Over the next few months I am going to follow each step in the development of a new boat design. I hope you'll enjoy learning more about how designs are taken from computer screen to water.
"Tools" for the purpose of this blog are molds and molds for the uninitiated are the tools from which fiberglass parts are made. Before a mold can be built a full size plug of the part, one that looks just like the actual boat, has to be constructed. BTW that is not always true there are methods of going directly to female molds but that is generally only used for one-off designs.
Today, plugs are carved from large billets of foam using the naval architect's drawings to guide the multi-axis router over the surface and create the form. Step one is to make the plywood forms that you see here.
Those forms are erected and covered with wire screening. Then, foam is sprayed on the exterior to give a very (very) rough "buck" of foam that the router will carve.
Next time we'll show you the router in action.
