Trying to clear varnish in cold weather is so much fun😐 3 days, 3 coats, and probably a week to go. Only using an airbrush and applying thin coats, as thick brushed coats would take a month to dry between coats. This varnish (Aust Bondall marine varnish) is thinned about 15%, and takes 24 hrs to be firm enough to sand. I couldn't use an NGR stain, (non grain raising) so the ply grains stood out a bit in places, but are slowly disappearing. The red stain is getting darker with each varnish coat which is what I'm after.

Update - Had some sun today, so put it outside to get a suntan.

Trying a bit more resin casting, this time trying fairleads. The anchor one was finished and painted, so thought I'd have a play making a rough die for imprinting the clay. Made the shape from 3x3mm square balsa pieces and glued them to a balsa holder. It was then all hardened with thin Cyano and then pressed into the flat clay piece. The wider holder acts as a stop, so you can re-create exactly the same piece each time.

They will need finishing, as they are just slightly bigger than needed, and will be slightly rough when taken from the mould, (as were the vents and anchor fairlead) and with a long end for possibly holding when painting (filed off later) As long as the mould lasts they could be made in batches for future use. Easy enough to make a bigger die as well. The mould is easy to recreate from the clay as well if it breaks. The moulds need to be kept on the same flat surface after the impressions are made, as if you move them by hand they will distort before air drying or oven heating.

Another coat of varnish today as well, (no 6), pic of coat 5. Slowly smoothing out as the grain fills.

Tried resin casting the small fairleads today, and they came out of the mould easily. Could have made them a bit thicker, but I'll see what they look like once finished. Had some resin left over so cast another air scoop and anchor fairlead. Varnish is 6 coats and counting, (if it wasn't for all the pollen and dust in the air at the moment, it would be a lot smoother. Weather's rubbish at the moment, so cant rush it, even if I wanted to, (drying is very slow), 24hrs later and still slightly tacky😐

Just finished a quick sanding and filing test on one of the fairleads, and it turned out reasonably well. These are quite small ( 12L x6H x2W) and reasonably strong. I am going to make another 'die' about 3.5mm wide if possible as these are a little thin. This should allow them to be finished to 3mm Wide, and to be a bit stronger. Ok for a first try I think, and still useable.

Also forgot I had found these handy little items in the hardware store, which can be used to make 5mm diam spotlights. These are pop on screw covers and have a clear base with a slot for a screw. This can be replaced with clear acrylic or left as is and an LED fitted. $5 a pack of 12. Could be used for ventilator cowl fronts, large mushroom vents or whatever.

I've made a slightly deeper 'die' for the fairleads now, and there is a bit more width on them to play with . Also came up with a way of assembling the windscreen frame on a bent ply base, (same curve as the deck), which as worked well. Just the top to attempt now. Yet another coat of varnish (7 I think,-lost count) after a good sand with 400, which has made a bit more progress towards full coverage. Left the previous coat to dry for 3 days due to the wet weather, and the need for a good sand. I think 1 more coat ought to do it, but will only know at the time.
Cold weather ain't good for varnishing

Finally got the paint something like I wanted, despite dust, moisture, storms, pollen, cold and anything else which was sent to stop me. Still not perfect, but it will have to do, as my varnish is going off in the can causing problems, and we are in lockup for yet another week, and nothing is open☹️. Lots more to do in the way of trimming etc, painting the bottom, making some more fittings etc. Transom will have to wait for more coats.

Screen frame is coming along, but still have the top frame to add, plus the screens. It's not attached yet, as I still have some hold down tabs to add to the center. It will be screwed on so if damaged it can be removed for repair. Received some new 32mm props the other day (LH/RH), but still waiting for the skippers mates' body parts (plus other bits) to come (over a month now and apparently just left China !?) Think he'll have found a new 'squeeze' by the time they get here😁

Photos are rubbish, as it's really dull today. The camera does not like it for some reason and won't auto focus properly.

Having a go at making a nav light 'mono cluster' using the usual Xmas tree LEDs. LEDs were cut off the string, and stripped back to their original form. They were then soldered to -to- and soldered to a fine wire lead. A streamlined housing was made with balsa, and hollowed out to accept the twin red and green paired LEDs. A ply bottom plate was made (after hot-melting in the LEDs,) and glued to the bottom with the lead protruding. A black card separator was slid between the 2 lamps.

Yet to be reduced in size and finished. but seems to work ok. A spotlight will be another thing to make, (found some 15mm plastic screw covers at the hardware previously, which are perfect for this.

Did a bit of painting on the nav light cluster Saturday, and it's looking promising. Only using a brush, as it's impossible to mask, and put a thick coat to seal it first. looks a bit rough, but now it's sanded ready for another coat. You have to put it on thick and fast to make it level and look chrome like, as if you keep playing with it, it dries too fast and you get a rough finish,(as you can see)- better if you can spray it.
Also managed to smooth the minute pimples on the deck varnish (humidity , cold or old paint I think) by using Brasso, then removing it quickly and polishing. Brasso makes a good polish for Acrylic lacquer as well.

Decided to glue the engine covers on today which was a bit tricky, as there was no real way of holding them in place while the epoxy set. Placed a baking paper strip between the hinge flaps to prevent them becoming permanent fixtures, then applied epoxy to the roughed up hinge surfaces,(the backs of the hinge flap holes had been slightly countersunk so the epoxy would squeeze through and lock onto the nylon material (normally sticks well to one surface, but I don't want these coming adrift, as they would be hard to re-glue in place.)

Ended up cutting a balsa packer slightly larger than the gap between the 2 covers, taping it to the center of one and pushing the lids shut, (thereby forcing the closed hinges against the side rails). I added some weights to try and keep everything level till the 5 min epoxy set. Ended up working out ok, and they fitted well and opened and closed nicely. Will need to add some catches or magnets to keep them shut, as a bit of spring in the hinges keeps them slightly open (not a bad thing).

Also managed to chrome paint the hinges and trial fit the air vents to the lids

Got onto making the spotlight last night and today, and it's worked out quite well I think. very simple to make as well. Used a Xmas tree LED, a plastic screw cover, some aluminium tape for a reflector, clear contact glue to keep it all together, a short length of plastic tube, and some chrome paint to finish.

2 holes were drilled in the side of the plastic cover to allow the legs of the LED to poke through. They had fine wires soldered to them and part of the original plastic LED leg insulator was used on the connections. The wires were fed down a short length of black plastic tubing and everything was thick cyano'd in place.

The lens was made from acrylic sheet and pressed into the back of the clear cover base (could have made a flat lens but not much to glue to) which was glued with clear contact glue and pressed into the cover. It was clamped and left overnight. Another coat of chrome was brushed on, (may try spraying the next coat) and that was it.

The light will eventually be mounted on the deck near the windscreen.