Monday, May 7, 2012

Batboat Rebuild; May 2011

Unfortunately, I didn't get as much accomplished in 2011 as I had hoped due to various reason beyond my control.  Working out in the open outdoors was no help but there was some things of note completed.



Measurements for the arm rest area were measured in scale to two full-profile photos of the original Batboats I and II.


I also went to a billboard place to have the pattern for the fin blown up to scale.  Here it is above laying behind the boat.

On May 21st I got started on the dashboard.  It was moved back 9 inches, in scale to the orignal Batboats I and II.

I made spacers out of  3/4 inch marine plywood.  Two were laminated together for the sides and two were positioned near the middle of the dashboard.

Above are the spacers I used for the left and right sides of the dash.  Each were cut on the cable saw criss-cross to allow the polyester resin and wood flower mixture get a good bond.  It was over doing it but I had a lot of polyester resin on hand.

 The spacers were laminated together.  One is smaller than the other.  This gives me a notch to insert and screw down the dashboard.

When fully cured were then laminated to the sides of the deck with a polyester resin and wood flower mixture and screwed in place.


The dashboard is also of 3/4 marine grade plywood and the same contour of the boat's original.  I put it in to check the fit and the spacer notches held the dash in place well.






I laminated it with 6 oz woven cloth.  Didn't need to do it but I thought it could not hurt.

A week later on the 28th I finished installing the dash.  The side spacers were cured and I added the two near the center.  Those were screwed in place.




On May 30th I got to work on the air scoops.  I think the patters were made from Lowe's corrugated cardboard moving boxes.  They were low priced and the appliance store that gave me cardboard the year before went out of business.

They are in scale to the original Batboats I and II but also had to conform to my deck's contours.

When the patterns looked right I later cut the wood, flipping the patterns over to make the opposite side.



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