RUDDER LAY-UP - SIDE 1

Over the last week, the first side of the rudder was laid up.  The rudder was first laid out on a sturdy working table.  Since the majority of the rudder had been cut away, there was quite a bit of flex in what was left behind.  So the first step was to make sure the rudder was straight.  A string line was set up on either side of the rudder and the leading and trailering edges shimmed until both were straight.

Then it was on to putting everything together.  Working off of the existing inner core, several layers of glass were laid to provide a relatively level contoured surface for new balsa core to rest into.  I'm using vinylester resin for the layup.  The balsa was laid into the glass and resin.  The voids between the balsa and adjacent surfaces were filled with Mar-Glass.  Then several (five, I think) layers of biaxial fiberglass cloth were layed over the balsa.  All of these parts and pieces were cut and dry fit prior to the lay up to get the profile close to the desired final profile of the rudder.

Once the lay-up was complete, I put together a make-shift vacuum bag system.  This consisted of, first, a layer of wax paper.  Then a layer of terry cloth towels to ensure air flow across the rudder.  On top of that, a layer of plastic was laid with the edges taped to the perimeter of the rudder.  Then a vacuum / vacuum hose was cut and taped into the plastic.  The vacuum was activated and run until the resin had begun to set.

The vacuum bag system was removed the next day, after the resin had cured out.

The finished surface will be ground down and faired out after I have laid up the other side of the rudder. Laying up the other side of the rudder will be the next step in the process.