Happiness is a Warm Spool Gun

[GILow]

You probably would have finished it by now if you weren't so darn busy blogging it.


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[Panope]

I'm not posting that often am I?

Wait, doh

[IdoraKeeper]

Hmm,.... Idora is out of trim after the new cockpit was installed.. She could use about 500 pounds to get her butt back down. I would love to see your furnace before you tear it down. Will you have it up till after Christmas?
Todd

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Panope

I'm not posting that often am I?



Wait, doh

I'm just jealous after spending two hours soaked in transmission fluid with my head in the bilge in 33 degrees C trying to undo couplings that were last tightened in 1986.

Your photos of snow dusted fields and fresh open air are bit painful to look at right now.


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[Panope]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

Hmm,.... Idora is out of trim after the new cockpit was installed.. She could use about 500 pounds to get her butt back down. I would love to see your furnace before you tear it down. Will you have it up till after Christmas?
Todd

Todd,

I should have the firings going until the first week of Jan.

Do try and visit during an actual melt if possible. Shoot me a PM with a schedule and we'll see what works.

Cheers,

Steve

[Panope]

This is a seam in the disassemble-able mold. It has been subjected to 9 firings/melts without being disassembled/re-mortered. During the most recent melt, a leak has formed (see the four "drips"), resulting in an ounce or two of lead to escape (ingot was recovered from the fire pit).

The timing was good has the mold now needs to be reconfigured into the next shape anyway.

I reckon this leak could be avoided by decreasing the bolt spacing (note that the leak occurred between bolts). No need for that here because the last of the needed shapes are not too numerous.

Steve

[Panope]

Took a break from melting lead and knocked out a new chain locker. Material is 5/32". Total weight is about 45 lbs. Water was used to verify no leaks. Spigot at bottom will direct chain water into a reachable/cleanable sump or perhaps a pipe will be run all the way aft to the bilge sump.

In effect, this locker has created a "double hull" in this vicinity.

I started 4 different foam fires while welding this into place. Not fun.


Divider separates the two rodes.


Plastic block at bottom will keep the big stuff out of the drain.


I should probably increase the height of the divider a couple inches.


The "shelves" on either side support the rope portion of the rodes. The laundry hampers may someday get replaced with built-in lockers in the same position.

Someday I will line/cover the exposed foam above and forward of the chain locker. For now it is good enough.

[Matt Johnson]

Looks great, but do you not have concern with the steel chain and aluminum being in contact? I've always read to have the chain dump into a plastic laundry tub (like you have for your rode) to isolate it.

Our boat had extra chain in the forward bilge.... this was the first section of hull we had to replace.

Matt

[Panope]

Matt, I'll keep an eye on it. If it looks like pitting will be significant, I'll just line the locker with some thin plastic sheet.

Steve

[Panope]

Almost done melting lead. Just another couple hundred pounds to go. This stack weighs about 1300 pounds.


Fore Cabin overhead starting to be installed. This T&G cedar is a perfect match for the rest of the boat. The difference is that I am NOT using screws (and plugs) to attach. Gorilla glue and Spray Foam will do the trick. I Can only do a couple planks per day for fear of the spray foam "blowing" the boards off due to expansion. The cedar was pre-varnished in my workshop next to the wood stove. This technique should save a bit of time and produce a nicer product.

[Bleemus]

Very interesting! That cedar looks beautiful. Your confident the gorilla glue will hold if you get a little flexing?

[Fence Man]

Looking great! I love a good aluminum boat project.

[Panope]

Thanks, Fence Man,

Bleemus,

Should be no problem. Years ago, when I installed the cedar in the pilot house, I used screws and then filled the void with spray foam. I got a little hasty at one point and over did it with the foam causing a board to pull away from the frames about a 1/8 inch. It pulled the heads of the screws through the back of the cedar.

At first I figured I would need to replace the board but it was so well attached via the foam, that I just plugged the screw holes and let it be.

Also, These metal boats really do not flex at all. The cabin top is 3/16" aluminum with longitudinal stringers AND the visible frames. A person can jump and stomp with all their might on the house top and nothing happens.

If I need to attach or hang something from the overhead, I will be sure and use a mechanical fastener that passes through the cedar and into a frame flange.

Steve

[Bleemus]

Nice. That foam sounds like it will do the trick. I worked on an aluminium boat and loved it. Flyer II which won the second Whitbread race and was converted to a luxury cruiser. Sailed all over the Caribbean and South America before a tugboat crushed us in the Panama Canal. Despite the heavy damage it was repaired and sails today on the Med. Gotta love aluminium.

[Panope]

Fore Cabin Lid - Done.