An unusual fillet technique
I have yet another deviation on the chine-fillet, if you'll bear reading my
long-winded explanation. Chuck stated almost exactly the method I have used
on several fillet applications, one on the coaming of a hatch on a rear deck
of my last big boat. The area was not subject to many wracking strains, so
I figured I would not be in trouble, and it never was. I can attest to its
strength, and will be using it without worry on the fillets of my Bolger
Seahawk dory. Being partly a Scot, I just found wasting all that expensive
epoxy in a fillet a bit much. Fortunately epoxy sticks to polyester quite
well. The Bondo type filler sands very quickly too.
Along the same lines, I have experimented with running a broad band of about
6" wide plastic the length of a mocked up chine to be filleted, bridging the
chine with a hollow underneath. The plastic was temporarily taped along
it's edges. Then I used one of those small cans of foam made for filling
and insulating holes in houses. Just blew it in a small hole in the plastic
at close intervals, filling the cavity (fills fast as the foam expands).
Urethane foam, I think, can't remember, but perhaps the same chemical family
as that pourable two-part urethane foam we have all used for pour-in-place
flotation (that stuff reallly expands too!). After letting the foam sit for
a while to cure, I removed the plastic "former", then easily sanded the
resulting filliet into a pleasing radius. It would go really fast with a
sureform file that is shaped like the desired radius. I was able to put
epoxy and tape onto the inside and outside of the joint, creating a very
lightweight chine construction (and cheaper, too). Perhaps it could keep a
pound or two of weight out of the vessel, who knows?
The example chine I made up seemed quite strong, but of course the foam
would be less strong in compression than the bondo. It should be ok as long
as there is no moisture into it. One could skim the surface of the shaped
foam with a bit of bondo to fill the bubble holes, or a skim of thickened
epoxy if bondo at the foam. It would take very little filler, in any case.
I think it would work well for a small boat. I'll let the list know how it
works out on the dory. Better get the heck out to the barn and actually
WORK on that dory, now that I've shot my mouth off about it!
Alex Christie
Gabriola Island, BC
long-winded explanation. Chuck stated almost exactly the method I have used
on several fillet applications, one on the coaming of a hatch on a rear deck
of my last big boat. The area was not subject to many wracking strains, so
I figured I would not be in trouble, and it never was. I can attest to its
strength, and will be using it without worry on the fillets of my Bolger
Seahawk dory. Being partly a Scot, I just found wasting all that expensive
epoxy in a fillet a bit much. Fortunately epoxy sticks to polyester quite
well. The Bondo type filler sands very quickly too.
Along the same lines, I have experimented with running a broad band of about
6" wide plastic the length of a mocked up chine to be filleted, bridging the
chine with a hollow underneath. The plastic was temporarily taped along
it's edges. Then I used one of those small cans of foam made for filling
and insulating holes in houses. Just blew it in a small hole in the plastic
at close intervals, filling the cavity (fills fast as the foam expands).
Urethane foam, I think, can't remember, but perhaps the same chemical family
as that pourable two-part urethane foam we have all used for pour-in-place
flotation (that stuff reallly expands too!). After letting the foam sit for
a while to cure, I removed the plastic "former", then easily sanded the
resulting filliet into a pleasing radius. It would go really fast with a
sureform file that is shaped like the desired radius. I was able to put
epoxy and tape onto the inside and outside of the joint, creating a very
lightweight chine construction (and cheaper, too). Perhaps it could keep a
pound or two of weight out of the vessel, who knows?
The example chine I made up seemed quite strong, but of course the foam
would be less strong in compression than the bondo. It should be ok as long
as there is no moisture into it. One could skim the surface of the shaped
foam with a bit of bondo to fill the bubble holes, or a skim of thickened
epoxy if bondo at the foam. It would take very little filler, in any case.
I think it would work well for a small boat. I'll let the list know how it
works out on the dory. Better get the heck out to the barn and actually
WORK on that dory, now that I've shot my mouth off about it!
Alex Christie
Gabriola Island, BC