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I've been working on a Petrel for almost a year now and have the deck and hull joined. Last weekend I did the end pours. 6 oz epoxy with microballons in each end. Prop the boat vertical with the end in a bucket of cold water to keep it from overheating. One end in the morning and the other in the evening. When i laid the boat back down I realized there was water! inside the boat. I spoke with Joey and he said that sometimes water can get drawn in through minor gaps in the end of the boat. Wierd! I then drilled the holes for the carry toggles and in the stern water rushed out and there was a big voids in both end pours. I dried it out, taped one side of each hole and am now in the process of filling the voids.
Lesson learned..Smaller end pours or do them in stages so they don't get hot. Or, put a plastic bag over the end of the boat before dunking it in the water.
Comments?
Dan
8 replies:
RE: End pour fun
Geez, you guys scare me sometimes :-)
Dan, try skipping the endpour and using lightweight wooden endpieces bedded in epoxy putty instead.
Hokey, how about birdshot mixed with epoxy for a cold cast?
Stay safe,
Laszlo
RE: End pour fun
Laszlo,
I wanted to buy your lead melting pot but I might re-think the lead castings! Birdshot and epoxy sounds pretty good right now. Haven't completely changed my mind, I'll keep you informed.
George K
RE: End pour fun
Laszlo,
Maybe next time. Right now I'm filling a 'ole. (where the rain gets in, etc)
Dan
RE: End pour fun
Laszlo,
I was reading through this thread quickly. Then got to your sentence about mixing birdshot with epoxy. Unfortunately, my feeble brain registered the two vowels in birdshot as 'i's. A few moments later my wife walked in to see why I was laughing so hard. When I cleared the tears from my eyes I realized what I had done. Still chuckling though. Thanks for the stimulus!
RE: End pour fun
Yes, we did use small lead shot for keel pours, like #15 or #12, but since "lead" is a no-no now it is hard to find and expensive. And of course there was the "racing" part with these R/C sailboats (visit AMYA website) and lead shot/epoxy wasn't as dense as solid lead. Every itty-bit counted for a race advantage, but my kit instructions were for lead shot/epoxy pour with warnings about a hot pour. Liability, ya know.
As for end pours in small boats, I avoid them and use shaped wedges of western red cedar - scraps left over from various WRC parts assembly like strip glued rudders.
RE: End pour fun
ootdb,
I'm just glad that it was just in your head and not actually on the webpage. The "o" and "i" being right next to each other on the keyboard, along with the fact that CLC does not allow editing of the message once it's posted, makes it far more possible than I'd like.
Hokey,
I bought 100 lbs of reclaimed #9 lead shot off the internet last year for my schooner keel at $1.76/lb. It's available in as little as 25 lb bags, though then you'll have to pay shipping charges.
George,
For something the size of your build the density difference between lead and lead & epoxy will be noticeable. But I've heard that sailing upside down can be pleasant and enjoyable.
Laszlo
RE: End pour fun
I would much rather sail upright. Consider it sold! Still got those old batteries?
George K
RE: End pour fun
» Submitted by hokeyhydro - Wed, 11/28/12 » 7:16 AM
Back when I was building/racing R/C model yachts we would pour lead keels in a foiberglass hull with the hull immersed in water to cool the skin and keep the thin gel coat from cracking. One tiny drop of water and the hot lead would make water go instant steam, as in an explosion. Very exciting - had bits of lead embedded in the garage ceiling.
We would tape the seam - two piece hull joined on centerline - and then after a couple leak caused YIKES! drills, tape them again.