Re: AF4 Progress
Chuck,
I can probably have it done in time, but unfortunately I'm not going
to make it this year. It turns out that we are going have to go to
San Angelo and Austin,TX at that time for my wife to do some shows
for her business and to see family. The only good thing is that I'm
going to be bringing back a Starfish sailboat with me. A Starfish is
a little boat that was built by a guy in San Angelo who very
obviously splashed a mold off of a Sunfish. It will be nice to have a
sailboat again. I've really missed having one ever since I gave my
Windsprint away last year.
All that remains to be done on the AF4 is:
- install decks and slot top coamings
- attach motor board
- install slop well deck
- fiberglass bottom
- install skids on bottom
- fill and sand all dings and holes
- prime and paint hull, interior, and varnish brightwork.
To protect the MDO, I'm thinking of using Interlux 206 sealant under
the primer coats. If you are not familiar with it, 206 is a thin,
resinous sealer that works well under paint and varnish. It is really
good for sealing end grain. It is also a lot easier to use than epoxy
for that purpose. I wonder, though if there is not a non-marine home
center substitute that will work just as well?
JB
I can probably have it done in time, but unfortunately I'm not going
to make it this year. It turns out that we are going have to go to
San Angelo and Austin,TX at that time for my wife to do some shows
for her business and to see family. The only good thing is that I'm
going to be bringing back a Starfish sailboat with me. A Starfish is
a little boat that was built by a guy in San Angelo who very
obviously splashed a mold off of a Sunfish. It will be nice to have a
sailboat again. I've really missed having one ever since I gave my
Windsprint away last year.
All that remains to be done on the AF4 is:
- install decks and slot top coamings
- attach motor board
- install slop well deck
- fiberglass bottom
- install skids on bottom
- fill and sand all dings and holes
- prime and paint hull, interior, and varnish brightwork.
To protect the MDO, I'm thinking of using Interlux 206 sealant under
the primer coats. If you are not familiar with it, 206 is a thin,
resinous sealer that works well under paint and varnish. It is really
good for sealing end grain. It is also a lot easier to use than epoxy
for that purpose. I wonder, though if there is not a non-marine home
center substitute that will work just as well?
JB
--- In bolger@y..., "Chuck Leinweber" <chuck@d...> wrote:
> John:
>
> I was dubious when you said you would have your AF4 ready for Rend
Lake, but
> it sounds like you might make it. Keep up the good work.
>
> Chuck
>
> >
> > It's been a good week for building. My boat is at the a fun
stage, the one
> > where you don't really need to consult the plans, you just build
> > what needs
> > built.
> >
> > The bottom is on and all the longitudinal bits are attached. This
weekend
> > was the first real departure from the plans (if you don't count
the
> > scantlings, mine is heavier) an built in cockpit seating. Jim
> > Michalak is a
> > pretty good designer, but he tends a little more to minimalist
> > side than my
> > family is comfortable with. He usually uses a folding metal chair,
> > ubiquitous in church fellowship halls or one of those white
> > plastic Wal-Mart
> > garden center seats. We'd like something more permanent that
allows
> > sprawling about the cockpit with ease. Something that won't blow
out while
> > blasting down the highway is also a good idea. Against his
advice, I put
> > bench seating down each side of the cockpit.
> >
> > I was most worried about the ergonomics. I would not do to have
> > the benches
> > be wrong. What was arrived at after some trial an error was seats
15" deep
> > and 14" off the cockpit sole. This gives a pretty good compromise
> > of sitting
> > and sprawling space without adversely affecting the walkabout
space in the
> > center of the cockpit. The height is good too, with just the
> > right amount of
> > back support and foot room under the opposite seat.
> >
> > The only downside of the seats was that they were the hardest bit
of
> > carpentry in the whole boat so far. Getting them scribed and
fitted to the
> > curve of the sides and around a butt block and the blocking on
the aft
> > bulkhead was really fiddly. Designing and making the supporting
structure
> > was a lot of fun though. For once I felt like a real boatbuilder
> > instead of
> > a box maker!
> >
> > I'll get some pictures up when I can steal a digital camera from
> > the office
> > one day later this week.
> >
> > Best,
> >
> > John Bell
> > Kennesaw, GA
> >http://jmbell.home.mindspring.com
> > mailto:jmbell@m...
> >
> >
> >
> >
John:
I was dubious when you said you would have your AF4 ready for Rend Lake, but
it sounds like you might make it. Keep up the good work.
Chuck
I was dubious when you said you would have your AF4 ready for Rend Lake, but
it sounds like you might make it. Keep up the good work.
Chuck
>
> It's been a good week for building. My boat is at the a fun stage, the one
> where you don't really need to consult the plans, you just build
> what needs
> built.
>
> The bottom is on and all the longitudinal bits are attached. This weekend
> was the first real departure from the plans (if you don't count the
> scantlings, mine is heavier) an built in cockpit seating. Jim
> Michalak is a
> pretty good designer, but he tends a little more to minimalist
> side than my
> family is comfortable with. He usually uses a folding metal chair,
> ubiquitous in church fellowship halls or one of those white
> plastic Wal-Mart
> garden center seats. We'd like something more permanent that allows
> sprawling about the cockpit with ease. Something that won't blow out while
> blasting down the highway is also a good idea. Against his advice, I put
> bench seating down each side of the cockpit.
>
> I was most worried about the ergonomics. I would not do to have
> the benches
> be wrong. What was arrived at after some trial an error was seats 15" deep
> and 14" off the cockpit sole. This gives a pretty good compromise
> of sitting
> and sprawling space without adversely affecting the walkabout space in the
> center of the cockpit. The height is good too, with just the
> right amount of
> back support and foot room under the opposite seat.
>
> The only downside of the seats was that they were the hardest bit of
> carpentry in the whole boat so far. Getting them scribed and fitted to the
> curve of the sides and around a butt block and the blocking on the aft
> bulkhead was really fiddly. Designing and making the supporting structure
> was a lot of fun though. For once I felt like a real boatbuilder
> instead of
> a box maker!
>
> I'll get some pictures up when I can steal a digital camera from
> the office
> one day later this week.
>
> Best,
>
> John Bell
> Kennesaw, GA
>http://jmbell.home.mindspring.com
> mailto:jmbell@...
>
>
>
>
It's been a good week for building. My boat is at the a fun stage, the one
where you don't really need to consult the plans, you just build what needs
built.
The bottom is on and all the longitudinal bits are attached. This weekend
was the first real departure from the plans (if you don't count the
scantlings, mine is heavier) an built in cockpit seating. Jim Michalak is a
pretty good designer, but he tends a little more to minimalist side than my
family is comfortable with. He usually uses a folding metal chair,
ubiquitous in church fellowship halls or one of those white plastic Wal-Mart
garden center seats. We'd like something more permanent that allows
sprawling about the cockpit with ease. Something that won't blow out while
blasting down the highway is also a good idea. Against his advice, I put
bench seating down each side of the cockpit.
I was most worried about the ergonomics. I would not do to have the benches
be wrong. What was arrived at after some trial an error was seats 15" deep
and 14" off the cockpit sole. This gives a pretty good compromise of sitting
and sprawling space without adversely affecting the walkabout space in the
center of the cockpit. The height is good too, with just the right amount of
back support and foot room under the opposite seat.
The only downside of the seats was that they were the hardest bit of
carpentry in the whole boat so far. Getting them scribed and fitted to the
curve of the sides and around a butt block and the blocking on the aft
bulkhead was really fiddly. Designing and making the supporting structure
was a lot of fun though. For once I felt like a real boatbuilder instead of
a box maker!
I'll get some pictures up when I can steal a digital camera from the office
one day later this week.
Best,
John Bell
Kennesaw, GA
http://jmbell.home.mindspring.com
mailto:jmbell@...
where you don't really need to consult the plans, you just build what needs
built.
The bottom is on and all the longitudinal bits are attached. This weekend
was the first real departure from the plans (if you don't count the
scantlings, mine is heavier) an built in cockpit seating. Jim Michalak is a
pretty good designer, but he tends a little more to minimalist side than my
family is comfortable with. He usually uses a folding metal chair,
ubiquitous in church fellowship halls or one of those white plastic Wal-Mart
garden center seats. We'd like something more permanent that allows
sprawling about the cockpit with ease. Something that won't blow out while
blasting down the highway is also a good idea. Against his advice, I put
bench seating down each side of the cockpit.
I was most worried about the ergonomics. I would not do to have the benches
be wrong. What was arrived at after some trial an error was seats 15" deep
and 14" off the cockpit sole. This gives a pretty good compromise of sitting
and sprawling space without adversely affecting the walkabout space in the
center of the cockpit. The height is good too, with just the right amount of
back support and foot room under the opposite seat.
The only downside of the seats was that they were the hardest bit of
carpentry in the whole boat so far. Getting them scribed and fitted to the
curve of the sides and around a butt block and the blocking on the aft
bulkhead was really fiddly. Designing and making the supporting structure
was a lot of fun though. For once I felt like a real boatbuilder instead of
a box maker!
I'll get some pictures up when I can steal a digital camera from the office
one day later this week.
Best,
John Bell
Kennesaw, GA
http://jmbell.home.mindspring.com
mailto:jmbell@...