Sunday 15 December 2013.
Day 19.
Days remaining 215.

No Rest for the Wicked.

3D Router busily saving me hours of hand shaping time
and getting the exact profile I want...

Skipped church and went round to Synergy Marine today help my old mate Si Cox do some work on an International OK mould, so he can get the first boats coming out sooner, and in return while I was there, he did some profile machining for me on his 3D router.

In 45 minutes we had the plugs machined for a number of sections and components.  Far from wanting to keep this amazing resource to myself, I really think that any mothy should have his number in their phone - maybe for machining a mould for a new rudder foil, or a trick new fairing you want to try out or whatever you can imagine...  It is just fantastic, to be able to quickly machine a simple mould or a plug for a mould in core foam, which can be laminated with a single layer of glass, then worked up with some resin and tlc to a perfect finish for waxing/release and a vac bagged mould (or part), or if you really want it in a hurry, machine in high density polystyrene, then coat with resin with a little silica in it, and after a very quick sand, finish it with some PTFE tape and off you go... Mould made, part curing, job nearly done...

The new gantry elements and some of the transom detail for the Blackbird has being machined like this.... and by mid week, these complex, profile critical parts will be ready to trial fit on the boat...

Rapid prototyping on what I hope will be a rapid prototype!  Makes sense doesn't it!!

D