We’ve just finished fitting the PVC tubing to the port bow, and Tom is at the moment busy planing the hardwood sacrificial keel edges. Since it’s been a while since I have posted here, I shall take advantage of Tom’s preoccupation to describe what we just did.

Above, Tom is sealing the raw balsa edges with plain resin.

Above and below, applying a fillet of 50/50 silica (Aerosil) and microspheres (QCell) to be the bed for the conduit.

Tom is pouring in a glue mixture made in the same manner as the fillet, but with a higher resin to powder ratio.

Hopefully allowing the glue to flow freely from the other end before plugging has successfully bled the conduit of any air bubbles.

Above, Tom is plugging the top end of the conduit with left-over, thicker, fillet mixture.

The rising temperature of the curing mixture in the conduit makes it easy to bend it to meet the curvature of the bow.

Temporarily holding the conduit in position with gaffa (duct) tape whilst everything sets.

Tom applied a bit of pressure to align the conduit to the bow here. Fortunately the gaffa tape holds it in this position.

Excess glue needs to be cleaned away.

Tom checking and rechecking the alignment as the mixture cures.