Plastic Classic Forum

OK, I've self moderated and am moving my saga to this section. Here's what's happened so far......

http://www.plasticclassicforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=4147

Today I ordered goop. Two gallons of resin one gallon of hardener, assorted application and mixing tools, silica and pine flour............Bought it from these folks:

http://www.raka.com/

The prices appeared most reasonable and I am sure the stuff will do the job.

In the epiphenous (is that a word?) next step towards doing it right (and thus away from my original hope of just sprinkling some magic dust) I have realized that the bad balsa has to come out. I'm researching a supplier for same, or foam. (I know there are as many foam as balsa proponents.)

Anyone done business with these folks?

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product ... rials.html

One half float paint free......Note evidence of PO(s) doing a little "float-rash".... It seems a solid repair with extra cloth and goop on the inside. Unfortunately there's a soft spot (about 10"x10") in that area on the SB side, so I'll have a little extra excavating to do to get to it.

I like the rolling work platform and the upside down hulls at good working level. Wish we (keelboaters) could all do that!

I'm glad you're documenting it here - thanks.

Rachel

"Super dolly" has been most helpful. It rolls on four car dollies I had anyways. Add some 4x4's and some scrap 2x material and voila. The only thing I bought was 2 2x6x12's and some wire and a turn buckle which I strung diagonally to keep it square. All of it will find it's way into another project somewhere.

It allows me to roll it outside for the nasty work like sanding, and also to "sunbathe" it to speed up the drying process. The rest of the time it is inside so no new moisture is introduced.

I love it.

"Today, I ordered goop."

Thank you. You can look forward to the next installment:"Goop arrives". ;)

And then.... "Goop is glopped"

I'm on the edge of my seat, but... seem to be stuck....;)

First there is more demolition, on the inside. Also have a massive video production due the 19th for a fundraiser at the kids' school (parent volunteer) and the grass is starting to grow, three cars need an oil change and some minor maintenance, I need a new sky light in the upstairs bathroom, I need to install a pellet stove, lay about 6000 brick, bring in about 40 ton of gravel to stop driving in the mud in the back yard.... and there's more, just can't think of it now. But I DO want to go sailing, so the boat stays on top of the list. Plus, the floats are taking up the #1 work bay in the shop......

Oscar, just curious. Where did you buy your Dragonfly? A friend of mine had one a number of years ago and sold it recently. I had the pleasure of sailing on it a few times - LOTS of fun!

The most obvious difference was when the wind pipes up or a puff hits, instead of heeling over and "digging in" like a keel boat, the Dragonfly would just accelerate and charge ahead! Flat sailing and FAST sailing! Really really fun. You'll be glad to get her in the water.

Bought her from two partners here in central Jersey, before that I think she was down in the Annapolis area. Yes, I'm looking forward to "ripping it up".

Here's a taste of what it can do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=e ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0QyqFufdM8

Goop has arrived.... but first:

A long day with a grinder ahead of me..I've REALLY opened it up now and made all the little problems one big piece, it's actually a relief, I have my head around it now. The top part of the top sides are solid, then the 1/4" balsa (soaked and molded) laminate starts, down to the "bilge" where it's solid again. The cut out square shows the de-laminated inside glass. The whole black band is coming out...... and everything times two, of course......

Outsides done.....stripping and sanding that is. Needs two coats of epoxy, filling and fairing, primer and a nice bright carrot orange paint....



Started on the inside..... Most of the inner glass is loose. 99% of the balsa is wet. Half of it is decomposing. I'm using a round wire brush on an angle grinder to get it out......it's flying everywhere.

The inner "skin"



One quarter done.

Wow, crank it!

R.

Wow! Lots of bad core. But since the removal is done from inside, you probably can get thru the recore faster than most people... no need to worry about fairing in a place not seen all that often - a real time saver!

Do you have any idea how the core got soft? I can see how coring in the bottom or the deck go bad - its because of leaking fittings. I don't see any fittings in the bad areas on your hulls so this is a mystery to me.

- Case

Wow, crank it!

Aye aye.....the sooner I can be done with the itching the better.

Do you have any idea how the core got soft?

A combination of manufacturing and maintenance.

This boat was designed to go fast. The manufacturer did everything they could to keep the weight in the floats down. Hence 1/4" of balsa with two very thin GRP layers. The inside layer was barely wetted out. When I pull it off it is almost like screen out of a screen door. In addition to that, there was no provision for GOOD airflow from stem to stern.

PO's did not keep up with keeping the thing waterproof. Bedding around chainplates and beam hinges all has deteriorated. So, water gets in..... lots of it. I'm sure they pumped most of it out but didn't completely dry it all the time. Then, to top it all of the PO had it on a mooring.

So, porous laminate in a soaking wet un-ventilated environment. There you have it.

I am 1: Going to make sure the core is better sealed than before. 2: Dry sail the boat and store it under roof with proper ventilation when not in use. This should avoid recurrence of this problem,