The Official "What Did You Do To Your Mac Today" Thread!

[Doc_holiday]

I hate to start a new thread but yesterday I installed a lazy jack system. I have to be honest, I don't like it. It will be a pain to dismantle for trailering and if left up while sailing, it seems to me it would chafe the sails, if let down, it seems it will be noisy with the blocks clanging on the boom.

I used 1/4" stay set and it was too difficult to put loops in the rope. The fid is just too big even though it's the smallest one I had. So I just bagged it and put bowlines in. Looks like crap.

Then, because they are two sets, making them even was hard. Do you guys that have this have one rope to control both sides?

Do you deploy it when you're ready to drop the sails only then once the sail is down and tied, let it free so you can install the cover?

I know this is operator error and installer weakness.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Do you deploy it when you're ready to drop the sails only then once the sail is down and tied, let it free so you can install the cover?

I have the Sail Cradle from Sail Rite so I could remove it from the boom and stow it like you said. But I didn't like it's limited function so I modified mine. I leave it up now when I sail and ease it out so it doesn't chafe the sail. Someday I'll get my sailcover modified so I can permanently leave it attached to the boom.
Lazyjacks are really nice to have. You don't have to deal with sail spilling all over the cockpit. A topping lift is the other side of easy mainsail management.

http://www.sailcare.com/sailcradle.shtml

 

[Yosi]

I just purchased the hardware to install lazy jack myself. I also purchased 50' of bungee thinking I'll replace some of the lines with bungee so that when sail is deployed I can pull the lazy jack to the mast. Haven't built the system yet.

 

[Doc_holiday]

I am going to have to install some shackles so I can undo it when I transport. I did work out a few things in that I will deploy it before I drop the sail, othwrwise it will be pulled down along the boom. I also ran I installed a line today for reefing. A lot going on on the boom now.

I ran the lazy jack and main sail through its paces. Not as clean as I thought but no sail spilling. My reefing needs work tho.

Dang it! when refolding the sail to put it back in the bag it dragged across some dog poop

 

[finding41]

I went shopping again... 2 500gal/ hour builge pumps, 2 90* through hulls, 2 ores for the dinghy, 50' of 1" OD and 3' of 1" ID aluminium tubing to build an arch. And some aluminium braising rod.
I found out what I did wrong with my Laz hatch cover too. (Other thread.)

 

[finding41]

I forgot about the 25 SS clamps I found for $5 today. Also got a new wire brush (I have to write shop on it so no one uses it on the BBQ.), some cut off grinder disks and a 36x12 roll of 80 grit sandpaper for $2. (3M has a plant in my city.)
I am going to sand down my tiller handle and coat it with epoxy. So I filled the holes that a PO had drilled to bolt on a tiller extension. I used a piece of pine. (A branch from our old X-mass tree. It is dry and just like dowelling.) I used a polymer glue that foams and expands. Not that it has any room to as I pounded the dowels in after glueing the freshly drilled hole.
I really like how this glue works. Especially for putting together IKEA stuff! It keeps over the winter in a frozen shop too. (Carpenters glue... Not so much.)
I'm no happy with the finish on this tiller handle. It has degraded more on the South side and top than the rest of it. (I thought I had finished this tiller handle but was wrong. I did the other one last year and am yet to use it.)
Yea! One less thing on the list!
After the glue on the plugs dry I'll cut them flush and sand the tiller handle. Then a coat of epoxy or 2.
The tube in the picture is the 1" ID tube for joining the other pieces.

 

[Doc_holiday]

Why not use some helmsmen polyurethane. Why epoxy and make things difficult?

 

[StinkBug]

I finally got around to finishing the suspension and axle work on my trailer. I broke a rib snowboarding a couple weeks ago and it's kept me from getting anything done, but it's finally rolling again.

The original axle was bent and falling apart so I decided to start fresh with everything new from the frame down. Welded new spring hangers onto the frame and replaced all the bolts, springs, shackles, u-bolts, axle, bearings, seals, etc. To build the axle with the same amount of drop as the original I bought a pair of square shank spindles that press fit into the same 2"x.250wall square tubing I used for the main axle beam. This made it easy to clamp everything together and keep it all straight for welding.

 

[finding41]

Why not use some helmsmen polyurethane. Why epoxy and make things difficult?

I have a couple gallons of epoxy here for the DB and laz hatch cover that I'm building.
I'm not sure if I've seen helmsmen polyurethane lately.... Someone keeps taking all the oil based products off the shelves at every hardware store here in Ontario.... Something about environmental something or other... I know I'm out at the shop because I used the last of mine last spring on the other tiller handle. I havent been down the finish isle in the hardware store in months either...
The epoxy I have dries clear so I think it will be a fine product for my handle.
I'm planning to use it on the table too.

 

[ffaubert]

The epoxy I have dries clear so I think it will be a fine product for my handle.
I'm planning to use it on the table too.

I don't think epoxy has UV protection built in. You might want to cover the epoxy with a few coats of Flecto or something.

Flecto makes an exteriour coating that has UV protectants in it as well as being able to expand and contract with the wood (no cracking or crazing). It's available at Home Depot in London.

 

[walt]

I did a little "back yard" sailing not long ago and always enjoy some project - even if its completely not needed.

Many years ago, the family did a few one week trips to Lake Powell with four humans and two dogs - which means that there isnt much room to move around and I dont remember the details but the plastic door with access under the sink got busted - probably involved a certain dog getting stepped on by a kid..

So I made the new door as shown in the pictures. I had a AA battery charger attached to to the door and just removed it recently. I also had a throw carpet on the floor just below what is shown in the pictures and finally threw it out as it accumilated both dirt and dog hair - and it weighed about 5 pounds dry, lots more when soggy.

FYI, the door is made from oak with some glass cloth/epoxy laminate on both sides. You can see some of the glass weave showing through. The extra places to store stuff probably has helped keep it from any sort of warping and its ended up being tough. I just used a UV varnish for the final coat.

 

[finding41]

How would UV damage resin? I guess it does... http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?69536-UV-damaged-epoxy-what-happens
So I'll try and find some helmsmans varnish. I'd rather do it once the right way. (Thanks for the heads up!)
Today I worked on the rudders. I ran them through the planer and then hit them with the belt sander. I took off a triangular chunk from the leading edge of each with my skill saw first.
I drew lines on the back edge ware I wanted to stop sanding at and sanded that edge first working toward the middle of the rudder. Then I sanded the leading edge to the centre line I had drawn and kind of worked my way back. Working from the leading edge you can feel how the shape is coming out. So I sanded the high spots to get a nice flow going back and along the length. I used 36 grit on the belt sander and 100 grit on a sanding sponge to even things out a bit more. I still have work to do on the one in the picture. It started to rain so there was a mad dash to get cleaned up outside.... (Go figure... Rain!)
The other rudder suffered lamination failure again! This time while I was sanding it. So now it is glued with a polyurethane glue and is clamped. I'll leave it for a few days again... I hink it may have something to do with the rain and wet lumber. The poly glue loves moisture so that wont be a problem any more.
I was planning to just give each rudder a thin coat of tight weave cloth but now I've changed my mind. I'm going to cover each with glass and Kevlar. I have about 40'x 3'.
I think I will try and rig some type of vacuum bag process for them. I'll see what I can come up with.
I got the hard part of the playhouse up today! It was in 2 big pieces on my back lawn and my neighbour, his son and a buddy moved it. The closest part in the picture must weigh 600lb. The other part (the high back piece)is a good 300lb. It took all we had to get it into place. (We should have had another guy helping.)

 

[Kestle]

I hate to start a new thread but yesterday I installed a lazy jack system. I have to be honest, I don't like it. It will be a pain to dismantle for trailering and if left up while sailing, it seems to me it would chafe the sails, if let down, it seems it will be noisy with the blocks clanging on the boom. I used 1/4" stay set and it was too difficult to put loops in the rope. The fid is just too big even though it's the smallest one I had. So I just bagged it and put bowlines in. Looks like crap. Then, because they are two sets, making them even was hard. Do you guys that have this have one rope to control both sides? Do you deploy it when you're ready to drop the sails only then once the sail is down and tied, let it free so you can install the cover? I know this is operator error and installer weakness.

You don't need blocks. Just use an eye splice. That's what we do. Also, stow them when sailing by pulling them to a point near the gooseneck, then use tape to hold them in place. One good yank and they're free.

Jeff

 

[Doc_holiday]

Thanks Jeff ,

I rigged a single line to both on the front of the mast. I can release it and pull the whole contraption back and under some unused cleats.

I am going to install small shackles at the first pulley so I can take them apart easy for transport. I only move the boat with mast down a few times a year so I want it to be easy but quiet.

So you sail with yours up or stowed in the down position? If I leave it deployed, I'm worried it will chafe the sail

 

[Doc_holiday]

Finding. I know here, they sell Helmsmen at Home Depot.

 

[Justin_NSA]

This weekend I remounted my outboard after I did the annual service to it. The wind was calm for a change so I put my sails on. Then I cleaned, polished and waxed the hull so it would be ready to put in the slip. I have 2 fresh coats of bottom paint.
A fellow member stopped to chat and pointed up at my wind indicator. One of the aft tabs is loose. I thought I was ready for the water but I'll have to drop the mast to fix the tab before I lose it. It's only a year old, the birds bent the old one, The new bird spike isn't a cure all. *&&^%$# birds!

 

[finding41]

I found Helmsman at my local Home Hardware. http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/i...Ntk-All_EN/R-I1877730?Ntt=Ext+Clear+Fin+Stain
I'm kind of surprised it's available. I'll get a can tomorrow.
I can use it on the wood pieces on the Siren 17 too. I have to replace all the wood on it! Cabin top railing things, hatch guides and the winch board. I have the wood in the rafters of the garage waiting.
I sanded my rudders again and broke one and finished the other.

 

[ffaubert]

Marty, are the breaks happening along the glue joints? Would doweling help?

 

[finding41]

Marty, are the breaks happening along the glue joints? Would doweling help?

Yes along the glue (epoxy) line. Doweling wouldn't really help because the epoxy is breaking. (I have a biscut jointer and could have used it but it was only 4 boards and I could line them up easily enough.)
I think it has something to do with the moisture in that end of the board.
Each rudder is made of half of a 10' 2x12. I cut it in half then ripped each into 4 pieces. I kept each boards pieces together so I could flip and turn every other board and have it not warp if it ever gets wet. When I epoxied them together I clamped both rudders at the same time with the same clamps. (Ie; 8 boards together.)
The other rudder is still fine...? Oh well, this one will be too. But the failure is the reason I have decided to use a heavy weave cloth to cover both of them. It's a Kevlar and glass weave. Crazy strong! (I'm told it's used in the floor for blast supression on the Striker personnel carrier vehicles.)
I got my tiller handle sanded after a random orbital sander failure... The head broke off! (Porter Cable... come on...) I didn't want to drive over to the shop and get the Ryobi one so I fixed this one. I used LocTite on the screws too. (Something they didn't do...). It works as good as it ever did. (Not as well as the Ryobi but it's what I found first when looking in the shop last week.)
I picked up some Mariners varnish and got one coat on tonight.
It looks good except for the odd bang and scratch.
I got my dock in today with the help of my dock mate Ron. It went well.
We are the first to get in again. (I don't know what those retired guys do all day...)

 

[caguy]

I got my dock in today with the help of my dock mate Ron. It went well.
We are the first to get in again. (I don't know what those retired guys do all day...)

I like the story that Robert DeVall tells the young rookie Sean Penn in the movie Colors.

There's two bulls standing on top of a mountain. The younger one says to the older one: "Hey pop, let's say we run down there and have us one of them cows". The older one says: "No son. Lets walk down and have 'em all".