Sanding
It seems that everyone's least favorite part of boatbuilding is sanding - there just never seems to be an end to the job and you're coughing out dust for days even though you wear a dust mask. But there are a number of ways to cut down on the job and make it less of a chore.
The time to start thinking about sanding is with the first wood that goes on the boat. The more even and fair the wood, the less sanding needed. With strippers, it helps to get the strips as even as possible, especially on the inside where it is harder to sand. Once each strip has been stapled into place, take a minute to check it over from the inside, feeling along the strip to even it up with the previous strip. With stitch-and-glue, line up the panels evenly and avoid making the ties too tight thus pulling the seams into wavy lines. Remove the wire ties before final taping or use duct tape instead of wire so the taped seams will be as smooth as possible.
When it comes time to sand the completed hull, your choice of tools can help. Excess glue can be removed with scrapers. Uneven strips can be faired or evened with a 13° end plane, which is ideal for planing cedar because of its lower angle. Regular block planes are at 20° or more and tend to catch the grain and split the wood. Surforms can leave deep gouges in the wood that take extra time to sand out. Once you get to sanding the wood, there are a number of tools to choose from. Some professional builders use grinders, but unless you are very experienced with them, they can take off too much wood too fast. Better choices for the amateur builder would be a random orbit sander or a pad sanders. The random orbit with a flexible pad is especially good for inside curves. If you prefer to sand by hand, there is an excellent sanding block designed to take a 3x21 belt, or you can try an air file which is a 16" sander available from auto body supply shops.
How you apply the fiberglass can make a big difference in sanding time. Make sure the glass is snug to the wood without air bubbles which will have to be cut out and patched later. Squeegee or brush off excess resin so you don't have pools or drips that require extra sanding. Apply the resins in a relatively clean area so you don't get stuff falling onto the boat before the resins are dry. The same sanding tools that you used on the wood will also be good for the resins, but if you find that your sandpaper clogs, either you need to wash the hull with water and towel it dry or you need to let the resins cure longer.
By thinking ahead and doing some careful work as you go along, you should be able to cut down the amount of time spent breathing sanding dust! If anybody has any additional tips, let me know so I can print them in a future HUT!
On another note, I got a call from the relatives of a boatbuilder who was working on a small pontoon-type houseboat but did not complete it before his death. They would like to give it to someone who is interested in having the boat, so if you'd like more info, give me a call. I have a scale model, drawings, and photos.
