Boat Rebuild

[Mouldz]

We are thinking of buying a old Butt Cat and stripping it down and rebuilding.We want to try do this on our own as an experiment and possible future bussines.
we do have some ex boat builder glass fibre guys but I need to get some info on making moulds for the hatches ,cabin etc.

1.Is supa wood the way to go to make the plugs
2.If so what do you use for releasing agent

 

[barryfish]

supawood should be fine. can also use a sheet of glass to lay up f/glass sheets, start with wax, release agent and gel coat, make up make flat panels, join into boxes etc with a radius and touch up finish,

then u do not need the plugs. only make plugs if you are going to use them again.

for the supawood has to be sealed and super smooth, you need to fill putty and (spray) or resin coat? then wax / mould release before pulling the mould

 

[Mouldz]

barryfish wrote:

supawood should be fine. can also use a sheet of glass to lay up f/glass sheets, start with wax, release agent and gel coat, make up make flat panels, join into boxes etc with a radius and touch up finish,

then u do not need the plugs. only make plugs if you are going to use them again.

for the supawood has to be sealed and super smooth, you need to fill putty and (spray) or resin coat? then wax / mould release before pulling the mould

Cool ,thanx ,also thought of that ,but what you mean by joining into boxes with a "radius".

We probably only make a plug/mould for the console /cabin,want something original

 

[barryfish]

I used iroko 1/4 rounds, then machined a rebate and glassed in a pre prepared and gel coated panel, then I glassed the joins, gel coat and sanded and polished for finish.

Like pic below the brown is the timber and the grey 2 panels making a 90 degree joint with a top radius.

did this on my fish boxes and and some other panels/repairs. worked well and easy to get a good even radius.

 

[Mouldz]

barryfish wrote:

I used iroko 1/4 rounds, then machined a rebate and glassed in a pre prepared and gel coated panel, then I glassed the joins, gel coat and sanded and polished for finish.

Like pic below the brown is the timber and the grey 2 panels making a 90 degree joint with a top radius.

did this on my fish boxes and and some other panels/repairs. worked well and easy to get a good even radius.

That looks cool ,you say you lay up flat sheets on glass ,do you mean glass fibre or window glass?,seen it done on a sheet of flat metal before

 

[barryfish]

normal window glass, can use steel plate, glass has nice smmoth finish, so the gel coat gives nice finish.

I had a old RDP house glass fibre shower cubicle that we (my wife) "was / were" going to use in the garden for a pool shower. I cut this up into the panels I needed, was easier than making new ones. and then made some new ones as well on glass when ran out.

You could make one big box mould with radius on and lay up sections that you needed and join as required.

Found the better and easier the laminations are with "finished" panels, it removes much of the finishing work that takes up much time.

 

[benniejordaan]

If you want to make a plug, isn't it easier to make it out of thin sheet metal? Easy to manipulate, roll, bend then weld and polish. Body filler is your friend.

 

[Mouldz]

benniejordaan wrote:

If you want to make a plug, isn't it easier to make it out of thin sheet metal? Easy to manipulate, roll, bend then weld and polish. Body filler is your friend.

Probably but I know more about working with wood than metal

 

[benniejordaan]

MOULDIE wrote:

benniejordaan wrote:

If you want to make a plug, isn't it easier to make it out of thin sheet metal? Easy to manipulate, roll, bend then weld and polish. Body filler is your friend.

Probably but I know more about working with wood than metal

Welding is usually the headache but you know they use silicone to glue buses together. Could do the same.

 

[barryfish]

you need to fair the joints and sand to perfect finish on the plug, mdf is softer than steel, use body filler or glass bubbles and resin mix for fairing, both dry hard but sands very easily, and is white. need to use water paper for finish, metal may rust?

If you have tools and know how to work with metal it may be easier to bend?

 

[OvaR8ed]

Let me know if you guys ever need 3D Laser Scanning of a Cleaned up Hull.

I can produce Cross Sections with 2mm precision through the Point Cloud anywhere you need them taking the guesswork out of the design process...

 

[Mouldz]

Well this is what we have found,8m Lee Cat ,been lying at thier place pending a court case or something ,they are going to redo the deck and negotiate with Honda for 115 hp motors,or 125 HPs,they promised have boat sorted before they close for the season ,

 

[Mouldz]

Went out to Lee Cat factory to check on the boat ,deck stripped and foam will be put in today

 

[Mouldz]

Lee Cat also building this monster

 

[Mouldz]

Fitted with tractor engines LOL

 

[Greenhorn]

Hey Mouldie, do you have more info and photos of that big Leecat?

 

[Mouldz]

Greenhorn wrote:

Hey Mouldie, do you have more info and photos of that big Leecat?

Will get some when we go out there again