I'm finally (after two years!) getting close to completing the mold for my new slalom C1. Considering that it's just a modification to my old slalom C1 design, I don't have a good excuse for my tardiness. My first approach was to modify my original plug, but that turned out a bit of a mess, so I am modifying my mold instead. Basically splitting it down the middle, widening the bow and narrowing the stern. Final length will be 3.65m (totally arbitrary).
Early picture of the split hull: http://www.wwslalom.net/bob/csx/hull.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm using steel angle to hold the flanges at their original angle while I mate the two halves together.
The deck mold, only needing to have the wings filled in and a final sand:
I'd prefer to have Kaz do the layup, but the mold is extremely heavy and somewhat fragile, so I'm going to lay up myself a "cruising" prototype from which I can take the final mold. I'm planning on taking some time off in July, so I should be able to demo the boat then. I'll probably hit DC, NOC and points in between.
Fortunately I've got an orbital sander to do the basic shaping. I had to add a bit more filler in a couple of places, but it shouldn't be more than an hour's work to finish. It's right at 65cm wide now, so I may add a bit of width just in case it shrinks when it comes out of the mold.
There are some matching holes in the hull and deck molds, so I can transfer the new contour to the deck with a template.
*Note on the pictures. The site is not allowing me to imbed them. They're pretty small (<60kb) but 800px wide. Is that the problem?
Can anyone comment on the wings? I have an old slalom boat with wings and have debating cutting them off and glassing over.
It is commonly accepted that wings were not an ideal design element? Is it worth the work to cut them off? Sorry to hijack, but we dont see too many threads about older C1 slalom boats.
There was no functional reason for the wings except to meet the minimum-width requirements. If you like doing fiberglass surgery, take 'em off. I took mine off a couple of years ago, but it only was in conjunction with some other major work work requiring re-seaming the boat from cockpit to the stern end.
ezwater wrote:Did Endicott not say that, when wings appeared to meet the width requirement, some paddlers used them as pry points for J-stroke?
Maybe, but only because they had to be situated there to get them out of the way of the normal forward stroke. Without the wing there, you now don't have to use as much pry anyway.
It's my own mold of the "Stinger". I modified an Estanguet (circa early-90s) to get the final shape. I've paddled mine (the only one out of the mold) since 1998, when I won the World Master's with it.
A couple of years ago I did some chopping, reducing the length, stern volume and outside width, but the current hull is quite beat up. So the new boat is the replacement, where I also change the shape some more, biasing the volume more to the front.
It's going to be AWESOME.
By the way, if all goes according to plan, I'll have the cruising version ready for a trip south, hopefully ending up at NOC early in July. Anyone is welcome to try it out. I'll post my schedule later.
It looks awesome and should be a rocket. I cut my 90's Estanguet down to 370 or so (20 off the tail, 10 off the nose) , but didn't have the skill to narrow the stern and take volume out of it, which I felt it really needed. Your's should be a blast. Can't wait to see photos of the finished design....edg
Bob Wiggins wrote:Oops. I should have been clearer. What material did you make the mold out of? Thanks. Oh- when you brig it down to noc, I'd love to try it out.
The original mold was done in mat and roving. Almost 1/2" thick. Where I work we make fiberglass parts, so I made the original mold like a high-production mold: for hundreds of very-high-finish parts. Mine was really over-designed for its use. The new mold will be much lighter so Kaz won't go ballistic (justified).
