All the big ticket items are done, after I fitted the pushrod last night, so I can start to slow down a bit … sort of.
The two main jobs I have left are re-sanding the new foil after tagging the joins,and making and fitting a bellcrank, and finishing off my new foil.
Oh and painting the new foil … but isn’t that what lay-days are for?
In this show, we sit down and discuss our preparation for the aussie moth nationals, and our opinion on the form guide for the other competitors.
Dowload the show for iPod (AAC)
This episode is sponsored by Regatta Graphics and ful-vue web design.
This is quite sad in a way, but I am really looking forwards to the 12 hour drive to Melbourne.
Not because I like driving, but because it will be 12 hours where I will be able to sit and do nothing, and not have to go through some to-do list of things to get done before the nationals.
So what have I done over the last few days ?
Fixed my new rudder adjustment, twice, fitted my new centreboard into the boat, filled my new board to get rid of the small surface imperfections, made a new wand fitting, hand filed another hole in the CB retaining plates in the boat, twekaked the new rudder to remove ventilation, added carbon to the front of the foil, sealed the ends of the foil and touched up the hull in a couple of places.
The problem is that I am still not finished … sigh.
The latest episode of Mothcast “2009 aussie nationals form guide” will be up tonight, so at least there is something to listen to on the drive south.
The two black bits of my foil were glued together yesterday and I now have one, single black bit to take its place.
Next job on the to-do list: tagging the joins with carbon, then it’s fitting time !
That makes it time for the boat to come home and be pulled apart again, oh joy.
The other challenge that I am having is my foil somehow ended up being 30mm shorter than the last one. As a result my push-rod is now 30mm too long, so I am going to have to cut it and weld a shackle on the end instead. The issue is that trying to find someone who can weld stainless it whilst working 9-5 Monday to Friday is a complete pain.
Even though this is the fifth foil that I have built, this is the first that I have used the build, cut, insert method for making a flap. So step one was to get out the trusty Dremel and the hacksaw and cut my foil in two pieces … (I was crying on the inside when I started cutting). Once I could see inside the foil this is where I changed my mind. I was going to make a piano style hinge out of carbon tubes, but I decided to use my tried and true method of using gasket rubber.
This stuff works like a charm. It is flexible and durable, and has been in good service in my current old rudder for 3 years now, and my current centreboard for 2 years. Should I decide to change my mind in the future post-nationals, I decided to use “Bladerider Flap Adhesive®”, (aka Sikaflex) to bond it in place.
