cold mold process

[gharr8]

Hi Everyone,

New member here....can I ask if anyone can tell me about the cold mold process. I am looking at buying a 1973 sailboat, one of a kind, that is wood overlaid with fiberglass...cold molding?? right??

I would appreciate anyones knowledge or information.

Thanks,

GH

[hansp77]

Originally Posted by gharr8

wood overlaid with fiberglass...cold molding?? right??
GH

Not necessarily.
It could be a clinker construction, carvel, plywood, strip planking... and probably more that I have no idea about.
all these sorts of construction often get overlayed with fiberglass (with some being much better than others- as far as I know, stip planking and cold molding being the best).

Is it glassed inside as well as out?
Is the hull smooth?
are there any hard chines?

Either way, a quick queery to the seller should resolve these questions.

Do you know the design, and if it was professionally or home-built?
Also, do you have any photos?

Good luck.
Hans.

[gharr8]

i found some great info at this web address. http://www.sculleyboatbuilders.com/const_intro.html.

this answered several basic questions. i had no ideal what the process involved and this helped alot.

thanks for your earlier response.

gh

[Ike]

Cold molding is not wood overlaid with fiberglass. It can be, but that has nothing to do with the cold molded process. First you build a male mold of a boat, put in the stem, keel, transom, some longitudinals. In other words a very basic internal framework. Then, thin veneer strips about 6 in wide, usually 1/16 or 3/32, are laid up over the mold. The first layer is put on and stapled into place and glued where it joins the framework. It requires knowing how to spile each piece of veneer to fit exactly against the last piece. The first layer is laid diagonally. Then the second layer is applied diagonally but crossing the first. After each strip is spiled and fitted it is then coated with glue or resin. If you want to use the WEST System you would actually saturate each veneer strip. It is laid on and stapled to the first layer. Layers are built up until you have the desired thickness. Usually 3 in a dinghy, 5 or more in larger boat. when its all done the staples in the top layer are removed and the boat is coated with resin or painted, or in some cases fiberglassed. I believe that fiberglassing a wood boat is a prescription for disaster but that is just my opinion. I have not yet seen a wood boat that was fiberglassed that didn't end up with catastrophic rot.

For cosmetic appearance on some boats the last layer is put on running fore and aft like a planked hull, or I have seen some that have the last layer running top to keel but that is rare. But I prefer the diagonal. If it's put on diagonally it is best to have the diagonal run aft from the gunwale to the keel. It makes the boat look like it's moving forward. Doing it the other way makes it look like its going backwards, although it doesn't make any difference to the construction.

[Ike]

Oh yeah, if you really want to know about cold molding read "Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction: Wood & West System Materials" Great book on wood construction. Their web site is http://www.gougeon.com/ You can also get this book on Amazon or E-bay, or read it at your local library if they have a good collection of books on boat building.