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Mr Hot Rod · **Posted:** Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:05 pm

Roberta : The pink foam is not USCG approved. It would have to be totally encapsulated to make it fuel-proof and flame-proof.

Our Flotation Calculator was set up for inboards, but if you're proficient with Excel and patient enough to review the outboard regulations, the spreadsheet can be tweaked to suit your needs.

The post below has a link to download the spreadsheet :

Gentry flotation and HP calculations - Any available?

___________________
Paul Kane Chelsea, PQ

Building the Glen-L Hot Rod : http://www.boats.chelseacoachworks.com

Roberta Hegy · **Posted:** Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:20 am

Thanks, Paul. That is good to know!! I will look for some approved blocks. I would us the expanding stuff, but I may need to access areas that the foam will inhabit.

Roberta

Iggy · **Posted:** Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:37 pm

I put the 3/8" Meranti sub-deck down this weekend... 300 screws later... and just finished fairing it today. Its solid as a rock... which makes me very happy I spend the few extra bucks.

I am going to do a trial/mockup of the top-deck this week to see if I like the results of what I am planning to do. With any luck, I will get started on the top-deck this weekend.

psychobilly · **Posted:** Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:32 pm

Attachment:

pichers 1.jpg [ 78.26 KiB | Viewed 506 times ]

POST'em UP MAN!!!!!!

Iggy · **Posted:** Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:58 pm

My wife has my camera and is out of town for now. I will take a few snaps with my Cell phone IF you behave

Iggy · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:42 pm

Cell phone pics.. better than nothin!

I am encapsulating the seats, the other side of my wear plates, the other side of my arm rests, as well as a test piece for my top-deck mock-up.

1 more coat later on tonight should do it.

psychobilly · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 8:52 pm

SAAAWEET!!!!!!!

Roberta Hegy · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:22 am

Lookin' good, Ian. Are those big boxes full of boat bling?

Roberta

jeffh · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:52 am

Looks good Ig. What did dimensions did you wind up with on your seat bottoms (front height and back height)? I stuck with 4" in front and 3" in back with a firm 3" cushion so my front will be 7.5" thick when including the 1/2" thick ply bottom.

Iggy · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:55 am

Roberta: I have two boxes of boat bling... and one box with a 10x20' shelter I will be setting up this fall when I move the boat out of the garage.

Jeff: My front seats taper from 6" to 5" on the bottom, and my seat plywood+cushion will add 3.5" ontop of those. Basically 9.5" to 8.5" in slope. I also plan on installing a tapered 'foot reast' on my floor area below the deck so my feet have something to push against and keep my knees bent more comfortably.

Iggy · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:23 am

**Pictures Pending**

I will take a few snapshots tonight of everything I am describing. Its been a busy week, working towards starting my top deck this weekend. I've finished my rear rolling bench, including SS hardware and encapsulation. I've cut and installed my side rub rails with a lot of help from my father in law Jean-Rock on Saturday. I opted for a different look for my side rub rails, not quite the traditional style but still attractive and functional. My rub-rails are based off the door 'bumpers' you see on cars... thinner & more rounded than the 'wings' typically used. In my case its 6' long, 1.5" tall and 3/8" thick. I used a 3/8" router round-over bit on all sides. To hold it on my hull, I used #8x1" Silicone Bronze Screws and added 1/4" plywood backing blocks (2"x2") on the inside to support the screw threads. Definately a 2 man job, particularly because I already had my arm-rests & guide-rails epoxied in place that made it harder (but not impossible) to place the inside backing blocks.

My seats are all encapsulated and I've cut out my plywood backers for my seat backs & bottoms. I still need to encapsulate the plywood backers tonight before I drop them off with an upholsterer.

My deck-mockup worked as planned. I will pre-coat the 1/4" Meranti Plywood with 2 coats of epoxy BEFORE cutting it to make the various top-deck boards. After everything is cut, fit and epoxied to the sub-deck, I will use a white tinted epoxy and overfill the 1/4" seams. After that hardens, I will sand it down clean and then apply my fiberglass cloth layer.

The reasons I pre-coat the meranti plywood with 2 coats of epoxy:

* It gives me a layer of epoxy I can sand off at the same time I sand down the overfilled white tinted seams. I don't want to sand into the thin meranti veneer, so this methods 'builds up' that thinkness and gives me some layer of protection against over sanding

* The Meranti cuts cleaner... with the sabre saw OR the table saw... the edges don't lift up or split from cross-grain cutting

* The white tinted epoxy does not 'bleed' into the surrounding meranti surface, as it is pre-sealed

Now.. I am very much aware that this method will not produce the same look as a solid lumber top. I will also not have the ability to sand any 'flaws' out of the material and future re-finishing options will be very limited, which is why I am fiberglassing the deck to give it the most amount of wear protection I can. Solid lumber top will always look better, however my goal is uniformity between my top-deck and my bright-sides.

My to-do list finally seems to be shrinking down closer and closer to 'putting her in the water'. I still have a ton of work yet to do.. some fairly major steps like trimming, hookups, clearcoating, etc.

Still just as exciting as the day I bought my plans!

ttownshaw · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:25 am

Awesome Ian!!!!

Roberta Hegy · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:39 am

I am also planning on the whitened epoxy for my calk lines. I'm using System Three Gel Magic as it is a pre thickened product and should lay in nicely. I also found some really good blades for the saber saw from Bosch. They are called "Extra Clean Cut". I had no tearout and they controlled well in curves.

Roberta

Iggy · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2011 8:59 am

I am using a White Epoxy Pigment (no-name brand from local supplier) and adding it to East Systems non-blushing (Intermediate) epoxy along with a bit of Cab-o-Cil which is already a bit of a 'white' thickening product. I will post the photo of my mock-up tonight. Its VERY white... and so long as I overfill properly and watch out for 'bubbles' in the mix, makes a nice solid line when sanded down.

I am using a plastic Syringe to apply the tinted epoxy lines.

. Works great... just watch out for bubbles and the mix can only be 'so' thick or it will not pull it in.

Onplane · **Posted:** Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:29 am

Iggy,

Sounds like you have thought it out well. I especially like the idea of the pre-epoxy encapsulation on the deck, so you don't get bleed through from the tinted epoxy. I'll have to give that idea a whirl!

Can't wait for the pics!

Glen-L.com

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