Building ‘Sharpy’ Part 45

Removing labels with white spirit

I’m glad I have not been able to work the whole day, because laminating the keel weights in small doses is the right way to tackle the job. Spreading Evo-stik evenly on lead surfaces and waiting for them to dry before squeezing parts together is not appealing to me. Being out of doors in fine weather makes the task tolerable. I would not want to do the laminating inside, because of the overpowering stench of the glue.


This afternoon I stuck several more pieces together. In fact, I did enough to finish laminating the smaller of the two weights, i.e., the one that will be permanently attached to the port side of the drop keel. I needed to make the thickness equal to 2 and 3/16 of an inch. I was surprised by the amazing amount of Evo-stik required to bond the lead parts. Altogether, inclusive of laminating two pieces of aluminium either side of the plywood core of the keel, I have used just over two 500 ml cans of the adhesive, each costing £11.99. Today I bought two more cans; therefore in total I have spent £47.96. Information on the can stipulates that the coverage should be 2.8 m2.

The port keel weight

Before I could begin joining parts together I had to clean off 4 of them because they had sticky labelling attached to them. I discovered that the labels would come off by applying white spirit, then vigorously rubbing the surfaces with kitchen roll. I removed a few recalcitrant pieces with a wooden spatula. A metal scraper would have damaged the surfaces of the lead.


I can’t say I’m looking forward to making the starboard weight, but a boat does no build herself, and if I am to achieve my objective, I have to press on with each stage of the building process, whether pleasurable or otherwise.