Dopo un Mese!

Dopo più di un mese torno a combinare qualcosa dul Tiki... Potendo andarci solo nei fine settimana purtroppo succede che passa un'eternità di tempo prima di avere una giornata totalmente libera! Tra l'esame di stato che mi ha portato via quasi tutto novembre e qualche gita qua e là è arrivato dicembre e due nevicate!

Tutti i pezzi su cui ho lavorato sono al coperto in casa, ma moltissimi avanzi delle tavole sono all'aperto, seppur sotto una tettoia; comunque il compensato sembra resistere decisamente bene, non si deforma e conserva il colore originale, per cui ho approfittato di questa giornata per fare tutte le paratie del secondo scafo con gli "scarti" delle prime tavole e dargli la prima mano di resina.

Temperatura 10°, vediamo che succede, non dovrebbero esserci troppi problemi dato che è solo uno strato di resina a dover maturare e non una parte di stucco spessa qualche centimetro e poi degli amici mi hanno sempre detto che lavoraravano con la resina anche a 4°-5°...

Settimana prossima darò la seconda mano e poi dovrò traslocare un pezzo di cantiere a orvieto :)

The first sand, The second hand, The first mistake

Dalla lettura di svariati libri sull'autocostruzione di barche notavo che ogni autore aveva le sue preferenze nelle tecniche di stesura della resina, ma su di una cosa erano tutti d'accordo: dare la seconda mano il prima possibile, entro un giorno in genere, addirittura con la resina non ancora del tutto polimerizzata "quando si preme con il dito sulla resina e si lascia solo una leggera impronta, allora si può dare la seconda mano".

Ora, per quello che mi riguarda avevo sempre avuto po' di sospetto verso queste affermazioni; mi immaginavo infatti di aver a che fare con qualcosa di estremamente vischioso in cui la levigatrice avrebbe finito per impantanarsi... Quindi, con la massima tranquillità, ho steso le mie prime mani di resina sui pezzi tra il sabato e la domenica lasciando per il weekend successivo la scartavetratura e la seconda mano.

Appena ho iniziato a lavorare con la levigatrice ho capito cosa intendevano gli autori, quando consigliavano di non far passar troppo tempo per evitare poi di perdere ore a levigare... Dopo una settimana la resina è durissima!

Oggi comunque siamo in tre, per fortuna, e ci diamo il cambio alla levigatrice altrimenti il lavoro sarebbe veramente stancante: uno leviga, gli altri resinano e così si va avanti per tutta la giornata...

Verso la fine quando i pezzi iniziano a essere pronti non si resiste dalla voglia di metterli vicini per vedere l'effetto che fanno; ed è allora che ci accorgiamo che il costruttore (io) ha fatto una gran cavolata; volendo costruire un solo scafo per volta avrei dovuto resinare due lati opposti di due pezzi che vanno a unirsi e non lo stesso lato su ogni pezzo..........

Poco male, farò due scafi alla volta, penso che farò anche prima!

Ora non rimane che preparare i supporti da attaccare alle paratie,

Epoxy resin

I chose a type of epoxy which is currently used by a number of boatbuilders here in Italy. Not the most expensive nor the cheapest.

the epoxy set

I noticed the epoxy spreads well by the use of a squeegee. The work is done fast and nice. Brushes are used to complete the edges and small parts.
The weather is stable with a pleasant temperature between 15 and 24°C; not too much to accelerate the epoxy nor too cold to delay the cure of the resin.

the hull

The epoxy donates a warm, relaxing tone to the plywood, highlighting the wood grain. To be honest I spent lot of time looking again and again at the completed work.

Insects love to commit suicide in wet epoxy. That's one of the downside while working in the open air. They will be sanded off.  

Next week I'll sand the parts and spread the second hand of resin.

Tiki in Brittany

While I was sailing along Brittany, I discovered this beautiful Tiki 31 (maybe 38?) sailing around Point du Raze, close to the port of Loctudy.

I really like the white sails with a strip of different color. What about a blue strip for my Tiki? It's a long way until I have to arrange for the sails...let's come back to woodworking.

Back from holidays I noticed the summer storms made a damage in the roof, but all the supplies were well protected and no damage happened.

I'm currently making the connections between timber strips, for the keel and sheer stringers. The advise of a real carpenter would be really appreciated, yet I have to help myself and find a way to do a nice job.

To name a boat

Give the proper name to a boat it's quite difficult, but I feel it would be unlucky to continue the building without a name. For the moment I'll call it "Goletta Bianca" which is the italian name for the common tern, a marine bird.

Ireland

The shed is closing for a while. It's time to visit Ireland.

Everything is tidy up and protected from sun and rain. By the end of August I will start with epoxy.

Draw, cut. Again and again

I'm trying to cut as much parts as I can, since plywood sheets tend to warp under their own weight.
Then I cut a bit of everything: deck, bow, aft and rudders.

The aim is to have all the parts ready to be treated with resin when I will come back from holidays.

the aft and the bow

the aft deck

an overall of pieces

Let's start

After several months passed by studying the projects and searching for the construction site, I finally started cutting the first plywood sheets.

It's easy and satisfying. Bulkheads and hull pieces come out from the plywood in seconds.

The equipment needed:
- a ruler
- a pencil
- a jigsaw
- a slender strip wood to trace the curvature of the keel.

here the aft is coming out

the bulkheads

the three pieces composing a half hull. will I be able to get out from the shed with the entire hull??

air mask needed. the cut makes a lot of dust

The Supplies

First thing: the shopping list.

Building plans are clear, they provide a breakdown of all the supplies needed. To start with construction you will need:
- Plywood
- Epoxy
- Timber

Epoxy
There is a wide range of prices for the epoxy resin on internet. I decided to use a product with good reviews from boatbuilders and quite affordable for my pockets. I chose the "standard speed" reaction which is recommended for an average temperature of the environment.
Along with epoxy resin come the fillers (microballons, wood powder, colloidal silica) and the consumables (gloves, mixing cups, protective mask).

Plywood
Plywood is produced in sheets of 310 x 153 cm and various thicknesses. I can't afford all the plywood needed for the entire boat at the moment, then I start with a limited amount, just to begin with the construction of one hull.
I saved some money with direct pick-up of the plywood, yet the transportation on the top the car was quite tricky.

Timber
Like the plywood I decided to get the timber necessary to build just one hull. The search for adequate timber is quite easy as is mainly light wood, like pine or similar and with standard cross-section.

The Quest for a Construction Site

I chose the boat (Wharram - Tiki 21).
The friends gifted me the construction plans.
Let's look for the shed and the construction will start soon.

I currently live in Milan, Italy, a big city where people live in small apartments without a personal garden. The search for a shed it won't be easy.

Starting from February the search for the construction site is officially open. These are my requirements:

- enough space, at least 7x3 meters! (prefereably 7x5)
- a shelter to the rain would be great
- electric power
- cheap!
- close to where I live

The search lasted for a very long time. I tried several approaches, from the cultural associations to the farms, from the abandoned factories to the oratories. The answer was always the same: "Man, you have passion and building a boat is a big challenge, yet it would not be great to have you here around for a long time, making noise and who knows what else!" 

Then I asked to the friends of AIVA CVC (the member's association of Centro Velico Caprera) and finally I received a positive answer from a gentle lady who owns a house in the countryside near Milan.
A house, a personal garden, it seems we've got it!

that's one of the place were I asked for "hospitality": a breeding farm of peacocks