Wood/Epoxy v GRP laminate

I  read someplace that a cubic foot of plywood epoxy weighs 44 pounds and that a cubic foot of glass reinforced laminate (grp) weighs in at 100 pounds!

The truth can only be known if we weigh sections and find out?

This plug of GRP came from Gulliver of Knysna, an Endurance 37 taken off the rocks near Slangkop Lighthouse, near Kommetjie, South Africa. it weighs 30 grams and was measured to be 25mm thick.
With a diameter of 33mm.

Simple to see we have a 30 grams weight here, a similar diameter plywood epoxy plug but only 21mm thick, weighed only 16 grams, the ratios are close, I need to calculate this a little and see just what the ratio between both materials is?

A simple division gave me just short of 59% lighter with the plywood epoxy laminate, weight means money, it aslo means a slower boat.

Note, the boat this plug came out of has since been to  St Helena and Ascension Isles, Brasil,
Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and very recently back to St Helena in the 2012 Governors Cup Race!

Roy

Update,

I have just checked the plywood cores, they are actually 40mm in diameter, so my percentage difference will change upwards, I note they also weigh 14 grams, new calculations later!

The 40mm diameter x 21mm thick hull skin plug is already more than 50% lighter than the GRP plug, so its starting to look like the original 44 pounds to 100 pounds ratio is correct?

More on this when I have run the calculations.
How to fiind the area of a circle?

This needs to be known before I can weigh up one core plug can be matched to the orther as we have a different diameter and also a different diameter!

The area of a circle formula = Pi r squared

See also http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2013/02/steel-v-grp-or-wood-epoxy.html

The Hillman Imp pneumatic throttle foot control

The Imp is some 50 years old this year, the actual launch date being May 3rd 1963, there will be lots going on in Coventry around May 3rd this year, Linwood, the actual home of the Hillman Imp in Scotland has all but gone, so Coventry to the south and Britains motor city, will suit the event.

A Mk1 Imp throttle control, my first Imp had one of these, the lever actuates a pump, that compresses air which controls a second pump at the Solex carburetor end.

This is the Solex auto choke carburetor and the pneumatic actuator that controls the throttle setting.

My first Imp had this set up, it worked 100% in the time I had that car, this included driving all over Britain and a trip to Germany on holiday. Its said the the makers, Lucas later changed an internal stainless washer to save money, the new washer caused failures and the system was taken out of service.

The Rootes Car Company,Scotland, made the Imp with some extras as standard right from day one, wind down windows, self parking wiper blades, a screen wash, rear opening self supporting rear window, door stowage pockets,deep pile carpets, plus the 875cc all alloy overhead camshaft engine with its Solex auto choke and pneumatic throttle, out of the box it was quite a package!


2nd February 2013.

Roy,

 Attached are a few photos of the pneumatic pedal and carburettor hot air pipes that you can have.  Will get them off to you asap.

Regards,

Brian.

 Brian is a fellow Imp Club member and in New Zealand, he had seen my published request for the foot control in the last Impressions magazine.

The first time I ever saw one of these I was seventeen, that was on my first car a 1963 Hillman Imp.

The Solex carb with the pneumatic throttle control, the black plastic cover hides the bi metal springs which heat up with air from the exhaust manifold.

The two copper pipes are in New Zealand right now, they will be fitted to the rebuilt engine on arrival.

The two copper pipes enter a closed brass tube loop which enters and then exits the cast iorn exhaust manifold, as the air in the tubes is sucked to a chamber in the Solex carb, then passes the bi metal choke springs, the hot air then adjusts the choke to the correct setting!

 

This one will be part of a static Imp engine display and will control the Solex pneumatically controlled carburetor on a 1963 Imp engine I have just built up.

In this picture the engine is actually running, click on the picture and check the clutch cover on the flywheel. The engine and its carburetor are now fifty (50) years old but in fine condition. When Brians two copper heating tubes arrive I will install them to complete the package.

Roy

Springbok Series 2012 Cooper Climax

This was a wonderfull car to see so close, an ex F1 car and here right in front of me!

This is an old car, well about 40 years old plus I guess?

Attention to detail, its just superb.

As it was when new, spotless and brought here for the South African Springbok series in 2012.

 

These carbs will also fit on a Hillman Imp! just a smaller size and the Weber 40 dcoe size.

 

 

Folks, this is what we are missing this year, how sad, I relly did feel privilaged last yeaar to pay my R80 entry fee, it was obviously not quite enough?

 

All pictures by Roy McBride, click on them for a larger view.

 

Roy

 

 

The 2013 Springbok Revival series is cancelled

Last years event was an eye opener for me, we left Hout Bay at an early 7.30am and I wondered why Eric wanted to do this?

Eric Wells chatting to driver Sarel Van Der Mrewe.

 

Pictures by Roy McBride

 

Eric on the pit apron of the new pits opposite the old ones at Killarney.

 

It was soon clear to me that by arriving so early we had just that much more time to meet the drivers not just see their cars.

 

Roy

 

I asked on the WPMC classic car racers forum why the event was not on this year?

 

This was one of the two replies

The event has historically not made money and the powers that be deemed, in their wisdom, it was a no go. Instead of making a go of it, they just caved in. Very frustrating.

 

Join the forum and read lots more about local racing in Cape Town.

http://www.classiccarracers.co.za/forum/viewforum.php?f=32

 

 

 

The first Dix 43 in wood/epoxy construction

John Holmes is standing on the deck in both of these pictures, it was John who took on the job of proping the boat later that day when the crane lowered the boat with its new keel, we still had to remove the 20mm keel bolt nuts and washers to backfill the holes with liquid epoxy.

The plans were for steel construction, Dudley was out sailing the South Atlantic Race to Rio, the build went fine though and a conversion to wood just means we allow for the thicker hull skin, in the case of this boat its 21mm thick (7/8") which is quite a decent thickness.

Pictures by Robert H McBride using an Asahi Pentax ES film camera, the date was January 17th 2000.

Launch day and in the HBYC boat park, the club house is now on the forward part of the same site in Hout Bay Harbour. This was the moment in time when at last the fast lines of the Dix 43 could be seen, she sails as fast as she looks and with great comfort.

Note, at the time we thought this move was probably a very good idea as the mountian behind had been on fire for the past two days!

The Dix 43 can be part kit set supplied, bulkheads and materials only, not the hull and deck skins. The saloon coach roof is a one off to this boat.

Roy

CKD Boats web site hyjacked

Hello folks,

Andrew told us yesterday that the web site was down, checking I find its been hacked into and some other site says the CKD Boats web site is 'Under Construction' which is of course not true.

Ruth, a new blog viewer ( Brer Terrapin ) has just phoned to say she had difficulty contacting me, this is normally done via the info on the web site, we can not fix that right now, please use the following to contact me.

Email to -  roy (at) ckdboats.co.za  - or 27-21-7903859 phone and fax line.

If you wait for a reply and we are not available, please leave a message and contact number, we will get back to you by return.

Normal service will be resumed as soo as possible!

Roy

Retro 29 kit delivery

This kit is rather special, hull number 001 of many to follow I am sure.

For a change it will be built right here in Hout Bay, South Africa, so we can
keep an eye on progress as it happens.

Thats a 29 ft boat on the truck, well the plys at least, we also delivered the 50 kgs of 816 epoxy to glue it all together with. The pine for the building stocks and meranti to stringers will follow as required.

Pictures will open when you click on them.

Check the neat cutting and all the plys on that truck!

A door to door delivery service, at no charge due to the fact the customer is local.

The CNC cutting was on 27 sheets of 9mm ockume marine ply (french) and 1 sheet of 12mm thick, we supplied the rest of the boats plys in this delivery as well.

Exciting times for all involved!

Team talk, the builder, his dad in law and the CNC shop owner.

We can ship world wide, either as a flat pack of plys as in the pictures, or as the full materials list to complete the Retro 29 hull and deck with.

May 2014

Note, the owner builder of this Retro 29 kit set had a change of  plans and was relocated for the best part of a year. He is now back home and we have just delivered his treated pine for the boats building stocks. I will do pictorial updates as I can and as he makes progress.

Roy

Retro 29 kit build is on program.

The builder is clearing a space a corner of his property, there will then be a roofed type structure built to build his Retro 29 under, watch this blog to follow progress.

http://www.dixdesign.com/29Retrodidi.htm

Check the link for more information on this new design.

Roy

Cape Towns Table Mountain range

Seen here from the air, and taken by Tojan on one of his many flights in and out of Cape Town International Airport.

The pictures open up quite well when clicked on.

The view is looking with False Bay below and Muizenberg Beach, the back of Table Mountain is in the distance.

Table Bay is in the distance.

Roy

The UK big freeze

Before we complain about our summer heat and the wind, check out the weather in the English midlands!

Hi,

I just snapped this big ice lolly off the greenhouse roof, it was taller than this but the end broke off.

Dion is just starting to grow his beard again and leaves to meet his ship in Southampton tonight.

Notty.

How to secure boat batteries

Seen here, the straps are simple to install and a low cost item. A box made to take the battery would also work.

The battery on the left has a ply doubler with the 50mm black nylon webbing strap under it, the other battery has the ply doubler underneath it. Both batteries sit on a secure platform, the tails to the webbing have since been cut shorter!

How simple can this be.

Roy