Time Lapse: i550 Sport Boat built with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

Time lapse video captures WEST SYSTEM Technical Advisors and company founders Meade & Jan Gougeon building in an i550 sport boat in Bay City, Michigan. This boat will compete in the Everglades Challenge. Actual time to build: approximately 700 man hours.

• Category

  Autos & Vehicles

[hebemalakas]

How long did it take in real time?

Me and my mate sent off for our plans two weeks ago so they should be arriving any minute, This video has made me chomping at the bit even more!

[WestSystemEpoxy]

It took around 700 man hours.

[coffeefish]

Could you let us know, did the design work well for you during the race?

[frogsoda]

I'm not actually arguing with you. Personally I don't think epoxy should be used on wood period. Partly for the same reason you stated earlier. Expansion differential. Plus, if water does get past the epoxy, thru a scratch or even a pinhole, it never escapes and it only promotes rot. Read Dan Danenberg's book on restoration of old wooden boats. He says the same thing.

[PDZ1122]

And yes, I have the Gougeon brothers books and generally they don't do this kind of thing. Probably a customer insisted on this, certainly no engineer would. CF sells . Especially to the ignorant.

[PDZ1122]

Carbon fiber has lots of useful properties. But overlaying a plywood structure with a few layers is not a very efficient use of the material - unless you even understand what modulus of elasticity means, you do not understand anything I am saying here. Mixing materials with different moduli like this is pointless from an an engineering point of view. People who know nothing about structures will buy anything as long as it has CF in it because they have been told it cool/stuper strong/whatever.

[chris smith]

Carbon fiber is in everything top of the line because it works. That's not hype or idiots that buy it. Look at a simple fishing pole. If you want to use a cane pole and act like you know more than the idiots that buy graphite poles, go for it. Who is ignorant??

[chris smith]

One person at 10 hours a day- 70 days. It's not rocket science, dude!

[andreasjomtien]

The building jig is unstable. See how it moves. However: Looks great in the end. I wish I could show up with a similar own video ... :)

[kdknitro]

typical business talk how long in day increments

[PDZ1122]

Carbon fiber is used mostly because buyers of expensive boats are totally ignorant of what it is and what it does, but it sounds cool so they pay enormous amounts of money so they can brag to their friends that they have carbon fiber boats. The Gougeon Brothers know this. And yes, I read all their technical books by the way. They know their stuff and I am sure they are aware of the technical futility in combining two totally different materials.