July 2016

July 25, 2016

Finishing up the keel stump.  I've built up the keel with plywood and planed it perfectly flat to receive a final plywood cap.  I've altered the original pattern so it now duplicates that last plywood cap.  I will then be able to continue building the keel on the workbench and bolt it on later using the nice flat mating surfaces.

This is the built up portion of the keel with the plywood capper off to the left.  Notice the nice horizontal stripes that are  the different plywood layers.  I used these stripes as a guide to maintain a smooth even cut when I leveled the stump.  The bottom of the image shows the aft end of the keel which slopes forward 3 degrees.

This is the forward part of the keel.  I also worked on the transition from the keel to the bow.  I think it needs  more faring but I don't want to cut too deep.

Looking aft.  Each of those colors is a different layer of the plywood.    

This is the keel stump with the plywood cap temporarily in place with two metal pins fore and aft.  The  pins locate the cap in the correct position and will be removed after it is epoxied into place.  They are great for quickly placing the part in the correct position after the epoxy has been applied.  Epoxy makes things very slippery and the part to be fastened in place will slid around making a mess.   I used drywall screws to fasten the cap in place after the epoxy was applied.  This gave nice even clamping pressure.  The screws were removed when the epoxy was partially cured.  If you allow the epoxy to fully cure, it will grab the screws and you risk breaking them off when trying to get them out.  There are no permanent screws in the entire stump.  I do not want anything to interfere with the drilling of the keel bolts.  A screw could redirect the long drill bit or dull it.   The 3/4" stainless keel bolts will be sufficient to add mechanical strength to the keel.