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Sides glued on

This morning I cut out the sides and glued them on.

I first clamped the 3mm Mahogany Luan sheets up to the side of the hull and traced around the edges. Then trimmed them on the bandsaw.

Sanded the bow ends at an angle.

Then glued them on using epoxy. I'm using WEST System 105/205.

Finally I clamped the hell out of it using clothespins and large binder clips. Now just waiting for it to dry.




Yes, I know what you're saying. Isn't that, um, a bit heavy? Next to Balsa, yes, it is heavy. Each side weighs 4 oz. I'm sure that a side made of Balsa wouldn't even weigh an ounce. However, here is my reasoning:

1. I don't care that much about weight as this will be the only Star 45 within 2 hours drive at least.

2. This boat will be bullet-proof and will never get holed if I ever do race it. Balsa is flimsy. Besides, if you side with Balsa you'll need to put two layers of 3 oz. glass on. With this boat I'm going to put one layer of 1.4 oz. glass. In the end I'm thinking I won't be THAT much heavier... right?

3. I'm much more concerned about appearance. Looks matter to me on boats. This siding will allow me some options to either paint the sides or leave them natural. Still haven't decided.

4. The minimum weight for the Star 45 all rigged is 12 pounds. However the past few years the winners at the National Championship Regatta (NCR) were over 13 lbs.

Thoughts? Let me know!

Also, I'm making constant progress on the future Star 45 Construction Manual.


Peace!

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