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novice Fillet questions Kaholo 14
I have tack welded my Kaholo 14 taken the wire out and I am ready to start filleting the joints.
I was not 100% successful removing the wire as my tack welds were a bit messy it doesn't seem to be too big a problem I am flush trimmed the ones that I could not remove.
Now to the filleting.
1st Do I have to Fillet all the seams in the same event. Obviously any epoxy I mix up will be wasted and I plan to mix in small batches but do I have to finish the whole job in one event or can I stop and start?
The stated purpose of the fillets is strength of the board, but based on what I have read on this forum when I am sanding the exterior of the hull may I end up exposing some of the fillets? And it seems in some cases people have used the same epoxy mix as fillets for filling imperfections on the outside of the hull as well.
Thanks in advance for the time and valuable input.
5 replies:
RE: novice Fillet questions Kaholo 14
Must I start filletting in thw bow? It feels like the hardest section to start on.
RE: novice Fillet questions Kaholo 14
Here's another vote for the filleting bags that CLC sells. Very reasonable and they hold together better than a ziplock w/ corner cut off. And I had a lot left over for my next build.
Even with the filleting bags to help, I wound up using a gloved finger and a small stick to get into some of the corners on my Kaholo like the bow.
The bow was the only place there was any significant gap to fill with the fillet material and even then it was only a few millimeters. There was a little light showing before filleting along the keel where the two forward bottom pieces joined but just a sliver. On my Skerry, there was considerable filling that I did at the bow with fillet material, partly due to my own errors. You'd never know it and I've worked my Skerry hard.
RE: novice Fillet questions Kaholo 14
» Submitted by Mark N - Tue, 7/6/21 » 8:48 AM
1. A few stuck wires are not a problem. Just trim/sand flush and they almost disappear.
2. You can do the fillets in multiple sessions. It is easiest if you make end a session at a bulkhead. Complete everythink forward of a bulkhead and nothing aft.
3. Unless you have gaps in the ply, none of the fillet material will be visible outside the boat.
4. If you have gaps/damage on the outside, you can use the same basic wood flour/epoxy mixture as a filler. You can vary the mixture adding some cab-o-cil to get a better color match but it will not be perfect. Small little seams etc will not be noticable but larger areas will be if covered bright.
5. Fillet tips:
a. Use the bags that CLC sells or cake decorating bags. Helps make small fillets and keeps weight down.
b. The wood flour/epoxy mixture gets a bit grainy. Adding a scoop of cab-o-cil while mixing will make it smooth and easier to spread without changing the color.
c. Not so important on the Kaholo because all the fillets will be hidden by the deck, but you can make the surface of a fillet really smooth by brushing lightly with un-thickened epoxy prior to the fillet hardening.