around the cockpit. Aside from be...

bigd14

I noticed about halfway through my rebuild project that some of my thickened epoxy was very brittle. I got some ominous cracking noises on my foredeck as the thickened epoxy that I shoved under the edges of the recore splintered! Luckily it has subsided to only an occasional crackle with no noticeab...

bigd14

You are smart to heed the temperature advice for Primekot. I had major problems with temperature and paint (not Primekote, though) by trying to push my painting efforts too far into fall. I would be inclined to wait to do any painting. If you are going to be doing a lot of work between the time you ...

bigd14

+1 for Garhauer. That stuff is bomb proof, very smooth and much less exensive than comparable items from other brands. I replaced every block on the boat with Garhauer and didn't (quite) break the bank.

bigd14

Great progress! That must be gratifying getting the engine back in place. I am NOT complaining, but we have had rain, and clouds, and rain and clouds and rain, etc. This has prevented much daytime heating and turned off our nice summertime north winds here. So unfortunately not much enjoyable sailin...

bigd14

After 1030 days in the yard, lots of dust, many $$ and a ton of learning we finally reached the end of the line this weekend! A HUGE thank you to all of the Plastic Classic Forum denizens for your advice, support and comments. I literally could not have done it without you! Truly an amazing resource...

bigd14

You might look into a composting toilet. I have no practical experience with them but I like the idea of no holding tank and no thru hulls. You do have to put a vent pipe through the deck, which I am not entirely happy about, but I am going to get one next spring, since I don't like the porta potty ...

bigd14

Well, I do appreciate people voicing potential concerns about any aspect of this project. Having this much time, energy and $$ invested in it, I want to address all possible issues! I will check the repair plate and screws carefully at the next haulout and if there is any evidence of stress or screw...

bigd14

Hi JoeC- Not cold water, I welcome all thoughts and opinions! For the mast repair job, I spent months researching repair methods and sought the advice of two professionals as well as other non-professionals who had done similar work. Buzz Ballenger of Ballenger Spars in CA made the repair plates and...

bigd14

Hey Mark- Thanks! Yep I am going to leave the rubrail off. If I had another year or so, I would have ground it down and glassed over it. But I had to draw the line somewhere on sanding and grinding! I am really happy with how the galley mod turned out. I gained a ton of counter space and it makes a ...

bigd14

This little wooden beauty showed up in the yard this week. Any idea what she is?

bigd14

More progress. Things are getting very close! Interior is mostly back together: http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/001-3.jpg Original cushions. A bit tired, but will do for now. http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/008-3.jpg The new head door built over the winter http://...

bigd14

I had a terrible experience with bubbles. Only solved by working in the evening when the sun was off the boat and temps cooling. what i should have done is put another sealer coat of epoxy on, then sanded it flat and applied the fiberglass. Next boat... I built a stitch and glue sea kayak some years...

bigd14

Wow, great advice here, guys, thanks! The boat and mast are on the hard. And the entire mast is supposed to be raked aft (not a fractional rig, so no prebend). After reading these posts and from posters on other boards, I am realizing that there is a lot of practical experience that should be applie...

bigd14

I recently ordered all my standing rigging from http://www.riggingonly.com with swaged uppers and Hayn Hi-Mod mechanical lowers. I am going to install this myself (with help from my neighbor and of course from the yard with lifting the mast into place). Before I talk to the yard, I want to have a pl...

bigd14

Gorgeous! We are our own worst critics, I think. Looks great to me!

Doug

bigd14

I know this is a really old thread, but I was searching the site to see if I could find a solution for this dilemna and thought I would dredge it up. Looks like the vang got ripped out of the boom. Originally #10 sheet metal screws were used. I was going to drill and tap the boom to 1/4 inch, but th...

bigd14

And some more progress this weekend! After a spring where the temperature rarely got out of the 50's it hit 92 today. Kind of a shock to the system since last week I was working in fleece and a raincoat! Shelter coming down http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/boat010.jpg New primary wi...

bigd14

Here is the latest progress: Wiring in the mast- I did the zip tie spider trick every couple feet. http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/boat001-1.jpg Lower shroud tangs http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/boat002-1.jpg Upper shroud tangs and masthead http://i764.photobucke...

bigd14

Mark is correct! I have been working on the boat after a couple weeks off due to a bad reaction to some medication I was taking, Ugh. Billy, yes Mark is right, it was Ballengers. They made a really quality product for me. Bob- Mitiempo is correct, that is the DC main panel switch. That way the panel...

bigd14

Yep I rounded the corners with a small round file but only on the mast not the repair plates. The repair plates are very thick and I wanted a snug fit so I decided to leave them square. But thanks for bringing it up, that's something I would want to address.
Doug

bigd14

We spent most of the weekend working on the spreaders and repair plates. Quite a finicky process to get it all to fit correctly. The spreader bar is still a tiny bit loose in the mast, I just could not get it to tighten up fully. Guess we'll have to live with it. We also applied the last round of ba...

bigd14

Oh no, I feel your pain! I had a similar situation with a different brand of paint and had to sand it all off and start over. Not fun at all. Hang in there.

Doug

bigd14

Hey Mark- Hoping to launch in the next couple months! Lots of mast work and then paint the bottom and it'll be ready to launch. Lots of additional work after that, but it will wait until next winter.

Doug

bigd14

I had a similar issue. I took the tiller cap and rudder to a machine shop. They welded the holes in the rudder post, then milled it round (it was SS pipe, a notoriously non-round material). Then they milled the rudder cap and pressed a sleeve inside it that was a tight fit to the rudder post. Then r...

bigd14

I also started work on the mast. I had a rigger survey the mast and associated systems. Turns out my pin sizing on all chainplates and mast tangs was too small and the forestay and upper shrouds were too small as well. Standing rigging will be 3/16 wire for backstay and lower shrouds and 7/32 for th...

bigd14

I finally found my camera! I have spent the last month mostly finishing up the interior. Almost all the woodwork is back in, the electrical system is complete, and the water system is installed except for the vent line. Galley area woodwork http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx286/Big_D_14/Boat002.j...

bigd14

Its alway the labor that gets you- the leather UN-installation fee!

Hopefully the dog was the wiser for the experience...

bigd14

Apparently I was too busy reading the manual to notice the markings on the charger indicating where the positive leads should go...For some stupid reason I did not notice them even when fiddling around staring right at them.

bigd14

Much ado about nothing re the batttery charger. Apparently the model I have is suitable for two battery banks, but it has outputs for three banks. I had simply wired one battery to a post that was not providing a charge. Doh!

bigd14

I just noticed that my mast base plate is slightly out of alignment by a few degrees (deck stepped). I assume this is factory because the original screw holes are the only ones present. Of course nothing on the boat is exactly lined up, based on some simple string measurements, but this seems like i...

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