Tiki 21 fiberglass

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Anonymous (not verified)
Tiki 21 fiberglass
I have plans to build the Tiki 21, I would not want to build in plywood, someone could suggest me asolid fiberglass laminate ? Grateful
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 fiberglass
I wouldn't recommend using a solid glass lay up as the glass required to achieve adequate stiffness would be unacceptably heavy IMO. I would suggest a foam core construction. Some people have built large flat panels of glass and foam and then fabricated the hulls from these panels. You can build one hull as a male mold and then skin it with glass, foam and more glass. This method requires lots of fairing on the exterior surface if you want a nice finish. you can build female molds and layup the hull with gel-coat against the mold for a finish. Building a female mold is much more work than building a hull. Wharrams are usually built of plywood /glass/epoxy because this is the least expensive method to build a boat of this style and size. A well built plywood boat can last indefinitely wiXth proper maintenance.Wood is also the only fiber that is able to flex repeatedly without structural deterioration. Without proper construction and maintenance they will rot. You can also purchase foam/glass hulls from us and complete the balance of the boat yourself if that suits you. The laminate schedule we use on our small hulls is as follows. We spray gel-coat into a female mold followed by a layer of 3/4 oz chopped strand mat and then a layer of 1708 bi-axial unidirectional glass material. Then we vacuum bag a layer of 3/8" Divinycell foam followed by an inner skin of 1708. We use vinyl-ester resin for the outer skin for better osmosis resistance. We also add another strip of 1708 material around the top flange to thicken the area of the hull/deck joint. David http://www.boatsmithfl.com [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/4068093985_2f1d2a4949.jpg[/img] [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2460/4068176951_6966afc708.jpg[/img] [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2766/4068176599_f0cea48d15.jpg[/img] [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2533/4068938168_5be41b916b_b.jpg[/img]
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 fiberglass
Hello David, This guys issues are [i]cost, availability and transporting materials[/i]. He has posted on numerous forums asking this question. I think he is starting to understand the mold process is more than the average backyard builder should tackle. Not so sure he gets the weight issue. He last asked about flat panel construction based on an article by Richard Woods in regards to panels without foam. Made me think about it for a few seconds before moving on. Seems to me he is the perfect candidate for your hulls. Hope the Winter Gathering down your way went well. Wish I could have been there to meet Richard. Best wishes.
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 fiberglass
Actually are 4 questions: 1 of my attempt at building with wood was terrible 2 I want to build in my beach house and transport of plywood is expensive materials to make in fiberglass to take some trips in my car 3 of the article by Richard Woods and the method used by Pau Fischer talk about the use of fiberglass instead of plywood without a mold http://www.evecom.nl/multihulls/multihull%20designs/Woods/flat.panel.bui... 4, the resale value of a wooden boat here in my country sucks
Anonymous (not verified)
Re: Tiki 21 fiberglass
I understand your concern on expenses; we all are watching our money these days. My curiosity is why are materials there any more expensive than elsewhere? If plywood is so expensive there then what about epoxy prices and availability? It will take a lot of it. Plywood became the material of choice years ago for the home builder for two main reasons. 1. Cost 2. Ease of use. If you’re building a boat only for it’s resale value then your going to need to do an excellent job no mater what material you chose. Many things determine the resale value of a boat: not just materials and a poorly finished GRP hull will not bring much anywhere. The two designers you mention above talk about the flat panels you like. Have they provided you with more information on the method? Transporting materials is an issue for most all of us if we live far from the source. I have had to get material (both epoxy and BS1088 ply) shipped to my location from several hundred miles away. A nice Wharram Tiki 21 however can be built from materials at the local lumberyard and many have already done it. You mention a bad experience on your attempt to build in wood. What did you build and what methods did you use? I don’t think anyone is trying to discourage you here or anywhere else, it’s just that if the method was easy, cost effective and yielded a better boat a lot of people would be doing it and the information on how to do it would be readily available.