The game is afoot

42deg. F same here about 50 F but the same old rain-fog and cold, forcasting the same for the next week. Going into a month now of this dreary weather. Boston there's no comparison between epoxy and tightbond, slackbond, or whatever horse they made it from. Epoxy all the way man--Geo.

 

apparently there is a formulator just down the street from the shop so maybe I can get a good price out of them, who knows I was just hoping to avoid the stuff altogether but that may not be possible. I don't want the thing falling apart on me mid stream.

after all this time its frustrating having to wait for a weather window, I think I'll have to set up a small climate controlled area to assemble in. I can tent an area of the shop and better control a number of events, like temp and fumes, dust and curious hands.

 

still waiting to hear back from those guys on some sample epoxy, I want to compare the panel I just sanded down today with one made from the epoxy.

I might also try and find some better cedar, ok its clear but as I cut into it I sometimes find small voids, not insect holes but holes none the less.

 

got a hold of a formulator in town and he's working on some samples for me. We discussed just mimic the parameters for the west system. He also suggested some glass beads to even out the distribution of glue some.

I've also discovered that there is a line on the details for the apron thats not on the lines plan. Big pain in the but there as now I'm going to have to lay out the floor again and extrapolate that line based on what info I develop off the forward sections, that way I can ensure I get good contact with the planking and still blend the forward sections of the apron into the run aft. Fun fun fun.

Oh and my jig saw exploded pretty much the instant it touched wood today. Perfect, 10~12 days on the parts. Just enough time for me to come to my senses, as if thats going to happen.

cheers
B

 

http://www.ecopoxysystems.com/about.html

 

At $90 a gallon, you're not getting much of a deal. How about $45 a gallon, paying full retail? Marinepoxy at Bateau.com.

 

I think they are charging twice as much for that stuff ( roughly what west charges ) because there's is a non toxic material. Stuffs made from soybeans and peanuts, the only health warning is if your allergic to nuts, which I thought was kinda funny. Hardener says its slightly corrosive. Not sure how you get a corrosive out of peanuts but so be it.

I'm working out how much I need and trying to figure out what the price difference is if I went with this stuff. Also waiting to hear back from a local formulator on what he'd charge.

most of what I've read says ~100 sq/ft of coverage/gallon on porous surface and I have about 500 sq/ft with 3 layers to glue or 1500 sq/ft. If I butter both sides of the work then I double that and end up needing 30 gallons. Assuming I double diagonal the whole thing deck and pit floor included. Clear coat would be about three more gallons.

I'm hoping I can get away with 25 gallons
its about 2k in the eco friendly stuff
about the same for west
about 1200 from Bateau
the local guy hinted around that it would be about 50+ a gallon or about 1,250 but I'll wait till he gives me a definitive answer before I make a final decision, I also want to call the ecopoxy guys and see if they will cut me a deal on 25 gallons

PS
just made a deal on the walnut at $2 a foot
cherry for the same
white oak at $1.60

still looking for the ebony

 

put together a steamer today



the steam chamber is large enough to accommodate quite a bit of wood and the sections come in 5' pieces, I'll be adding more sections as I need, idea being that if it takes awhile to steam up some spaghetti then I want enough to keep me going for a while before I have to stop for lunch or whatever and wait for more steamed wood. The barrel holding up the end of the steam pipe is obviously temporary, that mess will be replaced with a few 2x. Also the boiling barrel will have a skirt around it to enclose the flame and I'll have some fire bricks holding it up instead of those old ones pictured. The reason I didn't go with a simple garden hose feed rather than the reservoir barrel is that I don't have running water down at the shop, or at least not very close. whole thing ends up being able to supply me with hopefully a days worth of material to work with. Tomorrow I make the racks that go inside the steam chamber and then on to the 2x stands I mentioned

 

Looks like you are making the Cadillac of a steamer.

L

 

or a Mack truck . . .

 

Peterbuild

Got the first test piece in it now and it should be ready to bend up in about an hour or so. A piece of kiln dried White Oak about the same size as the sills I'm bending for the restoration project i'm working on. I"m leaving it in for 2 hours and then I'll see how pliable it is. The job is T@M so its paying for both the shop and stuff like this steamer, and my time to set it up and dial it in, and the owner is a great guy to work with, very positive and appreciative to be getting the work done. This job is a gift and I'm dam thankful to have it.

cheers
B

todays improvements

 

OK the local guy wants a fortune for his epoxy $70 a gallon, not happening.

which leaves me with two folks left in the running
Pars ( and thank you by the way ) suggestion of Bateau at $45 a gallon
or the ecopoxy stuff at twice that or $90 a gallon ( works out to $84 a gallon in the 24 gallon kit )

I need worst case 40 gallons and more likely 25 depends on how much my wood soaks up but I'm hoping for at least 100 sq/ft coverage pr/g on the laminating and about 400 sq/ft coverage on the finish coats. Which means I should need 30 gallons or slightly less again it completely depends on how much my wood soaks up.

I'm going to order a gallon from each and see how they stack up side by side.

cheers
B

 

You should be buying in bulk at wholesale through a supplier to commercial boatbuilders....don't buy retail in little bits........set up an account with someone like these guys.......http://www.fgci.com/......don't deal with anyone not willing to give a builder's discount....use your construction company name or invent a new company....

 

Also see the larger kit prices from these guys.....

http://www.raka.com/index.html