FRP Suming Up

FRP - Fiber Reinforced  Plastic

Fiber Reinforced Plastics(F.R.P) was founded during ‘The World War ll’ and  it is commonly use in boat building industry now days.  F.R.P has a lot of advantages for instant, cost effective, design flexibility, and excellent material for sensitive electrical equipment. Also, it has strong durability and corrosion resistant. In addition,it has high heat distortion and water proof. safety


Hazards


*Fire - Resin : Pluester and epoxy resins are flammable ; they have
                              a low flash   point(31c)
      Catalysts :  It can explode if heated rapidly. Catalyst soaked
                              rags  should be put in buket od water or  
                              kept  damp.
          Solvent : Acetone is highly flammable and its vapour is heavier
                                             than  air.


Health


Styrene vapour - Styrene Monommer
Glass fibre       - ventilation
Solvent            - rubber gloves and repirator



CATALYSTS

Methyl Ethyl Keton Peroxide (M.E.K.P)


This is the most commonly used catalyst with polyeser resins. It is extremely harmful to skin (eye) - Personal safety equipment need.


ADVANTAGES OF FRP

Abile to make various type of shapes, can be moulded easily and moderate cost.

High strength, good chemical resistance, does not rot, low maintenance

On theory class, we measured the gel(harden) time of gel coat and polyester. In 20 degree of temperature, our class put 2.5% of M.E.K.P into the both gel coat and polyester resins. These resins has short setting(gel) time.Polyester cured in 12minutes and 22minutes later, gel coat had cured. It means we should prepare and make specific working plan when we use both materials.  

As gel coat become solid soon, we also need to wash the tools quickly after using. When I tried to use air brush the top of small hole was blocked by hardened gelcoat. For using tools again cleaning is extremely important.

Moreover, the safety issue is really considered. I was in the workshop without a respirator, and I could not stand no more 5 minutes. It brang some headache and nausea. Those resin or catalyst are very harmful for our body. It can brought skin trouble, in particular,if the liquid get into eyes, it might make serious problems. Therefore, we need personal safety equopments when we deal with these kind of chemical materials.  

Boat Construction (2)

Next task is to build two shelves to be placed between the galley and the berth to create some strage room.

Cutting list

Ply wood :  Upper shelf:  450(lower base), 320(top side), 1010(height) x 12(mm)  

        Lower shelf:  360(lower base), 250(top side), 986(height) x 12 

 Yellow cedar:  Doubler : 15 x 20 x 1200(mm)

Safety bars: 30 x 50 x 2000(mm)

I found it helpful to use skills learned from small craft project in particular, bevelling which gave me a good sense of fitting two pieces of wood. Therefore, I could make faster than before. 

I built two exact size shelves to complete two level shelf unit with existing support frame. It did not work out well. Turns out the suport was not parallel. I had to build another one to fit in the given width which gave me a lesson to double check - measure twice!

I have been learned that the real boatbuilders sand edges of doublers all time to create curves even for the inside. From what I learned from the shelf project, I did make sure to measure everything twice this time. I used a combination square and kept check a level. I glued dubblers with epoxy (the West system) on the bulkhead and hold with a clamp hold still. 

After that, I made saftey bars to avoid objects falling off from the shelf in sheaking boat. As my tutor requested, I rabbeted the bottom with the rauter table to fit on the end of the shelf. Also, I trimed and sanded other edges as well.

Boat Construction (1)

   This is the last project of my course, boat construction. My class were in charged of 'Willson 8m boat'. Before we starting, former  CAT students has already made basic shape of hull. Therefore, our main jobs were making a cabin top and interior construction such as cockpit, toilet, galley, and berth. Also, we needed to consider about electical wiring and water pipe things.   

   Every students had different roles and my duty was making 'chilly bin boxes'. I had to make two boxes and it would be positioned in the middle of hull where was next to kitchen sink and the other one was behind of cockpit.

  My tutor brought his chilly bins and I began to design. There were few things that I making allowance for my chilly bin boxes. 1. The chilly bins are able to put in and taking out from the box easily.

2. It should be used for seat when the box is closed.

3.Both boxes should be parallel and have same height.   

I drew concept designs and thought about placements. However, I met severial difficulties while I working on this. Firstly, being different size of two chilly bins, it was hard to make them parallel. Moreover, if the boxes were located against the side bulwark, it might not open the cap properly because of side deck (cabin coaming(camber)). If I turned the boxes horizontally, the corridor between cockpit and galley become too narrow. In addition, my tutor wanted to have a wide space for fishing. Thus, the plan of making  chilly bin boxes were stopped and postponed.    

After that I had another job which was making fish pole lockers. They would be located inside of bulwark. I made a sample locker and tried out but my tutor decided to postpone it again. 

Finally, I helped others. One of my classmate was making a sole so, we made dubbler and baveling together.

Small craft(10)

  The last step was making seats. We also call it as 'thwart'. It has to be strong level board for sitting and rowing or fishing. I prepared six wood blocks for supporting the thwarts. The inside of hull was not straight so it was not easy to make the right angle. Moreover, fitting the thwart into the right position was also very challenging and tricky. I spent quite long time to do that. However, once I understood how to do, it became an interesting job.  

 1. Firstly, decide the heights of bench and draw the line. Put down the bench on the position of sheer. Use a combination square and find the point 'A' which is the edge of ruler and the heights of the seat line. Draw another line on the side of the thwart 'B'. From this, we can know that 'B' is going to be the point 'A'.

  2. With a sliding bevel, find the angle of inside of hull at the point 'A'. To make sure, the handle of the sliding bevel has to be vertical from the centre line.

  3. Put the sliding bevel onto the thwart and draw the angle line from the point 'B'. Cut off along the line.

   Unfortunately, our thwarts had some problem. They did not stick perfectly, so I had to glue them again. I guess when we make epoxy resin, the amount of hardener was not enough due to pumping too fast.   While I was doing that job, I found that the middle of timber was not square so it became twisted and had a gap. To fix it, I had to sand them pretty much and after reparing it had become too thin. As a result, I had to attach another timber underneath the thwart. 



All three thwarts fitted really accuarately. They were all level!



I drilled on the thwart for fixing on. I used two different size of drills. One for pilot drill and one size bigger drill for making clean hole. It was my last job for making our small craft.

Other members did sealing with  epoxy timber sealer and timber sealer hardener (1:1 ratio)



Finish finish finish finish~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Small craft(9)

   There were four members in my group and we divided by two group again. 

   My group made a skeg and the other prepared to make gunwales.

  

   We used 'Oregon' timber as the skeg. The bottom of skeg has to be level with the strongback. The end part has to be same slope with the transom. Gave some radius at the edge part. Later we laid a strong and thin timber from the skeg to the stem. Then hammered copper nails into them.



Skeg



Other members steamed gunwales and glue them.



We made a support to do  internal jobs

Eventually, our boat had been upside down.  I felt rewarded because I  thought our boat had completed. However, I and my group still had many things to do. At the first, we got rid of glue things which were formed around the chines and the stem.

Our group made knees for support corners of our boat. We used rabbeting to make strong knees. Also, we made a front knee by laminating skill. http://www.diy-wood-boat.com/Rivets.html I also get some information from this site.



  

To make a stronger hull, we added skids inside and outside. Especially, outside one were designed as a streamlined shape to allow for water resistance.  

We also drove copper nails into the front knee. Riveted them with roves. 

Day skkipper

safty
weather
fire
sign
map

Small craft(8)

  We glued and clamped the hull on the chine and the keel. We had to glue from the front(bow part), because of a huge tension. If glued from the transom, it would be very hard to band or causing a cracking.  

We had to use scarfing again for joining the bottom and the side. The chine line starts clearly from the transom, but the middle of bow, it becomes vague and finally, it is finished smoothly at the stem. That's why we had to find the intersecting point of two timbers(bottom and side). Also, the point must be same on the opposite side. To make sure, we made right angle cuts on the both of the timbers and fitted them together. We gave some beveling on the both of overlap parts before glue them.







 We fixed with nails



Removed all of offcut between the bottom and the side with a block plane and sandpapers to make perfect sharp chine lines.