Sheer Clamp

I bought mahogany batten for making the sheer clamps. A first attempt to strake it to the bulkheads failed. The stuff is to stiff. No chance! Therefore I decided to split the battens in order to make them more flexible.

Straking the split battens to the bulkheads was a quite easy task.
Additional advantage: after glueing both halfs together less tension is left into the sheer clamps.

 

Working time been invested: 546 hours

Coming Back To The Bulb Slabs

The bulb slabs have to be covered. That will be the next task. At first the warty surface are filled. The feedthroughs are temporary sealed with wine bottle cork.

 

Then the slabs are glass coated using the WEST-System vacuum bagging system.

Finally a layer epoxy with Cu₂O-filler against fouling. Ready!

Working time been invested: 522 hours

Turning Back To The Keel Foil

Variety is fun. Therefore I turn back to the keel foil. It is time to coat it by carbon fabric. I have chosen carbon instead of glass fabric because of the higher tensile strength. My keel foil is 350 mm longer than the original one designed by Dudley Dix. The higher bending moment requires stronger material.

Working time been invested: 495 hours

Casting Bulb Slabs

First step was making a casting model from wood. Then the casting mold has been molded from the model by plaster.

When the plaster mold is dry enough for casting the lead it is set into a bed of sand. The feedthroughs for the S/S rods are made by using short water pipe pieces made of galvanized steel. The pipe pieces are fastened with wood screws and flat washers to the plaster mold.

 
For casting the bulb slabs I installed a very simple lead melting furnace.

And here you see the result of my first attempt. Not that pretty but usable.
Will covered with a thick layer epoxy anyway.

Working time been invested: 459 hours

Inserting The Last Two Keel Bulb Rods

In order to insert the last two keel rods exact in parallel regarding the other four,  I prepared a gauge as shown.

Shaping the Keel Foil

Over the winter time I will concentrate on working at the keel foil and the lead bulb.
On the photos you see the keel foil hanging in my shed for finishing the profile.

Working time been invested: 430 hours

Skeleton Almost Finished

The temperatures are falling daily. It is almost to cold for working with epoxy resin. The last Action in the greenhouse this year is fixing the sheer cleats to the bulkheads. The sheer clamp must wait until next spring.

 

Working time been invested: 417 hours