The first stage of fairing up the Zephyr involves plastering the hull with fairing compound.
This compound is a mixture of West System resin, hardener and '413'
grade powder. The powder is mixed in with the resin and hardener until
the concoction has the consistency of peanut butter.
The fairing compound is then applied with a simple gizmo that looks somewhat like a plastic comb with wide blunt teeth. The mixture is applied thick and fast. Fast acting resin hardener ensured that within the hour the whole mixture was well on its way to 'going off'.
Stage two is the hard yacker stage. Its going to be all sanding boards and muscle power. The grooves in the first coat allow for quick and relatively easy sanding. The lay of the long sanding boards combined with a good eye will ensure beautiful full curves and a fair hull.
Stage three will be another coat of a finer sanding compound which will fill the grooves that are left. Additional sandings should produce a beautiful fair hull. I am very lucky to have the help and expertise of my good sailing mate Don who has previously successfully faired 6 Zephyr hulls. 'Slipstream' deserves nothing less than a beautiful fair hull as she undergoes her 60th year birthday renovation.
The big question now is: what colour shall I paint this beautiful fair hull?
2 comments:
I have a love/hate relationship with fairing. I love the end result. I hate the dust!
Yes, dust is a problem for lungs and eyes. I have a full face mask which has protected me in the past from sanding wood - but fairing compound dust is something else! and we should always take the best precautions available. I have been told that the silicone in the finer fairing compound dust is the "new asbestos" - the things we do!
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