Re: Making the boat light

Posted by FrankP on Jul 21, 2004

If you want to really save weight, don't do the endpours. Instead, just shape a couple of cedar blocks and glue them into the bow and stern with a thin layer of epoxy goop. But if you want the endpours and have the microballoons, use them there instead of in the fillets. Also don't make the endpours very big. They are there almost exclusively to provide a solid purchase for a grab loop. If you make a 3-4" (from the tip) endpour, that should give you enough material to drill a toggle type handle and still keep the weight down a bit. Make your fillets with both wood flour and microballoons to maintain high strength but lower the weight a bit.

Other ways to save weight I've seen mentioned here a lot are to use 2" tape instead of 3" on the fillets, don't overlap the deck glass the recommended 1-2", use a squeegee for epoxy instead of brush or roller (this works really well-easiest most "bang for your buck" method) and don't oversize the fillets. My fillets are barely 1/2" wide and so far seem to be plenty strong enough backed by the tape. Other suggestions are to remove the deckbeam (center) once the deck is glued and glassed (this is what I'm doing), trim the sheer clamps to a smaller size, maybe 1/2" by 1/2" instead of 3/4" by 3/4". I don't know how much, but a nail and screwless construction must save a little weight, perhaps a pound or two.

When it comes to weight, every little bit helps.

FrankP

Growing old is inevitible, growing up is optional. Live well, play hard.

In Response to: Making the boat lighter by Homer on Jul 21, 2004

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