c-flex glass

[Islandboy]

hey im requesting info on how to make a c flex frame step by step for a design that i have. i want to know do's and dont's, materials that i will need,alternatives for materials, how to transfer measurements to materials and tools i will need. i hope i have provided enough info to get a sensible reply if not leave a number contact please and i will contact you if you dont understand my request.

thanks everyone.

[waikikin]

Islandboy, I cant think of a c-flex project around here(Australia) for like 20 years +, maybe find some suppliers of it before proceeding, maybe they still use it in the US ? Regards from Jeff.

[BTScow]

There is a guy in New Orleans - David Sintes - who builds in C-Flex or used to. Give him a shot.

[messabout]

Why C-Flex?

[BTScow]

I think because it lends itself well to one-off building at a competitive price.

[SamSam]

Google is your friend...

http://www.seemanncomposites.com/cflex.html

[waikikin]

Nice link Sam Sam, C flex seems to have fallen out of use here, maybe some of the industrial guys use it, but looks like a good pruduct. Regards from Jeff.

[moTthediesel]

I built a C.W. Paine designed "Frances 26" using C-Flex about 25 yrs. ago. It was a good method for building one-off in glass then, and I'm sure it still would be now. Boat is still solid with no blisters or soft spots.
Just build with station molds on a strongback like any other boat. Staple C-Flex over the molds, soak with resin, then continue lamination schedule from there, then fair and finish the surface and paint.
moT

[Ironmaster]

It´s strange that c-flex doesn´t seem to enjoy more popularity and more widespread use than it does....it seems to be a convenient method for one-off building. Besides it lends itself well to building hulls featuring compound curves.

....Those involved in fiberglass boatbuilding seem to favor obtaining compoundly curved one-off hulls by strip planking over frames using bead and cove foam core strips. Hulls built that way tend to be not as resin rich as the c-flex ones and thus tend to be lighter. Maybe that´s the explanation why c-flex is not in today?

.....Anyway...Dave Sintes offers designs and frame kits for those who want to build from c-flex...he also sells the stuff and he also sells a "how to" video on c-flex boatbuildingn.. I also think Seemann Composites....the producer of c-flex prefers to distribute the stuff via Dave Sintes.........so he is the guy you should talk to

Check out his website

http://www.sintesfiberglass.com/

[SamSam]

I went to the link Ironmaster supplied. That's a good site. Look at this other use for C-flex...

C-Flex is an excellent solution for preserving the life and character of vintage wooden boats, because it can be attached on a wooden hull to create a stronger and more durable hull structure. The C-Flex is applied to the prepared hull with an Elastomeric Adhesive, which creates a strong but flexible interface between the wood and the exterior fiberglass. The hull is then laminated with additional layers of reinforcements to the desired strength level.

The C-Flex is then saturated with resin and covered with chopped strand mat (CSM). A fairing compound is applied to the exterior, and the compound is sanded and painted.

A lot of people say putting glass over wood wrecks the boats, but they do it here for 50-80' shrimp boats. Below is a link to the C-flex building manual, also from the same site Ironmaster supplied. You can also get a good idea on how to build a giant duck, there.

http://www.sintesfiberglass.com/site...manual-web.pdf

[Ironmaster]

.......By the way, once upon a time........in the good old days before hurricane Kathrina struck New Orleans......there was downloadable at Sintes´s website a short video on c-flex boatbuilding. I think it´s not there anymore. If anyone is interested in viewing it.. I can send you a link to it´s location..just drop me a message.

[Islandboy]

may i have that link please

[Islandboy]

can some one tell me what is a bulkhead and how it is made