zondag 28 december 2008

Rudder(case) part 3.

I managed to reshape + laminate the leading edge of the rudder, so I could continue with the rudder case. Couldn't find a proper 4 mm thick plastic to mold the case. Instead I wrapped the rudder with the frontrunner fabric, and put two thin hard plastic sheets on top of that. Tried to mold the edge of the flanges with clay, but wasn't satisfied and instead just used an epoxy fillet (also handy to keep the mold plates steady). Once the case is out of the mold I can round off the fillet on the inside of the case.

It worked out well, although the case may be a tiny bit too 'loose'. I'll probably have to make the plastic block at the back of the case 1 mm less wide, to squeeze the case a bit together.
Couldn't think of a good way to put the glass spacer plate in the center of the molded case, and just guesstimated when I glued it on. To glue the tube properly alligned to the spacer plate, I put the case upside down on the rudder and used a piece of tube as can be seen in the picture below. I'm sure this method is not very accuate, but it was the only way to allign the tube I could think of.

In the meantime I'll also work on the centerboard. I wanted to use western red cedar as a core, but changed my mind when I found out in the Netherlands this is not the 'economy option'. Divinycell is cheaper. I think it's quite a big blade; should be easier to shape and laminate than the rudder.

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