Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

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Obscured by clouds
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Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

Now I've got her home I gave her the once over and under and realise that it's a restoration project - not a big one at the moment, but it will entail:

stripping the hull back to bare wood; re-gluing some suspect spots; cutting out [maybe] an area under the hull where it looks like she was dropped onto something sharp - I have some building veneer which should do the job; taking off the keel band drilling and plugging the screw holes; getting inside where she is very damp and checking for nasties; grinding off the placky car filler at the stern - maybe even cutting the deck out at that point if soft and scarfing in a new piece; replacing all the trim that dropped off on the way home :roll: ; stripping back the 'orrible wood stain from the deck; replacing the formica table top with something new.

then there's the sliding seat which must weigh 15kilos and made from something very solid. :shock: There must be a lighter way to do this. The tiller is also a bit of a lump and would not look out of place on a 30 footer.

I'm not sure about varnishing her to finish off. I'll hold back on a decision until I have a better idea, but I do like that red Finn :D . now does anyone have a recommendation for a decent paint remover - preferably non toxic?

some photos [if they load]

Image

nice lines

Image
Tony



MR 2404 Julia Dream
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JimC
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by JimC »

Obscured by clouds wrote:then there's the sliding seat which must weigh 15kilos and made from something very solid. There must be a lighter way to do this.
There are various techniques/sets of instructions available through Canoe circles. Of course all the Canoe designs involve a curved plank, not a straight one, but the principles should be transferable...
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Brookesy
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Brookesy »

David why are you still messing about with these boats when there is a Fairey Finn out here with your name on it?
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davidh
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by davidh »

Brooksey...not true.... honest guv!

I'm 2 stages removed from this now.... so not guilty m'lud!

And now I've outted myself as having cornish blood (albeit a tad diluted with some welsh) I'm will have to be careful else I'll find myself looking at hiking shorts and the like (this is one step away from wearing a bobble hat...)

D
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Obscured by clouds
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

This evening I stripped out all the hardware from the boat and turned her over - only to find that the 'repair' had given way on the journey home and so had another section on exactly the other side. This area coincided with where she sat on the launching trolley bearers and I fear that the myriad potholes between there and here proved to be too much for her.

After racking my brains on how I was going to fix this setback, I came up with an idea that was my dad's favoured way of fixing cold moulded dinghies. It will entail yet another inspection hatch opposite the one already cut.

grind/sand back all around to bare wood.
drill through centre of the damaged areas
place hefty lump of wood with hole drilled through it inside and something similar on the outside
big old bolt through and tighten up pulling out the stove-in bits taking care in aligning hefty lump along a straight line
glue all the original bits back together with epoxy, making sure the hefty lumps of wood are'nt also bonded down.
when it's all gone off remove those and strengthen the internal structure with some more epoxy and woody bits
fair up the outside and paint [sorry, can't see it been good enough to varnish]
throw away launch trolley and find something better.

here's what I found after an hour or so with the heat gun and scraper:

Image
split

Image
dents
Tony



MR 2404 Julia Dream
N18 276 Sibrwd [ongoing project]
Hirondelle catamaran Kalipse
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Obscured by clouds
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

well a few weekends and late evenings have now progressed the renovation [rather than rebuild or restoration] to something where I can see that there is an end, and I might even get her on the water by Whit.

Once I had stripped the five layers of paint off her hull and ascertained what I needed to do, I turned her over and opened two sections of the cockpit sole up to enable the internals to be done

Image

I bonded in some mahogany veneer at right angles to the original layup and added a longitudinal bulkhead /stringer to take some of the loads experienced whilst trailing.

Next I started on the rather bulky and somewhat ugly centre 'console' which carries the pivot for the sliding seat. I cut it down somewhat and pulled off the delaminated ply from the top, having first taken off the equally bulky and heavy thwart and bearer.


Image

Then I built a new thwart which would be let into the inwhale at the same level as the side deck.

Then I got going with the hot gun, icky stuff and belt sander and managed to get the deck back to a reasonable colour, without taking the top veneer off. OK I lie, I've scuffed through in one or two little spots, just enough to stop me from going further

Image

Tomorrow - replacing manky old mast step, and trial fitting a fireball c/board I have lying around, then a coat of woodseal over everything prior to more scrapping and then painting.
Tony



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roger
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by roger »

Wow Tony you have been busy. I cant wait to see her back on the water.

Roger
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Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
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Obscured by clouds
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

roger wrote:Wow Tony you have been busy. I cant wait to see her back on the water.

Roger
The plan is to have her at the CVRDA bash on August Bank Holiday
Tony



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Nigel
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Nigel »

Obscured by clouds wrote: now does anyone have a recommendation for a decent paint remover - preferably non toxic?
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Rupert »

Obscured by clouds wrote:
roger wrote:Wow Tony you have been busy. I cant wait to see her back on the water.

Roger
The plan is to have her at the CVRDA bash on August Bank Holiday
It will be great to se her at Whitefriars - I'll put an order in for a nice steady breeze!

I think she is going to look stunning back out on the water - exactly what the cvrda is about.
Rupert
Obscured by clouds
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

Started out on the transom this lunchtime.

stripped out the car body filler - shame on you whoever used this :lol: - and took a look under. Not too bad. then I took off the ply webbing stiffeners which were being held up by the transom timber :roll: leaving those two little notches, the purpose of which I have no idea

Image

loads of gaps.

Having looked at all this I did start to wonder if I could actually open the whole of the transom up. the top rail you see here is 35mm x 65mm which would be about what I would want on a 30 footer. Important, yes- it ties the two sides of the transom together not to mention the top of the rudder stock, but do I need it all?

Some advice please


Image

you can see some rough pencil lines along where I would cut if it is feasible. Note the broken joint in the transom. Top and bottom don't actually join up.

Image
having to do this job outside the house, although handy for tea and biccies does have it's downside - Clutter! Here's the new thwart being offered up to the new improved console,
and here a closer look -

Image

an old MR thwart split in two with a maple insert from some floor boarding and a piece of teak like stuff I purloined from the office a few years back [it was heading for the scrap so my conscience is clear :wink: ]

tomorrow - more of the same - hopefully with some better weather.
Tony



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roger
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by roger »

keep it coming Tony. You put me to shame.
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cweed
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by cweed »

Re the transom.......
I personally would respect the integrity of the boat and keep as much as original.
After all, if the transom is altered after 40 years, it's just a small step to upgrade other facets, the sliding seat could be made lighter, more powerful controls for the rig, etc, etc.
Once altered, the boat will never be as 'original'. (But that's just my opinion)
Obscured by clouds
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

cweed wrote:Re the transom.......
I personally would respect the integrity of the boat and keep as much as original.
After all, if the transom is altered after 40 years, it's just a small step to upgrade other facets, the sliding seat could be made lighter, more powerful controls for the rig, etc, etc.
Once altered, the boat will never be as 'original'. (But that's just my opinion)

well, I take your point, but so much of Unit 2/7 is'nt original [not even the transom!] then really anything goes.

Even more difficult is that there are so few piccies of Unit 1 or 2/7 and even then they appear to be experimental setups.

Fact is I suspect that Unit 2/7 [there we are - I'm unsure which number is actually correct!] will need a new transom by next season so unless I can take it back to how the transom was on Unit 1 then I suspect I'll pull out the bits that do nothing. It looks silly like this anyway-

Image

Loads of room inside tho'

a plan view as I set to scraping down inside the hull.

Image
Tony



MR 2404 Julia Dream
N18 276 Sibrwd [ongoing project]
Hirondelle catamaran Kalipse
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Obscured by clouds
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Re: Unit 2/7 - now a restoration project

Post by Obscured by clouds »

a couple of weeks later and the inside of the hull has been painted, the transom sorted [for now], a coat of woodseal applied to the deck and sanded back and now she's ready to turn over for more sanding

Image

all ready to turn

Image

belt sanded back, ready for some fairing, more sanding and then priming/undercoating
Tony



MR 2404 Julia Dream
N18 276 Sibrwd [ongoing project]
Hirondelle catamaran Kalipse
[down to 3!]
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