Big Stringers are In

November 2, 2014  Hours spent building to date:  297

Tardis grows a little every day

The big stringers that run fore-and-aft through the whole aft end of the boat are in after a lot of fitting and fiddling to get the “egg crate” slots all aligned.  My friend Ray came to help with the installation, since they have to go in exactly parallel to the keel or they bind in the slots.  It went so fast we also put in the stringers that go under the V-berth.

Since clamping to the V-bottom was not an option, we held the stringers in until the glue dried with aluminum clips fastened to what will be the floor of the boat when we turn her right side up.  As with all the other parts of the boat permanently installed so far, epoxy “tack welds'” have been used to hold the boat together until the permanent coving and tabbing with epoxy fillets and glass tape is done. The joints seem extremely strong already.

I am really being a spendthrift in the tack welding by using epoxy-in-a-tube with the unfortunate name of “Thixo.”  Ray and I ran through three tubes at $16.99 a pop.   Thixo is a private label brand of Jamestown Distributors, but my guess is that the manufacturer could be MAS.  I switched to Thixo from West Six 10 because it is about $4 a tube less and I can’t tell any difference in performance or application while using it. Still using WEST for everything else, which relieves my guilt as a 20-year user of nothing but WEST System products.

The time saving is huge using Thixo.  There is no mixing, no adding fillers, no putting into a plastic bag to apply, and it makes a really even bead, especially using Dani, my new power caulking gun.  Run a bead, zip over it with a filleting tool, done.  No matter which brand you use, I think epoxy-in-a-tube is a really great idea.

Ray Smoothing Out a Fillet

Engine Stringers Look Very Strong

Clips temporarily holding stringers

Epoxy “tack weld”

Stringers under the V berth