'Q-Cell' - What Is it ?

[sailorboy1]

I was looking at the layup schedule for a boat and the drawing shows "q-Cell" between the hull/deck connection and in the hull lay-up schedule. What's "Q-Cell" referring to? The long specs for the boat say it has Airex coring, is this the same as "Q-Cell"?

[colemj]

I think Q-cell is a filler added to the resin like microfibers or cabosil. I could see its usage in the hull/deck joint, but not in the general layup.

Mark

[44'cruisingcat]

yes, Q-cels are a filler powder. Very light, easy to sand. Q-Cel - Fillers, Lightweight - Kirkside Products Perth WA

I was advised by several people not to use them below the waterline.

[sailorboy1]

if it's a filler is it flexible as why would it be in a deck hull joint? I would pot a drawing if I could figure out how to.

[colemj]

My guess is that it is in the hull/deck joint as a gap filler. It probably isn't flexible - at least not as much as a mastic like polyurathane. Is the joint also glassed over? If so, then it was probably used to make a monocoque structure of the two halves.

Mark

[sailorboy1]

Per the lay-up schedule it is glassed in on the inside. Since this is a passport I send an email to their asking and will see what they say it is/for.

[sailorboy1]

Passport Yatchs says it is in fact mirco balloons in resin, so basically thickened expoy. Probably not as "thick" as it looks in the layup drawing.

So on this boat the hull/deck is expoy joined, bolted from 2 different directions, and the joint then fiberglassed on the inside. Impressive!

[mikereed100]

I am a little surprised that Q cells would be used as a thickener at a hull/deck joint, but if it is strictly a filler and not structural I'm sure it's OK. Q cells are usually used as a lightweight filler for sanding and fairing. Being microballoons they "fluff up" the resin, increasing volume, often as much as double, as it thickens. This makes the mixture very light weight and easy to sand. A stronger choice would be a fumed silica thickener like Cabosil or West 406. These thicken the resin without adding much volume.

Mike