Keel Progress!!!

OK, so six weeks until launch, time to get the keel ready to re-attach.

Got to the club at 10am, and started into it.

Borrowed an air impact metal stripping tool from Dave from Newcastle to strip the keel.  To tool has ten steel spikes that vibrate and rotate to remove material from metal.  Loud as heck; not much dust.  Gloves, eye protection, and hearing protection are a must!

Here is a YouTube of it in action: http://youtu.be/urVkpjJPjnM

Took about three hours to strip the keel down to the bare cast iron; it worked well.  I then used a grinder for about an hour to clean up the keel.  There are a lot of imperfections in the cast.  On one side of the keel, there was about 3/8" of bondo (probably applied by Catalina at the factory).

Starting the stripping

Stripped Keel

Still have some more cleanup to do before painting and fairing the keel.

I then moved onto the final stud with the easyout in it.  I first attacked the bottom of the hole with some hardended steel punches I had picked up.  This significantly broke up some of the easyout material.  After about another two hours, several drill bits, I cleaned out the hole and measured: 1 1/8" (the other holes were 1 3/4"). 

Decided I would just tap it:

Took my time using the tapered tape, cleaned out the hole again, then went to the bottoming tap and voila, tapped hole!

On the left you can see the threaded hole

Went about to cut the rest of the stainless steel studs to length:

Keel with all studs inserted

Have to:

1. Locktight studs to bottom of their holes
2. Finish rough fairing
3. De-grease keel
4. Paint and Fair Keel
5. Drill out holes to 7/8" in boat
6. Mount keel

Pleased with the progress.

Will take next weekend to get the keel prepped, holes drilled, shrink wrap off, and boat/cradle leveled.  Shit, that means I need to re-finish the teak crib boards this week. Also need to fabricate some stainless backer plates for the inside of the boat.

Hopefully use the Hydro truck the following weekend to lift the boat off the cradle with slings and place it GENTLY on the ground.  Place and support the keel vertically in the cradle. Lift the boat onto the studs for a dry fit.  If all goes well, bed the keel in 5200 and tighten up the bolts.

That will leave three weeks to fair the keel joint, epoxy coat (Interprotect 2000) the bottom and keel and apply anti fouling paint (VC17).