> I have a question regarding plugs for a C1. What would happen if I built a
> plug from minicell foam, glassed it and the cut out the cockpit and
> whatever foam I deemed necasary? I have no prior experience building boats
> but I know a little about glass work. Any ideas?

> Thanks!

> Reuben Watkins

Reuben, I'd guess you would need at least 15 cubic feet of minicell foam. Maybe 20. Once you get the price on that, and recover from the shock, we can talk about how flexible a plug made from minicell foam is going to be. If you are dealing with a 16 foot length ( how long is a typical C1? Gotta be close to that) it would be rather interesting to see how much it sags. Of course you could always build a strongaback to support the foam. Then you get into the difficulty of evenly carving the stuff so that the left side is shaped the same as the right side. You would need to make some templates, and or jigs. For all this work you might just as well cut forms and mount them on the strongback.

If you are interested in the idea of a plastic foam boat covered with fiberglass, why not use a different plastic foam? expanded styrene or polystyrene inulation board is sold at home centers. It cmes in thicknesses from 1/4 inch to 2 or 3 inches thick ( I think), but mostly I see the 1 inch thick stuff. A typical brand is Dow's Styrofoam (r). There is also `bead board' made from beads of expanded polystyrene. Then again, you can make something from the expanding foams that are available. Get one that is designed for marine use. Some of the others have a bad reputation for poor water resistance. In this case I'd suggest you start with the plans for a stripper, set up the forms and staple on strips. It doesn't have to be a fine job. Don't glue the strips to each other. You can even leave small gaps between the strips. Just covering the forms with these strips should take no more than a couple of hours. Then, flip this thing over, line it with newspaper so the gaps between the strips are pretty well covered, and use it as a mold for expanding foam. When the foam has hardened, flip it back. Use a scraper to remove any foam that has run through the gaps between the strips. Then, remove the strips. What you will have left is a plastic foam plug that has embedded jigs ( the forms) and guide lines (the troughs left by removing the strips) so that you can shape it quickly with any of a variety of tools. Sanders would probably be the best, but surform tools and planes should do the trick, too. Remove the excess foam, shaping things gently until you can no longer see where the wood from the strips touched the foam. Put a single layer of masking tape over the edge of the wood from the frames in the center of the boat. Glass it. Wait for the resin to set and cure.

Flip it over and scoop out all the foam you never want to see again. You might want to see if the stuff can be dissolved with acetone. If so, removing the final scraps and general cleanup should go quickly. You can also remove the center plywood forms easily as the masking tape makes a nice parting surface. The wood comes away from the tape. Any tape that remains sticking to the fiberglass can be removed with some sanding. You'll probably leave the plywood embedded in the bow and stern sections. It's not worth the effort to remove them, and they work as well as thwarts for stiffness. Saw and sand to get those pieces level with the gunwales, then glass over the top if you want the fore and aft decks covered and sealed. You'll probably want to add exterior strips for gunwales. These can be made by recycling several of the strips you used for constructing the mold. If you used 1/4 inch strips, use three layers to give you a 3/4 inch thick gunwale strip. You can make these from several short lengths of strips. Using a stiffened or filled epoxy as glue, laminate the three strips in place by using screws driven through the gunwales, and into the embedded plywood forms. At the center of the boat you'll want to use clamps to hold things together.

Just an idea. Hope this rambling makes some sense to you. I think a stripper would be cheaper, lighter, and faster to build.

Paul Jacobson