April 7, 2019
With family visiting from out of town yesterday, the Allied 24 sat quietly awaiting continued work, which would not come until Sunday. I wanted to get to the completion of filling the few voids and altered structures (i.e hatch frames, hatches, etc.). I also wanted to continue the fairing process for the many fastener holes, chipped gelcoat and voids that I had previously filled with thickened epoxy. Often times, fairing work is an iterative process of layers of fairing compound; putting too much material on in one application inevitably brings on much sanding. Endless sanding is not the goal!
So, on that subject, I brought the 5" and 6" DA random orbital sanders to the boat, along with the vac system. I worked the old eyebrow trim fastener holes first, beginning on the aft starboard side of the coachroof. I had applied light-ounce cloth and a skim coat of fairing compound previously, and it was time to sand and reapply a subsequent layer of fairing compound. With the 5" sander, I worked my way forward to the peak of the coachroof, and at the peak also sanding the top and port-forward side of the coachroof, and finally completing the port side of the eyebrow trim fastener holes.
Next, I spent a good deal of time in the cockpit, sanding the ongoing work associated with the old icebox hatch, the molded fiberglass coaming structure, various holes and voids, as well as hand-sanding the hatch and seat gutters. With the cockpit area complete for the time being, I turned my attention to the fiberglass and fairing work.
After cleaning the dust from the sanding and wiping the surfaces down with a solvent, I began the rebuilding work on the poop deck. The focus on the poop deck were the taff rail fastener holes, the lazarette hatch hinge holes, and the molded hatch frame itself. For the larger holes, I sanded and wiped clean the underside surfaces and then painted them out with epoxy resin. I then applied a small square of 1708 biaxial cloth to act as a backing plate, and then finished off the exterior surface with a layer of fairing compound (thickened epoxy).
On the lazarette hatch frame, the port-froward corner lip/overhang had been cut out. I wanted to repair this to replicate the balance of the hatch frame, so I painted the surfaces with epoxy resin and applied a wet out layer of 1708 biaxial to form the base to which I could build upon. I had previously ground a taper in the top portion of the hatch frame. I braced the layer of 1708 biaxial to encourage it to maintain proper shape, and then applied some thickened epoxy over that. For now, I complete my work on it with laying a layer of 10oz cloth, followed by another layer of thickened epoxy. This will require additional glass and fairing.
I reapplied skim coats of fairing compound to the port side deck and seating.
I moved over to the starboard seat, applied fairing compound to the old icebox hatch repair, as well as places here and there that required it.
I headed to the forward portion of the cockpit, and applied fairing compound to old fastener holes on the bridge deck and forward vertical surface of the cockpit well.
I finished the cockpit with filling old fastener holes on the aft bulkhead surfaces.
I moved forward and began applying skim coats to the many eyebrow trim fastener holes, beginning on the starboard side of the boat.
I also reapplied to the forward portion of the coachroof.
Finally, I finished by working my way down the port side of the boat. The larger area of the mast step and core repair, on top of the coachroof, is yet to be faired - just visible underneath the towels at the top-left in the photo below.
I brought the cockpit locker hatches into the workshop to do some fiberglass work on them. The port hatch had a large hole cut in lip - likely to allow a electrical cord to access the battery charger that was housed in this locker. I applied a layer of 1708 biaxial to the ground out area, and then filled the weave with thickened epoxy - more work to come on this. I also applied a layer of 10oz cloth to the outboard and underside edge of the hatch. The hatches were secured to the cockpit seat with a piano hinge, and with the owner wanting to apply a different hinge compliment, the holes would have to be filled.
On the starboard hatch, I filled a 6" to 8" void I ground out where the edge of the core material transitioned back to the solid glass (on the outboard edge), and like the port hatch, I applied thickened epoxy to this void as well as a layer of 10oz cloth. I also applied fairing compound to small voids in the laminate.
Total Time Today: 6.75 hrs
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