Re-inventing a great CAT - Page 3 - The Hull Truth

Bluefishing · 11-12-2009, 01:50 AM

What are the welded steel tubes for?

ali'i kai · 11-12-2009, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluefishing

What are the welded steel tubes for?

They are to form a cradle network to support the mold. Then extensions (legs) can be welded in place so it will be up off the floor once flipped. Also, wheels can be installed allowing it to be rolled on it's own.

boatmedic · 11-12-2009, 07:30 PM

pics from the pull and a shot of the console plug.

fireboat · 12-09-2009, 09:00 PM

Hey boatmedic, just wondering how's the boat coming along? Have you popped a hull and deck yet?

tortuga · 12-10-2009, 05:36 AM

Dan and his wife had a baby over the weekend. I am sure he will chime in between diaper changes.

boatmedic · 12-14-2009, 10:26 AM

yep, sleepless nights and plenty of diaper changes. my new baby girl, Reese, told me "no boat shop for a couple weeks, daddy!" even though i am enjoying my time off at home, i have to get back to work soon.

thanks for the inquiry, FireBoat. the deck mold, console mold, and fishbox mold are all complete. all i have to do is build the parts. my buddy, Alan, is going to pipe my console mold for me so that should be back in a couple weeks. and i have some prep i have to do to the deck mold, like wet sand and buff, and that will be ready for lamination. i will definitely post some pics as soon as i can.

boatmedic · 12-14-2009, 02:14 PM

here is the console mold and half of the stringer molds. this particular plug will produce a grid for both sponsons, forward of the fuel tank. as soon as i pull the fiberglass stringer part, i can cut it to fit the boat, then place it back on the plug and trim the plug. that way i won't need to trim every single part.

prockvoan · 12-17-2009, 01:32 AM

What tooling gelcoat and glass lay up are you using for all your molds? Suppler?

boatmedic · 12-17-2009, 09:22 AM

I get all my materials from Fiberglass Services, in Sarasota. They deliver right to my shop usually the day i order, so it's super-convenient. www.fiberglassservices.com check em out they got everything!

My layup on my deck mold consisted of 7 layers of 1and1/2 oz. chopped strand mat, 1/2" balsa core bonded with arjay bonding puddy, then covered the entire thing with another layer of 1and1/2 oz. chopped strand and a layer of 1708.
My console mold consists of 9 layers of 1and1/2 oz. chopped strand mat with some extra reinforcement on the flange.
I use GP200 polyester resin. I've used ISO resin and it's very sticky, and of course Vinyl Ester is so expensive. I may consider using Vinyl Ester for skin coats in the future.
Everything i lay up at this point is hand-laid in order to calculate material use. I will probably hand-lay the first deck and console to get a better idea of 'my cost' per part.

prockvoan · 12-19-2009, 02:01 AM

Thanks. I am thinking of building a mold for a pirogue boat that I build. Been looking around at some of the fiberglass pirogues that is being built now. All that I had came across I didn't even like and were very thin and cheap built. Price for what everybody is asking is unreel too! My thinking too about hand lay up to get an idea of how much money would go into a build.

On your molds,did you install any place to were you can put air in to help pop a shell out?

Any plans for vacuum bagging? What I had seen is that it saves alot of resin and time/moneys.

Oh,congrads on the new baby!

boatmedic · 01-18-2010, 08:08 PM

Here is the completed console mold on a 'rotisserie'. Alan basically made an engine stand with a 4" inside diam. pipe on top, then welded a cradle for the console and put a 4" outside diam. pipe on top, so it's slides right in and rotates with ease. I started laying one up last week and it's so nice being able to spin to every side. There is also a shot of the 6' long fishbox layed up and sitting on it's mold. You can see i cored the bottom with 3/4" corecell and the sides with 3 mil coremat.

tortuga · 01-19-2010, 06:03 AM

Are you going to insulate the fishbox and how does it drain?

boatmedic · 01-19-2010, 07:06 PM

the fishbox will be insulated with foam on all 4 sides prior to decking. i won't insulate the bottom of the fishbox because it will be bonded to the top of the tunnel when we drop the deck to hull. it has drains on both port and strb sides, and they will drain directly out the sides of the hull, no need for a macerator, the hoses will be of larger diameter and about a foot long.
i measured the box earlier today, roughly 60 gallons! with a 4 foot hatch opening, you can be assured you won't have to throw the big ones back.

boatmedic · 01-25-2010, 07:47 PM

Got the console pulled today. Measurements are 39w x 39l x 49h, the top box is roughly 17h x 36l.
The stringers are there but won't be glassed in till we make sure the deck sits right.
Also started prepping the mold today. Got a migraine from being around MEK solvent all day. The mold had a lot of wax left over from the plug, so i had to remove before i can tool it out. So this week is wet sanding, sealing, buffing, waxing, and more waxing.

tortuga · 01-25-2010, 09:41 PM

That console looks sweet. Finally a console that you can flush mount everything with room to spare. I see you set it up for the dual binnacle between the panel inserts. nice not having to reach for the throttles

prockvoan · 01-26-2010, 07:33 AM

That lip on the sides of the console would be nice if it was a bit wider to install some rod holders. Angle it at 30 deg angle for some 30 deg angle rod holders.

boatmedic · 01-26-2010, 09:49 AM

that's a good idea, i could always build a small fiberglass piece and add it on there later. i was thinking about putting a door on the side, that's why i didn't add rod holders. also, didn't want to take away from walkaround space in the boat. i think i'll be alright there, the console is roughly 40w and sole is roughly 84w.

Diverboy · 01-26-2010, 10:02 AM

This may sound like a silly question, but why is there no lip on the bottom of the console? I noticed there was one in the earlier stages, but doesn't look like it is there on the finished mold. How will it be attached to the floor?

boatmedic · 01-26-2010, 09:03 PM

Diverboy, there is a reverse flange on the inside of the console. so now i can 5200 and screw it down to the deck, and all you will see on the outside is a nice bead of white silicone at the bottom.
this is just how i built this one. if i build more in the future i will probably build a toekick mold so i can make it a 2 piece console. plus, it was fairly difficult to pull the console out of the mold without a flange on it and a spot to pop in some wedges.

WHITEY1736 · 03-03-2010, 07:47 PM

So where we at with this? Interested in the next stages...