Saturday 10 August 2013

A new drop keel idea for a Cape Cutter 19

This one came from Jorgen , a customer in Sweden, the drop keel would normally be made from a sheet of 18mm steel, expensive and so heavy that two can just lift it.

Look what this one was made from!


Click on the picture to see more detail and how the point at the bottom was formed by cutting the 3mm   316 stainless steel plate.

This I like!  more on the subject just now.

Jorgen, thanks on sharing this idea with us, its a great idea and one that may well be copied.

Hello Roy,

I am working on, the centerboard box is now placed and also the stem.

I read about a CH 21 with a different centerboard made of lead, plywood and epoxi.
That article inspired me so I have begin to build my centerboard of two
halves of 3mm stainless sheet metal instead.

So the case (around the lead and the inner frame made by stainless flat steel) is
3mm stainless sheet metal. So instead of milling I bend!
And to get the centerboard heavy enough is no problem with lead.
Probably I can leave the centerboard top "empty" inside for good
weight distribution.

Careful weld and plug weld will close the construction.

Regards from Jorgen

 The stainless steel sections are being test fitted to the plywood dagger board case, when that's proven to work the case will be bonded into the boat.
This 316 stainless steel drop keel may well become an addition to our stainless kit package.

There are quite a number of benafits, extra weight and a lower price being two of them, more on this in another blog to follow.



Roy



What will the internal weight be and how will it be made?

Jorgen and the Cape Cutter 19 designer Dudley Dix have been discussing the idea.
Hi Jorgen,
Yes, casting the lead to the right thickness outside the construction is what I meant by slab form. That way you are not adding more heat to the plates.
If you have round dowels sticking up from the bottom of your mould then the slab castings will have round holes in them. Weld round bar to the side plate in the same positions as the holes then drop the lead slabs over the round bars. The bars will hold the lead and also reinforce the side plates when you plug weld them to the 2nd side.
Regards,
DD