3rd Layer on the bottom finished

Finally !!!....This layer seemed to drag on a bit.  I admit to getting bored with the process so I have been tinkering with my engine a bit.

Started on a new batch of ply to finish this layer. It has some quite different properties which I will be investigating further before using any more of it.

So ahead of me is a lot of sanding in preparation for sealing and then the final ply layer.  I am concious that I am coming up on the 2 year mark.

The Engine is here

Picked up the engine from the freight company on Friday.  Due to other commitments I didn't get to have a decent look at it till Saturday afternoon.

It looks to be in good condition, both the transmission and engine oil are pretty clean.

First thing I did was remove the transmission

Then today I removed the air con compressor and the power steering pump.

This left about 25 wires to be remove from the loom.  Turned out to be easier to completely remove the loom from the engine and then pulling the redundant wires out was easy.  The have all been cut off at the plug end with about 250mm tails just in case I need connect them to something.

I few of the ignitor plugs broke, which I have read is a common problem.  Everything else came off good.  So I'll put the loom back on next weekend so I don't forget where everything came from.

I have discovered the MAF sensor is missing.

I am going to have to paint the engine, being Aluminium it will fizz very quickly otherwise.  I am thinking about a bright green.

Still have to remove the torque converter,  I have a new bell housing that will allow a Borg Warner 71C to bolt straight on.  I have to get a fly wheel as well, as being an automatic, this engine didn't come with one.

I also discovered during the week that my transmission is not suitable.  I was led to believe it was a 71B, but its actually a 70C, the data plate is missing.  The 70C wont handle the power of this engine.

Lastly, I went and picked up another 10 sheets of ply, which if my maths is right will be enough to finish the ply laminations.

The boat didn't progress a lot this week, did some more of the 3rd layer on the bottom, so that layer is now about 2/3rds finished.

3rd layer, cutting veneers and my new engine

Started on the 3rd layer of laminations on the bottom, so far going without a hitch.

Started the morning by building a jig to help slice up timber into 5mm veneers.  The jig was a total failure.  I am starting to get concerned about how I am actually going to do this

Finished the day by winning an engine on Trademe.  So hopefully in the next week or so (it has to be freighted up from Hastings) I will have an engine to work on when it gets to cold for the epoxy to setup.

Pictures to come.

Sealing, engine lifting, veneer production

Put two coats of the soak in epoxy (CPES) on the bottom today.  I have done two laminations so I figured now was a good time to do some sealing.

I am bidding on engines on Trade me, so I figured today that I better go an get an engine crane so that when I finally win one I'll be able to move it around.  Found one at super cheap autos for $250.

Then I started experimenting with making my own veneers.  The concept is simple, but execution is something else.  I have found that my thicknesser bottoms out at 4mm so that's ok.  Cutting the veneers on my bench saw is another matter.  Since the saw can only do 65mm, I have to do a cut then flip the timber over and finish the cut in order to get a 100mm veneer.  I started off experimenting with some pine, and soon found the concept didn't work so well.   I spent the day refining the process, and by the end of the session I think I have a method, but it will involve building a jig to support the effort.  These strips are only about 500mm long, hopefully the process will work on longer boards.

Last effort of the day was to prep for doing the next layer on the bottom.  Last layer I nailed a strip to the centre line for the boards to butt up against.  It worked quite well but I had to remove it after every glueing session so it wouldn't get stuck.  So this time I have done the same thing again, but laid glad wrap down so that I don't have to keep removing the guide strip

2nd Layer done

Finally finished the second cold molding layer in the weekend just gone.  This layer seemed to take ages, but it was just other things getting in the way.

I haven't done any sanding, but all my bogging and fairing down the back seems to have works.  The shape looks much better.  Will see how it "feels" after sanding.

I have a small dilemma at present.  The plans call for 4 layers of 1/8" ply on the sides, which makes up 1/2" or 12.7mm.  I am using 4mm ply, so I can get to 4mm with just 3 layers.  I don't think I need to worry about the missing 0.7mm, but I am concerned about strength implications by missing one layer of criss-crossing in the cold molding process.  I have posted a question on the Glen-L forum.

I am also chasing another engine on trademe, wont know till the weekend if I have got lucky with it.

I have also started thinking hard about the veneer layer.  I don't have a band saw, and I'm not likely to get one, so I am starting to think about how to get the best results using my bench saw.  Biggest problem is going to be minimising the waste, at this stage I am budgeting that about 50% of my timber will end up as saw dust.  That is going to equate to several hundred dollars. I am going to do the maths on it, as it may justify buying a band saw.