Nauticat 52 Refit

[minaret]

Extension close up.

[minaret]

More of same.

[minaret]

Deck seams just got routed and repayed. Damn I'm glad I'm done with teak decks on mine!

[minaret]

Always liked the sliding sunroof on these.

[minaret]

Here's what a factory transom looks like.

[minaret]

The Wetsnail pictured earlier, finished painting.

[minaret]

Came out niiice.

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by minaret

Homemade 1/2" flat stock. Much much cheaper than G10 and almost as strong. I make 4x8 sheets usually. Simple hand lam in a clamping mold, anyone can make one in an afternoon and then crank out all the stock you need.

Recipe please...

• What do you use as base - sheet glass w/ mold release?
• What did you mean by "clamping mold"
• Recommended laminate types (biaxial?), sequence and weights.
• Do you do all layers at the same time or wait after a couple of layers?

[minaret]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Recipe please...

• What do you use as base - sheet glass w/ mold release?
• What did you mean by "clamping mold"
• Recommended laminate types (biaxial?), sequence and weights.
• Do you do all layers at the same time or wait after a couple of layers?

Build a strongback, ie three sawhorses with carefully surfaced and in plane joists run across them. Fasten a piece of 3/4" MDF to it with the screws coming from underneath. This comes pre surfaced with plastic laminate on one or both sides and is dimensionally stable so it won't warp over time, also is fairly cheap and has a slick flat impermeable gloss surface. You can use this "flat stock table" for many purposes, we have one that's 70' long!

For making nice even plate in larger thickness, say above 1/4", I like to fasten or hot glue ply blocks of the desired thickness all the way around the perimeter, finish with 3-4 wet matts a little high, and then clamp another piece of MDF to the blocks on top, in a big sandwich. Works great. Helps to drill some holes in the top piece for squeeze out and air release. Use Partall Paste #2 for release. If you do this with a very wide piece go to 1" for the top piece or it will have a high in it.

Don't try to do more than 1/4" at a time. Lots of matt is cheap, so is old school 24 oz roving, and it's very strong. Also a good place to use up large shop scrap. Whatever's handy and cheap will do, it's generally much stronger than it needs to be if you throw in a few rovings and/or biax. Both is especially bomber. Let it cure in the mold a minimum of 24 hours before release to minimize potato chipping.

[SVTatia]

Excellent - thanks Minaret.

More questions:

Originally Posted by minaret

...Don't try to do more than 1/4" at a time. Lots of matt is cheap, so is old school 24 oz roving, and it's very strong...

I need these for backing plates - so I figure half an inch. I plan to do a 4 x 4 initiialy - easier to handle.
I assume you use fiberglass resin, not epoxy?
If I do 1/4" at a time, do I have to send before doing the other 1/4"?
Can I use epoxy and do all 1/2 at one time with layers of matt & roving?

[minaret]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Excellent - thanks Minaret.

More questions:



I need these for backing plates - so I figure half an inch. I plan to do a 4 x 4 initiialy - easier to handle.
I assume you use fiberglass resin, not epoxy?
If I do 1/4" at a time, do I have to send before doing the other 1/4"?
Can I use epoxy and do all 1/2 at one time with layers of matt & roving?

I think you will find 1/2" is very much overkill for backing plates. Try for 3/8". Building a small table is much easier. I use poly resin, but don't do more than 1/4" with any resin system. Do it in two layups, it will make it easier to judge the number of plies needed for the second layup in any case. Just do a quick hand sand with very coarse grit in between to knock it down, or use peel ply. Get a chemical bond by doing it all in one day. It's easy and cheap.

[minaret]

This stuff-MDF with melamine. Black is best, don't use white if you can avoid it, although it is usually easiest to find. The reason is that its easier to see air bubbles in the layup on black, that's why all industrial molds are built with black tooling gelcoat. But for a quick 4'x4' piece you could forgo all the embellishments like a strongback, black color, etc. Just get 1/2 a sheet of whatever color MDF with melamine in a thicker thickness, like 1". It'll be plenty flat, the thick stuff is very dimensionally stable. Use any marine paste wax for release if you can't get Partall. Any glass or resin system will do, whatever's handy. If you make 3/8" plate with 3-4 biax and/or roving layers in it and the rest matt, it'll be super strong.


Thanks for being one of the very few who follow my refit thread.

[SVTatia]

Very cool - a bit easier than initially thought. Thanks for this.
Always keeping an eye on your amazing work. Hats off to you man.

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by minaret

This stuff-MDF with melamine. Black is best, don't use white if you can avoid it, although it is usually easiest to find. The reason is that its easier to see air bubbles in the layup on black, that's why all industrial molds are built with black tooling gelcoat. But for a quick 4'x4' piece you could forgo all the embellishments like a strongback, black color, etc. Just get 1/2 a sheet of whatever color MDF with melamine in a thicker thickness, like 1". It'll be plenty flat, the thick stuff is very dimensionally stable. Use any marine paste wax for release if you can't get Partall. Any glass or resin system will do, whatever's handy. If you make 3/8" plate with 3-4 biax and/or roving layers in it and the rest matt, it'll be super strong.

Thanks for being one of the very few who follow my refit thread.

I think there's lots of people following it! One of the most interesting threads,I check in every few days.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by minaret

Thanks for being one of the very few who follow my refit thread.

I'm following it! It's just that I often forget to wear my helmet on account of all the info going right over my head!