Rob,

Thanks for the detail, but I am still unclear about my original question. In the photos, it does not look like the edges, which will join the two hulls down the centerline, are straight. It is most visible in the next to last photo Mitchell took, where it looks like the mold has been covered in plastic. It really looks like the hull panel is straight and the centerline edges are curved. Is that just an optical illusion?

- Gardner

On Sat, Apr 4, 2015 at 8:18 PM, Rob Denney harryproa@gmail.com [harryproa] <harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au> wrote:

 

The sides and bottom of the mould are made from flat panels.  A fillet is then added to the corners.  Fillet diameter can vary .  The top limit is 50mm/2" smaller than the side of the mould at any given point.  ie, there has to be a 2" flat for the join.  On the Bucket List prototype, the fillets are constant 100mm/4" diameter  on the chines and the gunwhale.  On the production boat, I am pretty sure the chine radius will be smaller and the gunwhale larger at the bow to give a curved deck and smaller at the beams to give more support.

As long as the top edges of the mould are straight and level, and the mould sides vertical,  the 2 halves fit together easily.  

The bulkheads (and shelves, steps, furniture, etc on the bigger boats) are glued in while the first hull is in the mould.  No need for grinding, trimming, measuring, aligning, temporary fixing, fillets, tabbing and consequent fairing.   It is then demoulded and the second half infused.  The first half, including bulkheads, is then glued on top. Again, no alignment, trimming or straps required, although on the thinner laminates, the hull join flanges will need to be temporarily screwed together.   Job done.  

Prototype Bucket List was not built like this due to time constraints at the infusion stage.  Definitely false economy, but unavoidable.

On Sun, Apr 5, 2015 at 3:50 AM, Gardner Pomper gardner@networknow.org [harryproa] <harryproa@yahoogroups.com.au> wrote:

 

I have a question I have been afraid to ask because there must be an obvious answer I just can't see. All the photos of the hull infusion for BucketList make it look like the hull panel is flat, but that the edges (that will form the deck and keel) are curved. Is that true, or is it just an optical illusion. The only way I can see them fitting together is by bending the hull after it is infused, which seems really hard and counter to the whole idea of making a mold. Can someone explain it to me?

- Gardner