I’ve finally gotten away from the new job, which is about two hours from my home and family, and got a chance to knock the keel bulb out. In this time though, I’ve been ordering supplies, WEST system epoxy, glass cloth, carbon, kevlar, etc.
The keel blade is laminated mahogany. This is how I did it. There are four pieces that overlap, two on each side. Then there is a strip down the seam in the front, and one down the seam in the back.
I drew lines with a sharpie marker as to where the max chord would be, and also down centerline fore and aft. Then the fun began. I fired up the belt sander. Thirty minutes later, I looked like a walking ball of mahogany, and I had one side of the keel, pretty much how I wanted it. Flipped it over and repeated. In an hours time. I had the roughed out shape. I then hand sanded planed for another thirty minutes with templates to get it as close as I thought was realistic.
Front edge gets one layer of kevlar for impact resistance, and all areas where there might be a “sheering” force (ie. where the keel intersects the hull, etc) I then have carbon uni down each side. The whole thing was epoxied, and allowed to cure while I finished the bulb.
Next step is to sand the keel, and apply a finish coat of glass, fair, and fill, then paint.
On another note, I’ve turned the i550 over to Tim Reiter. Tim will be producing kits, and components. I’ve asked Tim to cut me a kit, and am awaiting it’s arrival anxiously. Should only be a couple weeks, as Tim gets set up, and organized to produce kits.
If I’m lucky, by the end of July, I’ll have a hull stitched together to show off on the web.
The keel blade is laminated mahogany. This is how I did it. There are four pieces that overlap, two on each side. Then there is a strip down the seam in the front, and one down the seam in the back.
I drew lines with a sharpie marker as to where the max chord would be, and also down centerline fore and aft. Then the fun began. I fired up the belt sander. Thirty minutes later, I looked like a walking ball of mahogany, and I had one side of the keel, pretty much how I wanted it. Flipped it over and repeated. In an hours time. I had the roughed out shape. I then hand sanded planed for another thirty minutes with templates to get it as close as I thought was realistic.
Front edge gets one layer of kevlar for impact resistance, and all areas where there might be a “sheering” force (ie. where the keel intersects the hull, etc) I then have carbon uni down each side. The whole thing was epoxied, and allowed to cure while I finished the bulb.
Next step is to sand the keel, and apply a finish coat of glass, fair, and fill, then paint.
On another note, I’ve turned the i550 over to Tim Reiter. Tim will be producing kits, and components. I’ve asked Tim to cut me a kit, and am awaiting it’s arrival anxiously. Should only be a couple weeks, as Tim gets set up, and organized to produce kits.
If I’m lucky, by the end of July, I’ll have a hull stitched together to show off on the web.
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