Short post and I am still picture deficient...  But all the balsa work is done (yay).  The old deck skins are all stripped of old core.   Now to decide if I am going to use the old skins or replace it all with new layup.  The angle grinder with a wire wheel made cleaning the skins super easy.  Nothing can resist this tool.  It is also good for surface prep when you want to rough things up a bit.

I did a lot of work on the windows with the rest of my time yesterday - I think they are turning out pretty good too.

Engine is still in the shop - parts are very slow in getting here, but hopefully engine ready in time too.

I have fully recovered from the water damage from the tarp failure.   I only have about 1 more hour of work to complete the laying in of the new balsa.  Wow what a hot and messy job, but I am getting pretty good with the resin now.   No more chemical burns after making sure I work form the farthest point in to the closest point making sure I don't reach over the wet resin.   Common sense right?  When you are hot and sweaty and things aren't going right while the resin clock is running you forget these things :)    Preparation before mixing the resin is very important.   I now only use a pint at a time.   It slows the pace down to where there is less panic factor and I do a much better job.

No pictures - I didn't want to ruin my phone with resin.  I will try to get a shot before next session while my hands are clean.

Tarp failure/ Disaster:  I see I neglected to post here about that.   A few weeks ago a storm damaged my tarp and it rained on the exposed wood!  I was cutting all of the wood first with plans to do all the glassing in a single step.  Totally destroyed all that work and I was almost done too.  Had to buy new wood and do it all over again.  I  now complete a section before moving to the next.  I also triple-tarped the thing now.  Nothing short of a tornado is going to get in there and I will be waterproof in a few days - finally!

Got my outboard - a little Suzuki 5hp.  So I can cross auxiliary propulsion off the list (still need a gas tank and fuel line though).  It is a 1979 that was built in Japan - so it will match my 1975 boat.

Update: I ran the motor in a water barrel a few weeks ago and saw no water coming out :(   Miller Boating Center has it now - I have ordered parts for them twice, but hopefully it will done this week.  The water pump was destroyed from running dry.  I might be getting wet this weekend, but I am  not telling anyone this time until I am actually in the water.   Too much that can still go wrong and probably will!

Poured first resin today. It went really well.  My measuring method using a syringe to precisely measure the milliliters of catalyst has really worked wonderfully.  (A pharmacist at Target gave me syringes for free (sans needles)  That and Big Lots had a wonderful assortment of pyrex measuring cups, stainless steel mixing whisks and stainless steel mixing bowls.  Perfect stuff for this work and dirt cheap too.

Discovered that the resin I am using isn't air inhibited, but it is extremely tenacious and strong.  I had a few things weighing down spots while I was called away by work.  A can of Acetone and a Pyrex measuring cup were stuck to the surface.  The Pyrex (glass) measuring cup had to be cut out with the multi-tool, I think the entire assembly would have held my body weight (I was concerned about breaking the cup).

Needless to say I am not concerned about the "secondary bonding characteristics" of polyester resin at all anymore.  That worry was completely unfounded!  (Internet wisdom of some was that "only" epoxy resin would bond new to old material strongly, that the only resin you can use is West System epoxy.  I have proven to my own complete and total satisfaction that this is totally false and I would not hesitate to recommend that you use the material too!)  Tomorrow I could complete the deck with the exception of the skin joints, a step which my take a weekend by itself maybe.  We will see.

 This mist cooling "snake" I got from Lowe's and a way better fan made my work site quite a bit more comfortable.

Sunday progress - was not what I had hoped.   Time and weather are enemies.  I did make great progress this weekend, and I completely overcame my fear of working with the resin, so it was a very productive weekend all in all.  I have about 1/3 more of the deck to cut wood for.  The wood is by far the most time consuming part of this so far - though I imagine the "scarf joints" will well eclipse that in the end.   We will see!

Finally got started on cutting the core material.  It is a bit slower going than I thought it would be - but I am learning as I go and getting faster. Things I have learned:

1. The multitool is about the only tool you need
2. It is a lot better to cut and fit smaller peices (1 x 1 foot sections or so) of the balsa or so when you have irregular shapes and such to deal with.   My deck is pretty butchered up this was the way I was getting a good fit.  I cut small cardboard templates as I go then I cut the balsa from that.
3.  The pro-balsa core material has rectangles instead of squares - so for a good fit you have to have the blocks running the right direction.  I had intended to work from stern to bow - i cant really do that - i have to go from port to starboard.   I would have cut out the original deck differently if I had known that ahead of time...

I have told everyone we are going sailing July 4th weekend no matter what - so weather permitting I am picking the pace up from here on!

Figuring this weird arrangement took a while - but saved me from the sun of a 90+ degree day!

As far as I got with the pre-fitting.

Done for the day - thunderstorms came in a few minutes after this.

Day of Destruction

Pretty tired but here are a couple of pictures.  Assuming Jamestown Distributors gets their act together, I will be laying glass next weekend.  Jamestown Distributors messed up my order and did NOT ship the balsa core material.  It is on the invoice but all I got was one box from UPS labeled 1 of 1 boxes  and no freaking balsa wood that I paid for (this stuff should be in at least two additional boxes).

 A section of top skin with core remnants attached.

Some balsa core remnants - this was very slow hot work.  A respirator was a must with so much fibergalss fiber blowing around everywhere.   A good respirator has already been MONEY WELL SPENT!!!

Ordered some of the expensive stuff, they said on the phone it "should ship today".  I ordered a surplus of material.  I didn't want to run out and I have some ideas for the left-overs.

4 sheets of  PROBALSA PLUS 3/8", 2' X 4' SHEET
1 gallon of KIWIGRIP NON-SKID GEL WHITE GALLON

I ordered from Jamestown Distributors jamestowndistributors.com

Fabric and resin are on the schedule for tomorrow late afternoon.   This evening I should finish a couple of the windows...