Hi gang. I am now at the point with my scratch-build HMS Indefatigable class BC that I need to start filling in and skinning the hull. For some reason, this part seems really daunting to me. I am trying to decide on the best/easiest way to accomplish this. The ideas that have been presented by my local group are sheeting with 1/32 balsa and then glassing, sheeting with balsa strips and glassing, or use 1/4" blocks of balsa between the ribs and then sand to shape and glass. I am so confused!!!! I really am trying to get this thing on the water for the first battle of 2012. What do you guys think is the easiest and do you have any really good photos of the process? I am really unsure of the areas of the hull in the bow and stern because of the extensive curvature. Any help would be sooooooo appreciated. Thanks! Pics of my boat for reference:
Well, you're probably going to want to affix and carve some solid material for the bow area for starters. Using balsa block has the advantage of adding the least amount of thickness to the hull - it also looks really cool when you glass over it. Using balsa sheet is probably quickest, though arguably potentially incredibly annoying to get all the bends. Using balsa strips is probably going to give you a better result than sheets, but will be time consuming. I would go with the blocks myself, I've always thought they were really slick and using them also means the fiberglassing will adhere to the ribs themselves and not just a skin over them. Mike's thread on the Bearn CV shows the block method.
Another durable and easy option is 1/32" plywood skin using a strip over two ribs. The strip is cut to the width of center to center of two ribs and starts at the keel to wrap across the bottom, around the hull curve, to the bottom of the penetrable window. A few builders like Buddy Friend does a gorgeous hull using this method. The balsa block method makes for very pleasing and well shaped hulls after sanding, but can be rather messy during the sanding process. The bow and stern hard areas should probably be made from a solid wood such as basswood or hardwood. I've used balsa here before but the balsa tends to start cracking unless a few extra layers of fiberglass is used for protection.
Thanks for the replies fellas. I was leaning toward doing the balsa block method, but wasn't sure. I have a big strip of 1/4" balsa, so I will probably start with that. I also have some basswood blocks as well, so those will probably see use too. Does anyone have any good pics of how to cut the blocks to fit in the more curvy areas of the hull?
If going with the balsa block route, you really should look at the link posted in the first reply. The Bearn CV in that build thread has some very detailed pictures on how the blocks were put in. Also, I think the Verite PDN build thread has a fairly detailed explaination on the balsa block method and shows the use of basswood blocks for the bow area.
