Fiberglass fish bin construction

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by mehsjohnson, Oct 9, 2014.

  1. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    I've got one more canacore panel to make to divide the middle section over the shaft alley. We have decided to use slush bags in the shaft alley in order to make it easier to access the stuffing box, fuel shut off valves, bilge pump and the back of the engine. The bags slip in the bin first are filled with ice and water before the brailer is added. The fish are suspended in 34 degree water and cool very quickly. The center panel will be fixed in place but situated so that the boards covering the shaft alley can be lifted out. I'll add a picture when I get it done.
     
  2. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    After the panels are in place the next step is to make the aluminum structure to support the hatch covers. We are in the planning stage right now but think that two in aluminum channel will work for the middle section with aluminum strips being used for the outside. Where two pieced of channel meet the side of one channel will be cut out and welded. This will allow water to run off the whole deck. Vertical tabs will be welded to one side of the channel and hang down along the canacore panel. Brailer hooks will be bolted to the tab and through to the hook on the other side.
     

    Attached Files:

  3. gdavis
    Joined: Dec 2014
    Posts: 72
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: belfast,maine

    gdavis Junior Member

    hello mjohnson, what do you mean you hate grinding? You must become one with the grinder and let your mind go to your happy place. If you do this you will find that it becomes a lovely task that makes you happy and gives you a warm fuzzy feeling! NOT!!! I feel your pain, I've been doing a bit of grinding myself on some carbon fiber. You want to talk about nasty? Yuck. Any how, Looks like a good , nice and neat job your doing there. It does help to keep the resin on the parts and not on everything else. Just wanted to let you know that you can do the entire job with vinyl ester resin. It out performs poly in every way and is fine to put over old poly that has been prepped well. Can you send me some of those shrimp?....................have fun...g
     
  4. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    I do have some more grinding to do tomorrow! I'll try to go to my happy place. My shower becomes my happy place. I know what you mean about getting the resin on the parts. I told my son "I'm no fiberglass pro but I think it will stick together"! I do like vinyl ester resin. It is good stuff but it is twice the cost of poly ester resin here in Sitka. My fiberglass supplier does not carry vinyl ester resin so I have to order it.
    I guess I'll have to trade you some shrimp for some Maine lobster!
     
  5. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    All eight hatches

    I now have all the major permanent hatches fiberglassed in place. I have to add some fiberglass mat and cloth to a few locations and then I am ready to start in on the aluminum supports for the hatch covers. Once that is done I can begin laying up the hatch covers.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    parallel bin supports

    I am working on the aluminum supports for the edges of the hatch covers. I found that on the port side the boat has a low spot where the stern panel meets the hull. I decided that I had to fill the space with structural putty so that water would run off into the stern. I didn't want a puddle of water to build up between the aluminum holding up the edges of the hatches and the side of the boat. In winter it could freeze and expand causing cracks. In summer fish blood and gurry could build up.

    I also had to build up the tops of two panels in order to make all the hatch cover supports parallel to each other. I used two melamine boards on each side of the panel held by "C" clamps to build up the top of the panel to the correct height and I also used two pieces of 1/4" plywood covered with aluminum foil screwed to the end of the old deck to fill the low spot. The aluminum foil pulled right off leaving no mess.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 20, 2015
  7. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    Channels ready

    I've got all but one piece of Aluminum cut and all the tops of the panels sealed. I hope to be able to start welding tomorrow. I included a picture of the cut out channels.
     

    Attached Files:

  8. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    Welding

    A friend of mine came and welded the aluminum supports for the hatch covers. It took him about two and a half hours. Neither of us are professional welders but it should hold together.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    Tabs

    The aluminum channel is held to the top edge of the canacore panels by 1/8" aluminum tabs. I welded the ten tabs to the channel today. I'm not the greatest welder but after a lot of grinding I completed the task. Brailer hooks will be bolted through the aluminum tabs and through another tab and through the brailer hooks for the other bin. I included my picture for your enjoyment! Ha ha ha.
     

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  10. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    I'm on to building hatch covers. I'm using a "one off" mold made of melamine. I use blue painter's tape and hot glue as outlined by midnitmike on his thread. http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/fiberglass-composite-boat-building/hatch-cover-build-44839.html

    Duane at Fiberlay in Anchorage has also walked me through the whole process. He has a wealth of knowledge and has helped me with all the fiberglass work in this job. I've used almost all Fiberlay products. I used Plasteline clay as the filets in my mold. I used a socket to form the curves of the filets. I warmed the clay in front of an electric heater before rolling it out. I put on five coats of Orca Shimmer mold release wax. I'm going to start tomorrow.
     

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  11. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    First half of hatch cover lay up

    I did the first half of the hatch cover layup! Things got crazy and sticky and I didn't get any pictures yet. I first sprayed PVA into the mold with my father's old paint spray gun. I put in way too much so I wiped it out leaving it just wet. I then used my new dump gun with disposable cups to spray my white wax-less gelcoat. I sprayed 3/4 quart into the mold and didn't have any runs. I had a couple places that were a little thick. I'm interested to see how it turns out. When it got tacky I started laying up. My first layer was 1.5 oz mat followed by 1708 bias cloth/mat. I put the mat side up. I put another 2 layers of 1708 also with the mat up. I ended with another layer of 1.5 oz mat. I then painted resin on one side of a piece of canacore and placed it wet side down on top of the mat in the mold. I added weight to the core and am now waiting for it to harden. I ended up using just about three quarts of resin on the layup. the hatch is just about 30 inches by 30 inches with three inch lips. The lips will be cut down to just about 2" when installed.
     

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    Last edited: Jan 27, 2015
  12. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    1st Hatch cover

    The first hatch cover is out of the mold. I am happy with the way it turned out. The outside edges need sanding and maybe some new gelcoat but the rest is great. I will cut the edges to the correct depth and see how it fits tomorrow.
     

    Attached Files:

  13. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    After much grinding I got the hatch cover to fit on the boat. It still needs some sanding on the edges and nonskid paint.
     

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  14. Commuter Boats
    Joined: Oct 2006
    Posts: 177
    Likes: 12, Points: 18, Legacy Rep: 182
    Location: Southeast Alaska

    Commuter Boats Commuter Boats

    Good evening, nice job on the hatch :) Enjoyed visiting with you in the parking lot.
    Gerald
     

  15. mehsjohnson
    Joined: Oct 2014
    Posts: 58
    Likes: 1, Points: 8, Legacy Rep: 17
    Location: Sitka, Alaska

    mehsjohnson I hate grinding!

    Thank you Gerald. I enjoyed talking with you too. I am going to do all the things you suggested. As a novice glass man I really appreciate the advice!
     
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