Engine Bed Inserts for twin SD20 Yanmar Sail Drive units

This photo is a bit out of order but while I'm finishing up the centerboards, I wanted to get going on the engine mounts.  These parts were cut from 1/2 in. 6061-T6 Aluminum plate.

These beautiful parts were water jet cut by the guys at Versatile Supply in Bingen Washington.  http://www.vsisurplus.com/ ( see active link on the list at right)   They have a brand new "state of the art" water-jet cutter that generates 87,000,000 PSI ! The machine  introduces small rubies into the stream while it controls X &Y to within a thousands of an inch and it has a curf thickness of about a human hair.  This amazing machine will cut through 8 in. plate steel.  They are a family business and I would recommend them to my mama.

Monday I will deliver the parts to Schooner Creek Boat Works   http://www.schoonercreek.com/  ( see active link on the list at right) where they will serve as inserts that will be placed in engine bed molds to produce two SD20 Yanmar Sail Drive Units engine beds.

The boss

"Tang", waiting for me to finish his boat.

The big picture

I had a request to add a "macro" photo of the cat and as you can see, I've got a complex system of order going.  Since I only have a few feet on either side of the ship, I end up using the central portion under the bridg deck as my primary shop area.  As you can see, I keep the shop spotllessy clean and orderly just like the assembly area of a NASA space craft. 

Along with a few bikes, kites, sea kayaks, electric cars, a metal casting furnace and a hundred thousand hand tools, see if you can find the watchful eye of "Tang"........he's perched on the seagull striker; which in this case we'll call a Macaw striker.

port side centerboard blank ready for glass

Fitting High density inserts into the centerboard blanks

Here's a work in progress shot of adding the high density reinforcment areas.  As you can see, I used a little florescent paint to mark the sections of foam that needed to be removed so that the High density blocks could be bonded into place.  The high density foam is a 12 lb per cubic ft density where the other foam is a 4 lb / ft^3 density like the rest of the boat.  The square block in the foreground will eventually contain a tube that will allow the retract line to terminate inside the board with a knot.

centerboards.....

After laminating the foam and center stringer of the centerboard blanks, I am now bonding the high density inserts into position.  The boards require a higher density insert along the leading edge where they contact the forward end of the centerboard case as well as a high density block where the attachment point of the retracting line will be. Once this is bonded in place, I get to become an old school board shaper and have fun shaping them like two big long boards.  I'll have to put on some flip flops, bring out the power planer and have fun shaping per Ian Farrier's Profile specifications.