26.) Highs and Lows

>>>>>  I've been using this Lie-Nielsen convex sole block plane to help make the inside of the hull fair. This is a tiny tool, but it works great so long as the blade is sharp. The bottom of the plane is rounded from side to side and front to back for working on an inside curve.

I'm using it to take off high spots, feeling them with my hands, circling them with a pencil, and then taking some shavings until each bump feels mostly gone. (In woodworking, it's amazing how touch is often much more reliable than eyesight.) I don't yet want to remove the highs completely because I know from experience that sometimes a high spot just feels high if it's surrounded by low spots. The black squirrel tail of the plane rests in your palm as you wrap your fingers on the body, giving you more power and control.  I do wish the plane was a little bigger because I developed an ugly blister after a couple of hour using it. It was one time I have been glad the Interclub is only 11 and a half feet long.

For the low spots, I used the same method—feeling them with my hands and circling them with a pencil. I mixed West System epoxy with a combination of mahogany sawdust saved from sanding the boat (I have a whole gallon paint can full of it) and microfibers.  The saw dust colors the mixture and microfibers thicken the epoxy so it doesn't run. I made the first coat pretty thick and will make the next coat much thinner. The best way to apply is with a plastic spreader. Plop a small batch on to a piece of cardboard or plywood and use just like a painter's pallette. I don't usually worry too much about getting the first coat down perfectly smooth, but I also try not to put too much on—because that means I'll end up having to sand more off.  It takes practice to find just the right balance. In the very upper right corner of the bottom photo, you can see that the rail is completely gone.  (Click on the photo to expand.)