1. 2021 Hull Manufacturing notes
   1. 3/5/21
      1. What we did
      2. For next time:
      3. Notes:
   2. 3/12/21
   3. 3/19/21
   4. 3/23/21
   5. 3/24/21
   6. 3/26/21
   7. 4/2/21
   8. 4/3/21
   9. 4/5/21
   10. 4/16/21
   11. 4/17/21
   12. 4/23/21
   13. 4/26/21
   14. 4/30/21
   15. 5/1/21
   16. 5/3/21
   17. 5/10/21
       1. PVA Spray:
       2. DURATEC (Black Tooling Gel Coat):
       3. Fiberglass (Mat):
   18. 5/15/21
       1. Mat Reinforcement around the lip
       2. Wet-out Station
       3. Applying 3 new layers
       4. Curing and Clean up
   19. 5/17/21
       1. Creating the Frame to Pop the Mold (Cutting the Pieces)
   20. 5/21/21
   21. 5/22/21
   22. 5/28/21
   23. 6/4/21
   24. 6/5/21
   25. 10/2/21
   26. 10/15/21
   27. 10/22/21
   28. 10/29/21
   29. 11/18/21
   30. 4/1/22

2021 Hull Manufacturing notes

Here is the overall plan: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FpEpg2pam0QTiP-ILc7xGTU_rcyUhyg0Rh0q4cnGLFo/edit?usp=sharing

Here is the Fall 2021-22 Plan https://docs.google.com/document/d/15_tKZz3YFxhcwXQBZGW7vrNx5y2WiCRteNhGTrewzRI/edit

3/5/21

What we did

• Took plug and materials to SunRez
• Detached plug from current tabletop to repair extensive damage, and also it was not level.
• Bought new plywood to replace table top.
• Discarded female mold, due to air leaks and poor surface quality.

For next time:

• Make new tabletop.
• Create new mold the correct way (Mark from SunRez will show us!)
• Attach plug to tabletop
• Seal tabletop and repair plug surface

Notes:

Wear PROPER PPE:

• N95 mask
• Designate long sleeves and pants for workdays (to protect from fiberglass)
• Safety Glasses
• Pull back hair

Regarding Manufacturing:

• Must be on a level surface
• Mold must be airtight

Methods for Removing Fiberglass:

• Thoroughly use air hose at the end of workday to remove fiberglass from clothes and shoes. (Avoid touching your face too much)
• Wrap duct-tape around fingers and dap onto any exposed skin
• Use a vacuum - with the nozzle removed.
• d o g

3/12/21

What we did

• table not level
• clamped it to long, straight metal beams
• use a level to make sure its not warped (make sure the 2 short sides are level)
• use sawhorses that r the same height (extra sawhorse in the middle for support)
• wood shims and bondo to fill in gaps
• golf ball size grey stuff and 1+1/4 inch harderner mix (just read the bondo instructions)
• wear gloves for bondo, well venilated area if possible
• clean bondo putty knives asap after each use with acetone
• screwed tabletop (mark the 2x4 with sharpie to use as a guide!
• cut holes in the bottom panel for access - in order to drill the plug to the table later
• note: use a big drill bit to cut a hole for the jigsaw to fit into, then use a jigsaw to actually cut out the entire shape
• make sure there is a centerline on the plug, and draw a straight line on the table to line them up
• Line beam up along the plug side, use another straight edge at a 90 deg angle, make sure distance from beam to point of contact is equal at nose and tail, which is 12” for us

Random tips

• panchos is a good place for lunch!
• they like it when u keep the back door closed at sunrez
• bring tangerines as a snack!

More fiberglass tips

• Use back of sponge for fiberglass on hands and s c r u b
• or use reallllly hot water, then reallly cold water (pores will close up and eject the fiberglass?? appearantly)

3/19/21

What we did

• Covered screw heads with bondo, on the table, and sanded the areas flat
• Centered the plug on the tabletop and drew an outline, for easy placement later
• Sealed the tabletop by painting it with a thick layer of light cure resin
• Used handheld UV lamps to cure the tabletop seal
• Used palm sanders to widen and open up damaged areas on the plug, to prepare them for patching

Tips

• When painting on resin, go over any given area three times in a criss-cross pattern. Make sure to hold the brush very lightly on the final pass. This reduces brush marks (also called “roping.”

3/23/21

What we did

• Flipped the plug upsidedown and sanded the bottom extensively with a large sander. The goal was to make the bottom of the plug flat.
• The bottom of the plug was checked for flatness by holding a straight edge up against it and seeing if the straight edge sat flat on the surface.
• Used thin box cutter knives to cut away delaminated fiberglass from damaged areas on the plug surface
• Used an epoxy resin (Pro-Set) thickened with Cabosil and Q-Cell (fumed silica and microballoons) to repair damaged areas. Resin had a mayonnaise consistency.
• Paper was crumpled up and shoved into any gaping holes, to create a base surface for the repair.
• UV cure resin was painted over the filled damaged areas, to seal them.

Tips:

• Make sure to check a smaller batch of resin first to make sure it cures properly.

3/24/21

What we did

• Used 60 grit sandpaper on long sanding blocks (called “blocking”) to sand smooth the areas where resin was painted on.
• Accidentally sanded through the entire resin layer, also got carried away and sanded through most of the original Duratec layer.
• Because bondo is a terrible mold surface (it does not separate during de-molding), the entire plug needed to be painted with a layer of resin.
• UV cure resin was painted on thick, in a criss-cross pattern to prevent roping.
• Cured outside in the sunlight

Tips

• Sand very lightly (let the sandpaper do the work). As soon as one area is smooth, move on.
• Sand at 45 degree angles only (w.r.t. ground), to ensure surface fairness.

3/26/21

What we did

• Very carefully sanded the entire sealed plug surface with sanding blocks (120 grit), until smooth.
• Accidentally sanded too far in a few areas, needed to re-seal those areas with more resin
• Painted on more UV cure resin in specified areas, began sanding down those areas

Tips:

• Draw a circle on areas that need to be filled up, and draw an X on areas that need to be sanded down
• Use a pencil to draw circles and X’s. Pen ink can interact poorly with the resin, whereas graphite does not.

4/2/21

What we did

• Faired the nose of the submarine (because it was oversanded)

Fairing Instructions:

• remove dust from plug with a bit of acetone and a rag (not a shop rag bc it desintegrates and sticks to the plug)
• apply resin (dont use UV cure resin when working outside, but if you are inside it means you have infinite work time!)
• fair carefully with a scraper (keep curve consistent)
• cure!!! (see what happens when you don’t let it cure properly)
• sand at +- 45 degrees from the grain of the sub and maximize surface area to avoid holes
• wash tools with acetone after

Differences between resins!

• Q Cell : finer, mixes well, sands well, glass microballoons more brittle
• Cabosil : good for thickening (can mix with Q Cell)
• Duratec : black, sands smooth as a baby’s bottom

Random Tips

• hold the sharpie like a paintbrush
• for fairing, cover in spray paint, lightly sand, reveals low spots
• MAKE SURE RESIN IS CURED BEFORE SANDING, otherwise it gets gummy and messes up the sandpaper

For next time;

• fill crack near tail and hole near nose

4/3/21

Xander or somebody plz fill this out

4/5/21

Members: Antoinette Gautier, Kylan Dennis, Sharron Perez

What we did:

• Sanded down hull plug for smoothness (not fairness).
• Quick acetone “wash” for the hull plug and tabletop for smoothness and to get rid of dust. Light sanding for tabletop.
• Concluded that perfect fairness for plug was not possible, proceeded to plan holes for plug fastening to tabletop.
• Holes pre-drilled and screws added part-way into tabletop. Holes (6) had to be cut out of certain points under the table support to access drilling points.

For next time:

• Another layer of resin for tabletop. Fasten hull plug to tabletop and start next resining step for plug to table connection edge.

4/16/21

-scraping excess bondo off of table with razors so that we can make a more accurate 90 degree angle with the plug

-note on precision bondo work: use teeny tiny batches

shopping list:

• high build polyurethene primer spray can
• flashlight

4/17/21

Members: Signe, Kylan, Victor

• Squared up edges with right angle square. Dragged square across Bondo while still workable and sanded with 150 grit to achieve 90 degrees.
• Make sure to look at eye level and use a flashlight to check for gaps.
• Purchased 4 cans of 2-1 fillable and sandable primer and a polyurethane glossy top sealant coat. Read instructions before use.

4/23/21

Members: Antoinette, Victor, Paul

• Sprayed glossy polyurethane outside. Set up Eazyup with grey tarp against wall with dumpster to block wind.
• Remember to bring somethings to do (homework, laptop, cards, games, etc.) since it takes 2 hours to dry between coats.
• Spray a thick coat but not so thick that it runs. Sand with 220 girt before final coat.

4/26/21

Members: Signe and Sharron What we did:

• Went over the radius again with Bondo
  • Scraped away any excess cured bondo we could and sanded down prominent ridges and bumps
  • Filled in any gaps with bondo (use fingers to push the bondo into the negatives, then firm but light pass with radius piece)
  • Bondo done in moderately hot and small batches
• Note: do NOT do workday in the rain with the canopy…the canopy is temporary…the rain is eternal

4/30/21

Members: Antoinette, Victor, Paul

• Redid the bondo’d radius by applying small batches of bondo with a finger and then running smooth with a radius.
• Sanded bondo with 220 grit sandpaper in between passes as well as cleaned with a small amount of acetone.
• Remember to use a razor to scrape off the squeezeout on top.
• Applied 2 liberal coats of priper to fill any small holes or gaps in the bondo.
• Applied 2 coats of polyurethane to redone area.
• Played many rounds of the card game “James Bond” to pass the time in between coats and escape the 93 degree weather.

5/1/21

Members: Signe, Kylan, Asa, Victor

• Looked for uncovered bondo spots and sprayed with quick-drying primer and polyurethane coating.Wait 10-15 minutes between coats for primer, about the same time for the polyurethane (ckeck instructions)
• Wiped down plug with dry shop towel and then a slightly damp shop towel to remove dust before moving on.
• DO NOT USE TOO MUCH TEFLON COATING! ONE BOTTLE COST ~$75! Use about 1/3 of a bottle (one bottle was 1 quart?)
  • Use a shop rag to wipe a THIN layer of teflon over the plug AND table
  • Shake off any loose fibers when using the shop rag
  • Have people switch sides to ensure even coat
  • Wait ~30 minutes between coats (bring something to do, i.e. cards)
  • Coat a total of 3 times.

5/3/21

Members: Antoinette, Sharron, Alex What we did:

• Waxing the plug
  • Product: TR Mold Release Wax (High-Temp) (White lid)
  • Application: - Initial layer applied in small circles, even coating, using the sponge in the tin.
    • Start on one side of the plug and start at one end. We started on the right at the front/nose of the plug, slowly making our way down to the tail tip.
    • After doing one side of the plug, move on to the next. Then do the same method for the table.
  • Buffing: - Start buffing on one side 12 minutes after you started waxing. You can go a little slower than the person waxing, and we had two people buffing at a time, one person behind the other, just to ensure we got it as smooth as possible. - Microfiber cloths. Took them back to campus after workday to wash off the wax.
  • Layering - Wait about 45 to 60 minutes between initial applications (also given in the instructions on the can) when layering the wax.
    • We did 4 layers of wax overall.
• Ordered Black Tooling Gel Coat from RevChem
  • We ran the numbers and estimated that 1 gallon would be enough to cover an estimated 60 sq-ft area with an 18-20 mil thick coat for the plug and table.
  • I (Sharron) called RevChem directly and got redirected to Mark Prince. I sent an email with our request, and some details about our project and past projects, and had a follow up call (05/04) about receiving the product.
  • Should expect to receive the shipment at SunRez Wednesday morning (05/05 around 7 am).
  • Details about payment or receiving for free and distributing a sponsorship packet will be discussed later.

5/10/21

Members: Alex, Antoinette, Asa, Kylan, Sharron, Signe

PVA Spray:

• NOTE: PVA is basically what they put in gluesticks. It’s water-soluble and non-toxic.
• We use an air-pressured spray gun to apply the PVA.
  • As you apply, the hull will turn a cloudy green.
  • Any heavy droplets of excess PVA that land on the plug should be gently brushed out with a clean painter’s brush, NOT dabbed out with a cloth or hand. - When brushing out spots, brush at a 45 deg angle.
    • The PVA will puddle up at “the crease” where the plug meets the table. Brush lightly at it, using the corner of the bristles to drag the product away from the concentrated area/across the crease. BE MINDFUL to not scrape the plug with the metal portion of the brush.
  • Treat the spraygun as if you’re using a regular spraypaint can: - DO NOT angle your hand away from the hull
    • Keep your stream at a consistent angle to the surface
    • Due to the nature of the spray gun, the stream will be angled almost straight down onto the plug. Don’t hold sideways.
    • The path of the spray should be from left to right, then upwards to the right at a 45 deg angle, and downwards to the right at a 45 deg angle for consistent coverage.
  • When spraying, it’s beneficial to set the spray nozzle/fan to a wider, more even spray.
• Not much wait time between coats of PVA; just make sure it’s not running and puddling.
• Wait about half an hour (a little longer) after laying PVA before moving onto the next step.

DURATEC (Black Tooling Gel Coat):

• NOTE: The DURATEC is intended to come off with the female mold.
• DURATEC measured in grams (2% catalyst by weight to DURATEC)
• DURATEC has a short work time once catalyzed; prepare to have only 8 minutes for proper application.
• WAIT BETWEEN LAYERS TO AVOID “CROWS’ FEET”
  • Crows’ feet are deep ripples that extend into the first layer of DURATEC.
  • If crows’ feet still occur, a light layer of Bondo (not very hot) can be used to fill in the holes after the DURATEC has cured.
• “Two-bucket production line.”
• Let DURATEC cure before being discarded. Catalyze to allow for curing.
• Apply DURATEC in two layers:
  • Focus on plug first then cover table.
  • One person poors, another person uses the roller, and two other people use clean brushes to brush out the DURATEC. - Brush pattern should be in long streaks length-wise
  • Wait about 1 hour between each DURATEC layer. -Allow DURATEC to fully cure before the next step.

Fiberglass (Mat):

• NOTE: We used mat fiberglass. Mat fiberglass has no consistent weaving pattern and is easily tearable by hand, and makes it easier to mold to the curves of the plug.
• Tear off lengths of fiberglass and lay on the plug/table (end-to-end) to map out the pieces before using resin for application.
  • Utilize darts - make tears in the fiberglass to allow it to curve around the plug.
  • The flange of the mold was laid out first: a smaller lip was set around the plug while the flange took up most of the width of the fiberglass strips. - Estimate of about 1/5 of the strip laid onto the plug itself, and the rest on the table.
• We used UV Resin.
• Apply resin to the surface first then lay down the fiberglass lengths.
  • Full saturation of the fiberglass is important.
  • Try to smooth out the fiberglass so that it’s one consistent, connected surface.
  • Tear and trim where there is buckling if required. Much of the buckling, and air bubbles, can be reduced with the small, metal rollers and with brushes. Press/roll them out.
  • Application of resin can be done with a paint roller and brushes.
  • Tear small pieces of fiberglass to patch spots when necessary.
• We laid the first layer of fiberglass for the anticipated 6-layer female mold.
• Allow it to cure in the sun/under the light before applying the next layer of fiberglass.

Shout-out: big thanks to Jay for helping us purchase paint rollers and sleeves. He’s now officially a sponsor of HPS and incredibly appreciated by the team.

5/15/21

We bolstered the plug with another 3 layers of fiberglass:

Mat Reinforcement around the lip

• Added 3 thinner strips of mat fiberglass around the lip (btwn the hull and tabletop) for extra support. Directly applied and wetted with resin on the plug itself.
• 3 Strips were applied staggered: a first one that was mostly on the table, a second one that was mostly on the plug, then a final one directly in the middle.

Wet-out Station

• Made up of 2 saw horses, a large plank and a cardboard top. (Additionally put cardboard all over on the floor to protect the ground from resin
• Used to wet out the thicker pieces of fiberglass (mat side has the most trouble absorbing, start with that side up)
• People at the plug would “order” strips of varying lengths, they were cut and wet out by the wet-out crew.

Applying 3 new layers

• Apply wetted-out strips mat side down onto the plug, using paintbrushes to smooth out initially.
• We could have made a plan for where to put the strips and how long, but we kinda free handed it, and added “bandaids” at the end at any thin spots or seam looking areas.
• Pay special attention near the nose cone and the tail to roll out! Since they are the least flat parts. For the nose cone, we pre-cut 3 pieces, (15in, 18in, 20in lengths roughly) and added darts to the middle and sides for easier smoothing. The pieces coming from around the sides were sandwiched in between.
• Apply the strips in such away that the edges never match up: avoiding seams means avoiding tears (in both senses of the word).
• Use a roller to remove airbubbles, roll relatively fast, dont pull away material from the lip!
• Can use fingers around the lip to avoid air bubbles as well.
• For particularly stubborn air bubbles, sometimes applying a bit more resin will do the trick.

Curing and Clean up

• We let the plug cure in the sun for about 20 mins (we flipped it halfway to make sure to get any part in the shade)
• Let all resin covered material cure in the sun before throwing out (this includes gloves which were changed frequently!)
• Use acetone to clean out the rollers, (disassemble and be sure to get the grooves as well).
• Note, it is normal for the plug to make cracking sounds afterwards, that indicates that the mold is releasing!

Next steps, building a frame around the mold (that does not touch it so it doesnt pull the wood in), and popping the mold!

5/17/21

Members: Alex, Antoinette, Sharron

Creating the Frame to Pop the Mold (Cutting the Pieces)

• When planning out pieces to use for the frame
  • Plan with 2x4 sections sitting so that the pieces are taller than they are wide.
  • Plan the frame so that it sits close to the mold without touching the mold itself.
  • Don’t stick to a square frame, we had each side surrounded by three pieces that hugged the curves of the mold. Each end has a “butt” piece.
  • Used curved pieces of 2x4 to your advantage.
• When fitting pieces to use for the frame
  • We performed angle cuts (something like miter joints) so that the pieces sit flush (or as close to flush as necessary) to each other.
  • We used a jigsaw to make the angle cuts. Not preferable. A skill saw is much more practical for this application.
  • If your pieces see-saw, you might have to sand down resin deposits with 36 grit sandpaper.
  • The frame will end up looking like a coffin…
• When fastening the frame to itself
  • Use hot batches of BONDO in place of wood glue (less wait time). - Score X’s or other marks into the smooth portion of the wood you’re sticking with BONDO and press the BONDO into the grain. The X’s won’t be needed for ends of wood where you’ve performed a cut, but make sure to press the bondo into the grain.
    • Apply bondo to both components that are meant to be stuck together. - Hold the fastened pieces together until the BONDO “cheeses.” Fill any gaps with more BONDO before it cheeses, or make a smaller, fresh batch to fill in the gaps after the fact. ### - Proper BONDO practice when using; clean as you go.
  • BONDO will probably only need to be used at the “butt” end pieces of the frame (at the tip of the nose and the tail).
  • Wood screws of appropriate size used as well (Jay was working on this step when we left; it’s midterms week).

5/21/21

Members: Victor, Paul, Antoinette

• We bondoed the remainder of the pieces of the frame together generously.
• After curing, we used 36 grit sandpaper to scratch up the resin under the footprint of the frame (in order to create some grooves for future bondo to cling to).
• Spend an ungodly amount of time in search for bondo (home depot may let you down, and you may find yourself on a perilous quest through the U-Haul jungle to find the elusive Harbor Freight.)
• Make the mother of all bondo batches (enough to cover the entire perimeter of the frame). Apply the bondo generously to the table, and a bit to the bottom of the frame, and place the frame on the table in a timely fashion.
• Let cure while you have a delicious lunch, milk Panchos for all their surf n turfs.
• Reinforce the frame’s attachment to the table with fiberglass! (Use a wetout station, wet station, place strips mat side up)
• Attach fiberglass strips along the frame, alternating in and out. Add extra diagonal support at the corners and joints.
• Cure with a UV light!
• Use the tap tap method to determine if the resin is cured! (It makes a much lighter tip tap noise when ready).

5/22/21

Members: Signe, Asa, Kylan, Victor

• Cut legs for the mold
  • Mark where the legs should be (it was sorta arbitrary, just make sure it is far enough away from the center of mass)
  • 4x 30 inch lengths of 2x4 pieces of wood (try your best to keep it straight when cutting).
  • 1x 21 inch length of 2x4 and 1x 26 inch length of 2x4 for crossbar (so the table doesn’t shake).
  • Legs are clamped to the wood frame and then use shims to level the legs.
  • Bondo was used to fill in the gaps between the fiberglass and legs (don’t fill in the shims).
  • Once cured, remove clamps and shims and fill the gap with more Bondo.
  • After that is cured, use screws to secure the legs to wood frame.
  • Screw in the crossbars (make sure it’s level).
• Releasing the mold
  • Using some rubber mallets and hammers, hit the edges of the mold to release it from the table.
  • Use shims to wedge under the mold and hammer them it.
  • Lift the mold up and use metal I-beams to support it (use kevlar golves and be careful of the sharp edges of the mold, they are a decapitation hazard).
  • Invert and TADA! a mold is finally done!

Here’s the video of it being released(it’s the first 5 minutes, the rest is just filler) https://youtu.be/BDBtWh9–M4

5/28/21

Members: Paul, Victor, Antoinette

Pre-cut the sections for the layup of the first half of the sub! Layers:

• 2 symmetrical halves of matt, 2in on the flange (triangular pieces to cover middle)
• 3 pieces of biax (middle, left, right)
• 3 pieces of biax (middle, left, right)

(We have a sketch)

Added a fourth layer of wax. Clingwrapped the mold to keep it clean.

Notes:

• wear longsleeves and gloves when working with matt!
• Also sweep the floor before cutting glass on the floor.

Layup planned to be made on Friday June 4th. Probably can be released on Saturday.

6/4/21

Members: Paul, Victor, Antoinette

Preparation for laying up the fiberglass:

• Apply a liberal amount of PVA to the mold
  • Use a 3” brush to apply the PVA
    • Use tape to remove the loose brush hairs before using it
  • Start from the top and work your way down - Remember to get the flange - Stop brushing when it starts to get sticky
• Applying the gel coat
  • Use about 3/4 of a can of black gel coat and the approprate amount of catalyst
  • Use 3” brushes to distribute the gel coat all around
  • Work from top to bottom to let the gel flow down
  • Use long strokes to cover more at once
  • Stop brushing when it gets sticky

Layup of fiberglass:

• Set up wet-out station
• Cut pieces of fiberglass into thirds to make it easier to work with
• Not necessary to make it too wet, can always add more later on
• Use the plastic scrapers to get rid of air bubbles instead of metal roller
• Order of fiberglass was matt, biax, biax

Notes:

• Don’t use very thick resin, it makes it very hard to work with
  • Had issues with getting the air out and it sticking to your gloves and ruining the matt
• Wear longsleeves and gloves and take fresh air breaks!

6/5/21

We determined that the first half we made was unusable due to a couple of issues:

• We did not use sufficient gel coat (since we trying to get 2 applications out of the same can). For the mold, we had used the entire gallon, but we tried to get away with less.
• Additionally we didn’t let it set/cure long enough. (always follow directions on can!!)
• The resin was too thick, (too much styrene). This was done because Jay thought the resin was too thin for the mold process, and wanted to avoid drainage. However, this was overcorrected.
• Because it was so thick, it did not wet out the fiberglass properly, and it was being pushed though the gel coat since it was not curing fast enough.
• Because of all the previous issues, we worked pretty slowly, which did not help the thin layer of gel coat trying to hold everything in.
• The resin was just overall too hard to work with, many airbubbles, also the shape was concave so the rollers were not helpful :(

To combat this, we should try to do the following in the future:

• Generous amount of gel coat, dont over-work it (stop when it starts getting too thick and cottage cheesy)
• Use a spray gun for gel coat? Or at least for PVA.
• Proper curing time
• Regular resin thickness
• Potentially cure the first layer of matt before continuing to ensure that the rest does not bleed through (but maybe that wont be an issue)

We cut another set of fiberglass layers.

10/2/21

Today begins the first, of many, in person workdays on campus from 9:00 am to 3:30pm/5:00pm. Today we decided to sort oit some things.

-We first began the process of building an area around teh cage where we can work on the hull of the submarine while avoiding any UV Ray from the sun. We built a small shaded area for ourselves using our tarps and our canopy. With some experimenting, we were able to figure out that our Sunrez resin won’t cure instantly while working in this area, so moving fowards this will be the main work area for th hull. -We also did some shopping at Harbor Fright and picked up some rubber gloves, wax towels, extra tarps, etc., in order to get reeady for upcoming workdays.

10/15/21

Laying up half of the hull!

• Waxed for the 11th time
• Set out fiberglass pieces in order (matt-biax-biax and center left right)
• Cut out pieces of peel ply(2 feet longer than the mold), mesh (about the same length as the mold), and vacuum bagging plastic( 2-3 feet extra for dog ears)
  • Peel ply was keep fiberglass down when vacuum bagging
  • Mesh makes it easier for vacuum
  • Vacuum bag was taped together (not necessary because hole was already there
• Used sticky (tacky/seal) tape to line the perimeter of the mold about 1 inch from the edge
• Put masking tape over it so resin does not get into the white paper protecting the sticky tape
• Set up resin pouring station and used paper cups to pour resin into the fiberglass and mold
• 4 people per side with 2 designated resin pourers, switched out after each layer
• Resin pourers-tip bucket with spout at the top and roll the bucket to pour
• Put in pieces of fiberglass center, left, right to make sure the side pieces are in place
• Use extra fiberglass if gaps between fiberglass
• Use the plastic scrapers to get resin into fiberglass and air bubbles out
• Use paintbrushes to get bubbles out and make sure the matt fibers does not clump up
• Have a tray of acetone to put brushes and plastic scrapers to clean
• Change gloves and continue with laying up the second and third layer
• Cut extra fiberglass off so it doesn’t go over the tape.
• Once done, lay blue peel ply layer, smooth it out with the scraper
• Lay green mesh on top of it, making darts (cuts in the material so it conforms to the curve) where necessary
• Cut extra material off so it doesn’t go over the tape
• Lay vacuum bag material over the other 2 layers
• Create dog ears (tabs that stick up to allow for vacuum bag material to conform)
  • Get 6 inch stip of tacky tape
  • Starting at one end of the mold, tear some of the paper off the tacky tape already on the mold flange and stick the piece of tacky tape to that
  • Stick the vacuum bag to the tacky tape and make sure there are no wrinkles
  • Pull some extra vacuum bag material, remove the paper off the tape, and stick it on the other side, making sure there are no wrinkles
  • Make dog ears about every foot
• At the other end, place vacuum hose in and seal it with the tacky tape
• Remove the paper from the remaining tacky tape on the flange and stick the vacuum bag to it, making sure there are no wrinkles
• Connect to vacuum pump and start sucking
  • Hopefully, it should pull the vacuum material to fiberglass
  • If not, go around the seal and find any leaks and patch them with more sticky tape
• Let it cure for a few hours
• Remember to clean up the fiberglass and everything afterwards!

Things for the future

• Use only one vacuum bag
• Spray PVA on the mold after the wax
  • Spray gun didn’t have the right adapter for the air compressor so we couldn’t spray PVA after the wax layer
• Better vacuum pump
  • Took too long to get air out
• Better seal
  • Likely a leak somewhere that we couldn’t find
  • Make sure we are more careful about sealing the vacuum bag to the tacky tape
• Need to cure it sooner
  • After letting it sit overnight, the resin was pooling the the bottom of the mold

10/22/21

We repeated the process of the past two weeks into one Saturday Meeting today. This was by far the longest workday of this quarter and required all hands on deck. We decided to lay up the second half of the submarine during this workday. Before we got started we set up a dark space in between two cages to work in using tarps and the canopy Just like last time we needed to put the relaxing agent into the female mold, thanks to its effectiveness from last time we decided to use Partall Wax again. At the beginning of the workday we waxed on 11 more layers of wax into the mold. After we waxed on the coats we moved forward to laying up the 3 layers of fiberglass (1 mat layer and 2 biax layers) Just like last time we placed the glass in the mold first then we layer the resin on it. We repeated this process 3 times in a row Once we finished laying up we attempted to cure the glass using a Sunrez UV lamp, the process took a long time and it was a bit difficult to keep the UV lamp stable over the female mold and keeping it on. Once we cured the hull as much as we could we decided to keep it out all day the next day I returned the next day to pop the hull half out of the female mold. It popped off very quickly due to the large amount of wax in the mold and it was another substantial success.

Things For the Future: Use LESS resin We went a bit too long on waxing Make sure there is no drip page occurring on the molds.

10/29/21

This workday was a bit slow and laid back We made a large amount of progress in the last 4 weeks and we need some time to plan for certain logistic like the hatch, nose cone, and the location of the two halves We spent some time planning for what to CAD on the hulls at the beginning of the workday After the planning, we set up the canopy to start working. This workday was spent cutting the sharp edges of the two hulls with angle grinders This process was a bit dangerous due to the large amount of fiberglass dust that is created when cutting into the hulls. This means everyone was required to wear dust masks and respirators while working We cut the edges off to the base of the hulls. We then switched tops to sand the edges down to the same level. We were planning on using a planar tool to accomplish this but it wasn’t available at the time. We sanded down the edges to both hull halves to the point where they appear as small boats. We then cleaned up all the fiberglass dust, talked about future plans, and ended early.

Things for the Future: Make sure people wear gloves while angle grinding the hulls, the fiberglass dust will get all over your hands and cause severe itching.

11/18/21

This workday was extremley productive for the quarter. It was during this worday where we accomplished our goal that we set out for Fall Quarter. We put the two hull halves together using resin and fiberglass. The process took around an hour and a half. We alligned the two hull halves together using the female mold table. We placed wooden blocks in the female mold and placed the bottom half on the top of them. Then we placed the top half on top of the bottom half. Then we placed strips of fiberglass cloth around the outer edges of the two halves and hit them with resin (Epoxy Resin) After wards we placed wider strips of fiberglass cloth on the top of the previous fiberglass cloth strips. We hit it with even more resin. We wanted to attempt to repeat this process on the inside of the two hulls however the resin wasn’t cured completley yet. It took around one and a half weeks for the resin to cure completley and when it did the the hull was finally one and we reached our goal this quarter. Afterwards we planned for next quarter workdays.

4/1/22

Today the workday involved a lot of finalizing discussion on the front hatches We looked into how we are going to get the top hatch and the bottom half made using CAD We googled numerous PET companies to look into finding the right material to use that can handle 25.6 psi We also had to move our stuff into a different room Overall, we finalized our plan to send the cad files for the bottom hatch to a company called Lormac and making the mold for the upper hatch on solidworks ourselves and vacuum forming it Envision Studios We still need to work out the kinks of the EXACT measurements, but other than that we can get started on cutting next week