Now that I had a stock of 50mm x 13mm x 10m plus planks prepared, I was ready to screw the first plank onto the temporary male mould frames. A power screw driver was real handy for this job, as there were thousands of screws to be screwed in, temporarily holding the plank in position while the west system, brand of slow curing epoxy resin cured.
I need to use slow curing west system epoxy so that I could get several planks edge glued and installed onto the hull mould frames, as well as temporary plywood battens screwed across the planks to support the planks in the unsupported areas between the mould frames. You can also see the battens in the photos.
I did all this by myself with no volunteers; it is possible when you set up correctly.
The first plank placement is the most important, as this positioning will be the difference in how all the other planks lay up around the hull frames. Basically you lay the plank onto the hull into the lowest point in the curve along the entire hull or the highest point along the whole hull, and visualise how the next planks will look and sit before selecting the position to screw the first plank on. Some planks will be expected to lay up with a slight twist like a propeller blade, following the hull shape and they can only take a limited amount of flex.
It is not wise to make them lay across the mould frames unnaturally.
The photo demonstrates where I started with my first plank.
Epoxy resin and west system filler powders are mixed to a peanut butter like consistency and then applied to one edge of the fixed plank.
Then the 2nd plank is lifted up and placed against the glued edge and then screwed in place. This job goes on and on until the entire main hull is fully planked up.
After a few planks are edge glued and fitted, I made sure to scrap off all excess resin to save myself a lot of sanding later on.
Remember that DuraKore is only the core, just as foam or divinycell etc are an alternative core material for hulls.
I need to use slow curing west system epoxy so that I could get several planks edge glued and installed onto the hull mould frames, as well as temporary plywood battens screwed across the planks to support the planks in the unsupported areas between the mould frames. You can also see the battens in the photos.
I did all this by myself with no volunteers; it is possible when you set up correctly.
The first plank placement is the most important, as this positioning will be the difference in how all the other planks lay up around the hull frames. Basically you lay the plank onto the hull into the lowest point in the curve along the entire hull or the highest point along the whole hull, and visualise how the next planks will look and sit before selecting the position to screw the first plank on. Some planks will be expected to lay up with a slight twist like a propeller blade, following the hull shape and they can only take a limited amount of flex.
It is not wise to make them lay across the mould frames unnaturally.
The photo demonstrates where I started with my first plank.
Epoxy resin and west system filler powders are mixed to a peanut butter like consistency and then applied to one edge of the fixed plank.
Then the 2nd plank is lifted up and placed against the glued edge and then screwed in place. This job goes on and on until the entire main hull is fully planked up.
After a few planks are edge glued and fitted, I made sure to scrap off all excess resin to save myself a lot of sanding later on.
Remember that DuraKore is only the core, just as foam or divinycell etc are an alternative core material for hulls.
