Bridgedeck, Building Logs, Structural parts, Uni directional glass

More Laying Uni’s.

Posted by Paul

I had a late start today and was also distracted by having a TV on in the shed (on the bridgedeck!) to watch my team get smashed again in the football. I was contemplating going as my team is only ever in Sydney once a year (I follow Carlton for the Southern State Aussies) but decided to keep going on the boat with the TV on.

I worked for 5 hours (from 1.30pm until 6.30pm) and managed to get the 3 unis on each side of bulkhead 6 laid and the double bi and peel ply over the top (and the coving on the bridgedeck to ease the tape around). So about twice as much work as yesterday as predicted. Actually I laid 8 layers (6 unis and 2 double bias) compared to 5 for the same time yesterday so not quite twice as fast. I can probably work a little faster again if not distracted by a TV although there were few highlights for me so I probably didn’t miss too much work! It could be worse I guess, we could be a decent team and lose, so as a bum team losing is no great surprise. All we can hope for now is to not win any more games this year and get an extra pick in the draft!

So back to the boat, same process as yesterday. Laying down the longest tapes first right up against the bulkhead and wetting it out with ADR resin mixed 4:1 by weight, then laying the next tape down behind it, lining it up and placing the tape on top of the now already wet uni below and wetting it out with a brush and then finally the third uni. The reason ADR is used is so that there is not too great a heat build up in the layers of uni, which if I was using 460g could be as many as 15 layers.

Then I coved the bridgedeck section either side and then I started up the wombat and wet out the double bias with West resin. I had it already on the top spindle in one long length with a texta mark at the length needed ready to cut, this saved reloading the wombat as I could cut it after it went through ready to wet the next tape, otherwise you have to push the next tape through a partially filled bag of resin which can get a bit messy.

Once I had the final double bi tapes on (on both sides) I applied the peel ply. I alway apply the peel ply last once I have finished all of what I consider the compulsory work, as I consider peel ply to be non essential. It is helpful but not mandatory, it is more important to tape wet on wet wherever possible as the bond is much better and it is much less work. If I applied the peel ply onto the just laid tape before going on and applying the next tape I may have run out of time before getting that tape on, which I wanted to avoid. In the end even though I was running over time (I usually like to be home around 6pm) I pressed on and got the peel ply on. Oh and I decided that both sides of BH6 have a fairly high rate of visibility especially on the cockpit side as there is not much furniture to cover it, so I used new peel ply. No easier to apply (in fact it seemed more difficult because it is less stiff so creases and wrinkles are more prevalent which in turn cause bubbles which are then also harder to get out) but I should get a better final finish as once you do get the bubbles out, the finish of new peel ply is smoother.

So with 3 bulkhead sides done (rear of BH4 and both sides of BH6) I have 4 or 5 more depending on whether I have to do the front of BH4. The 2 remaining bulkheads 5 and 7 have heavy load bearing and have 6 (BH5) or 7 (BH7) layers of uni each side so these jobs are likely to take a minimum of 3 – 4 hours each side so it is doubtful I can get these done during the afternoons this coming week so I may have to wait until next weekend to start on these. (wet on wet means I must finish once I start)

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Paul