The lead is in 25 lb bags od "shot" just like what you'd fill a shotgun cartridge with. 48 of them. Installing it is gonna be fun. When the boat was built it is my understanding that the ballast was installed from the top of the keel cavity and then resin allowed to soak down through it. One thing that I noticed when removing the ballast is that there were large areas where the ballast was not resin soaked. I was able to just scoop out the punchings. I'm sure that this wasn't really a problem 'cause the cavity was filled right to the top so there wasn't any issue of the ballast being able to move around. I suspect that when the resin was poured over the ballast it found certain paths to travel through it and dispersed itself out as good as it could, but the punchings were packed pretty solid, so there were areas where the resin didn't go. Why does this mater? Well, I'm not sure if it does BUT....I won't be filling the entire void in the cavity with ballast. The lead is much denser than the steel so I expect some space left at the top of the cavity after its all in. Because of that I really want to try to make it as much of a single "mass" as possible. I really don't want to cut throught the floor of the cabin if I dont have to. So here's my plan. I plan to layer the ballast in in 2-3inch layers at a time and soak them in polyester resin. I usually use West System epoxy for everything. This application , however, is just to glue the shot together and is going to take a fair amount of resin. Epxoy runs close to $115/gallon. Polyester is only $23. I will build a "dam" along the bottom edge of the holes in the keel that will be above the level that I am going to install the lead. Then I am going to lay in a 2-3 inch layer and then resin soak it. I'll let that resin kick into the gel state before I go for the next "dam", layer, and resin soak. I am hoping that that will also allow the resin to dissapate some of the heat it will be generating as it cures. I'm anticipating the difficulty to increase as the levels get higher just due to being pinched between the top of the dam and the bottom of the hull for work space. I think I make a long funnel arrangement to pour the shot and resin in with, but we'll have to see how it works out as it goes along. Certainly there will be some amount of additional space left above the lead ballast. Do I just leave it empty? I don't know. I could fill it with 2 part expanding foam but that stuff is a sponge if water ever gets in there. Anyone got any ideas on that? Right now I'm leaning towards just leaving it empty. I guess that bridge is still a ways down the road. I've still got some work to do before installing the lead. I'm going to run a test by pouring colored water into the bilge and see if any makes it down into the keel from above. Also there's some glasswork I want to do to the bottom of the keel slot. Actually its probably a good thing 'cause all the while the boat and keel will continue to breathe the 10% humidity, Arizona, 80 degree air. That can't be a bad thing. I just keep telling myself "take your time and do it right.........................then I say San Juans! San Juans! San Juans are slipping away!!!" hahaha. I'll post pics on the site as progress is made. Other projects such as the swing keel refurb, rudder repair, and bottom job are all continuing to make progress as well.
I can't see any fault with the plan. Bob and/or Jerry built them, and they may have other tricks that work. I'd think the biggest issue would be to make sure the layers are shallow enough to let the heat dissipate. One pour would probably burn it's way out of there. Glad to hear you are not doing that. What shape is the bottom of the inside of the trunk in? All sealed up?
Since your lead is pellets, why not mix up the resin then add the pellets like you would microballons or any other additives? Then you could just pour the mixture into your cavity without worrying about getting everything wet out. Lewis Baumstark Potter 15, Bristol, TN ----- Original Message ----- From: <Nebwest2@aol.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 10:25 AM Subject: M_Boats: lead installation
The lead is in 25 lb bags od "shot" just like what you'd fill a shotgun cartridge with. 48 of them. Installing it is gonna be fun. When the boat was built it is my understanding that the ballast was installed from the top of the keel cavity and then resin allowed to soak down through it. One thing that I noticed when removing the ballast is that there were large areas where the ballast was not resin soaked. I was able to just scoop out the punchings. I'm sure that this wasn't really a problem 'cause the cavity was filled right to the top so there wasn't any issue of the ballast being able to move around. I suspect that when the resin was poured over the ballast it found certain paths to travel through it and dispersed itself out as good as it could, but the punchings were packed pretty solid, so there were areas where the resin didn't go. Why does this mater? Well, I'm not sure if it does BUT....I won't be filling the entire void in the cavity with ballast. The lead is much denser than the steel so I expect some space left at the top of the cavity after its all in. Because of that I really want to try to make it as much of a single "mass" as possible. I really don't want to cut throught the floor of the cabin if I dont have to. So here's my plan.
I plan to layer the ballast in in 2-3inch layers at a time and soak them in polyester resin. I usually use West System epoxy for everything. This application , however, is just to glue the shot together and is going to take a fair amount of resin. Epxoy runs close to $115/gallon. Polyester is only $23. I will build a "dam" along the bottom edge of the holes in the keel that will be above the level that I am going to install the lead. Then I am going to lay in a 2-3 inch layer and then resin soak it. I'll let that resin kick into the gel state before I go for the next "dam", layer, and resin soak. I am hoping that that will also allow the resin to dissapate some of the heat it will be generating as it cures. I'm anticipating the difficulty to increase as the levels get higher just due to being pinched between the top of the dam and the bottom of the hull for work space. I think I make a long funnel arrangement to pour the shot and resin in with, but we'll have to see how it works out as it goes along. Certainly there will be some amount of additional space left above the lead ballast. Do I just leave it empty? I don't know. I could fill it with 2 part expanding foam but that stuff is a sponge if water ever gets in there. Anyone got any ideas on that? Right now I'm leaning towards just leaving it empty. I guess that bridge is still a ways down the road.
I've still got some work to do before installing the lead. I'm going to run a test by pouring colored water into the bilge and see if any makes it down into the keel from above. Also there's some glasswork I want to do to the bottom of the keel slot. Actually its probably a good thing 'cause all the while the boat and keel will continue to breathe the 10% humidity, Arizona, 80 degree air. That can't be a bad thing. I just keep telling myself "take your time and do it right.........................then I say San Juans! San Juans! San Juans are slipping away!!!" hahaha.
I'll post pics on the site as progress is made. Other projects such as the swing keel refurb, rudder repair, and bottom job are all continuing to make progress as well. _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
You may already know about this, but we've got a new "toy" at work (marina/yard) and I've already put it on my "I think I need this" list. It's an infrared (I think...) thermometer and I don't think it was too expensive (under $50, I'm guessing). At any rate, it looks like the trigger-type nozzle you put on the end of a garden hose, and when you "shoot" its beam at any surface it gives you a digital readout of the temperature. In our shop, one of the techs was rebuilding a very large rudder and used it to see how how it was getting inside as the resin cured, and also to know when the cure had peaked and the temperature started coming down. One thing he did to keep the heat down as it cured (also in batches as you plan to do) is run a stream of cold water from a hose on the other (non-opened up) side of the rudder, to dissipate some of the heat. At any rate, I've now thought of all kinds of uses for that little thermometer - it sure looks handy. --- Rachel
participants (4)
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Howard Audsley -
Lewis Baumstark -
Nebwest2＠aol.com -
Rachel