So I've been very busy with the ordering over the past few days! In the past three days I've ordered my sails from Carr Sails, the mast from Ludwig RC Yachts, and a bunch of fittings from both Long Beach RC and Midwest Model Yachting. Loads of money spent, but it's worth it. Besides, the actual boat is pretty cheap... it's the outfitting that costs so much! And I already ordered an RMG Sailwinch a couple weeks ago and it should arrive soon. So I'm done with much of the big spending at this point.
And I've been making a lot of progress on the Star 45 Construction Manual. And master Star 45 builder John Fisher has agreed to look at it when it's completely roughed out and help do some editing for me. He's one of the people you should thank for creating the laser-cut frames.
Not a whole lot got done on the actual boat today. But I did manage to trace out the side panels that I'll use. I'll cut them out tomorrow if I have time.
It sounds heavy, but I'm going to use 3mm Mahogany Luan that I found at Compton Lumber in Seattle. Yes, yes, I know... crappy core. But I will fully encapsulate the entire hull in epoxy so it should be just fine. And the outside veneer looks great. The inside not so much but who cares.
It is heavier than Balsa for sure, and probably heavier than some super thin plywood that others use. But I can't find any thin ply long enough, and I don't want to use Balsa. And this can't actually be much heavier than plywood to be honest. In addition, it's bullet-proof! Balsa can easily get holed, even with up to 6 oz. of fiberglass according to some. But with these sides I'll easily be able to use only one layer of 1.4 oz. glass.
Besides, it leaves me the option to go with clear wood instead of painting. I'll at least be able to put off that decision until later. My guess though is that I'll still paint the topsides. Mostly due to the separate bow piece. It will look a bit funny just glued on like that. Also the transom will overlap the sides. Both those problems go away if I paint the topsides. We'll see when I get to that point.
Peace, and if I don't post until then, have a happy Thanksgiving!
And I've been making a lot of progress on the Star 45 Construction Manual. And master Star 45 builder John Fisher has agreed to look at it when it's completely roughed out and help do some editing for me. He's one of the people you should thank for creating the laser-cut frames.
Not a whole lot got done on the actual boat today. But I did manage to trace out the side panels that I'll use. I'll cut them out tomorrow if I have time.
It sounds heavy, but I'm going to use 3mm Mahogany Luan that I found at Compton Lumber in Seattle. Yes, yes, I know... crappy core. But I will fully encapsulate the entire hull in epoxy so it should be just fine. And the outside veneer looks great. The inside not so much but who cares.
 |
| Don't worry, this is the inside. The outside looks great. The panels will be trimmed and then installed. |
It is heavier than Balsa for sure, and probably heavier than some super thin plywood that others use. But I can't find any thin ply long enough, and I don't want to use Balsa. And this can't actually be much heavier than plywood to be honest. In addition, it's bullet-proof! Balsa can easily get holed, even with up to 6 oz. of fiberglass according to some. But with these sides I'll easily be able to use only one layer of 1.4 oz. glass.
Besides, it leaves me the option to go with clear wood instead of painting. I'll at least be able to put off that decision until later. My guess though is that I'll still paint the topsides. Mostly due to the separate bow piece. It will look a bit funny just glued on like that. Also the transom will overlap the sides. Both those problems go away if I paint the topsides. We'll see when I get to that point.
Peace, and if I don't post until then, have a happy Thanksgiving!
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