Thad Allen's Apache + The Birth of the Cheetah Cat
05-09-2010 | 11:03 AM
#172
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Covering the Tunnel using full pieces of 1" Core, I had a large Jack mounted on that upright pipe which applied enough force on the rollers to seat the Material, which when coming down the tunnel placing the Airex necessitated a dozen moves with this rig to get everything exactly in place.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:28 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:05 AM
#173
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
I missed a photo here, this goes back in the frame out and before the Tunnel radius was built ,It is getting set to receive 1" of high density Core material now after the Hull shell is done then another 3" will get bagged on the inside as I wanted a 4" transom on this Boat.
I think we built 4 Boats off this fixture.
I think we built 4 Boats off this fixture.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:28 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:09 AM
#174
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Another with the Core in place,There are some wood strips which act as a continuous washer so to speak holding the foam until I finish from the back side. getting close, some trimming and sanding left to do before Hotcoating.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:29 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:12 AM
#175
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Now going back to the T-4 here is the Strake/Liftstrip infusion test workup, the Laminate going down and across the bottom of the floating Strake in the open vent area was all UNI,The top laminate is not shown. This piece has been laying around the shop for a while now and served as a door stop.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:29 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:14 AM
#176
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Another Picture of the Cat's Stern looking down, Coming together nicely but still a lot of Finesse work left getting the core so I am happy with it.On a job like this ice picks are indispensable along with an old fashoned shoe knife..
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:30 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:19 AM
#177
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
The Bow we are doing some Hotcoat workup, I use a green tint in all my Resins for a number of reasons, the first any missed air stands out and can be easily seen, My hotcoat mix is not something one would find in the book.
I take my base resin in this case it was a Dow 470-36 and double promote it, in other words it has twice the Cobalt (harmless unless stored with MEKP) which gives some of our resin's the purple blueish haze and DMA (Nasty Stuff there) then 3% by weight my personal MEKP with extra hydrogen and one more secret ingredient, the Idea here is to drive the resin into a quick complete cure, problem being it is just a few thousandths thick.
Now looking at the foam we have cells that have been cut during its manufacture and by myself during fabrication and fitting to the Boat now that said, The Idea here is to coat the cells internally with resin but NOT to fill them during the hotcoat operation ,With Airex Omit this step or shortcut it and you will have problems. Do a proper job here then one can start lamination.
I take my base resin in this case it was a Dow 470-36 and double promote it, in other words it has twice the Cobalt (harmless unless stored with MEKP) which gives some of our resin's the purple blueish haze and DMA (Nasty Stuff there) then 3% by weight my personal MEKP with extra hydrogen and one more secret ingredient, the Idea here is to drive the resin into a quick complete cure, problem being it is just a few thousandths thick.
Now looking at the foam we have cells that have been cut during its manufacture and by myself during fabrication and fitting to the Boat now that said, The Idea here is to coat the cells internally with resin but NOT to fill them during the hotcoat operation ,With Airex Omit this step or shortcut it and you will have problems. Do a proper job here then one can start lamination.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:30 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:23 AM
#178
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
Rear shot More Hotcoat (sealing). Here is the thing as resins cure (Ester) some of the styrene is given off as vapor and this has BAD BAD effect on some foams aside from inhibiting the cure on our interface here between the actual lamination and the Airex it softens the Base Material ,Wet Bagging helps in this regard as well.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:30 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:24 AM
#179
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
In those days everything I did and Jaguar as well was Vinylester, a number reasons; first I was able to get the working time and second in those days the room temperature cure epoxy was not what we have now and I was using a VERY light shop made fairing compound there was not much space in the weight budget for anything different.
With some Plastic cores they have "friendly Molecules" so a Chemical interaction takes place well as the mechanical Lock Now the Airex I was going for the ultimate Peel strength. with epoxy we have only the mechanical bond.
That Dow resin I was using is a Very tough dude, it's Viscosity around 200-250 Centipoise 600-800+ = normal resin With Water around .9 Cp and the epoxy like honey 2000Cp.
Which meant it wetout just looking at it. Plus 470 weighed 450# a Drum and was only 30% Styrene even in those days with a 290 F+ HDT it gave 40++ Barcol , @ 5% elongation and Dow had the hottest sales lady on the planet.
With some Plastic cores they have "friendly Molecules" so a Chemical interaction takes place well as the mechanical Lock Now the Airex I was going for the ultimate Peel strength. with epoxy we have only the mechanical bond.
That Dow resin I was using is a Very tough dude, it's Viscosity around 200-250 Centipoise 600-800+ = normal resin With Water around .9 Cp and the epoxy like honey 2000Cp.
Which meant it wetout just looking at it. Plus 470 weighed 450# a Drum and was only 30% Styrene even in those days with a 290 F+ HDT it gave 40++ Barcol , @ 5% elongation and Dow had the hottest sales lady on the planet.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:31 PM.
05-09-2010 | 11:30 AM
#180
Thread Starter
Platinum Member
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 10,833
Likes: 18
From: Beautiful Fort Lauderdale www.cheetahcat.com
We are fairing the foam a little on the Stem Knees and under the Tunnel Chines, the Tunnel was left uncoated as we were working off it on a carpet protective mat doing the sponson bottom's, I made a long 48" File for this type of cutting it had linkage and was like a windshield wiper in concept, but in the new Pro Boat someone has invented it recently, maybe a picture of it will show up. The white is a simple gelcoat based guide coat you can see the humps and hollows showing.
Last edited by Steve 1; 05-10-2010 at 09:31 PM.
