The TDB-21' build has been initiated

RLLigman

Well-known member
I thought I would post this as a heads up. Olsen Marine, the new east coast based owner of The Duck Boat Company, has started their infusion bag molding build of the new TDB-21'. There were not molds developed for the boat's interior panels, only templates which require custom lay-up and individualization of each hull build...interesting to watch the progression to finished product. This hull is specifically configured for open water use, not a bay boat design approach. If interested, go to their Facebook site for pictures and progress updates.
 
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Since this will be a full foam core duck boat, with no wood stringers or interior braces in the build, and the interior done via custom lay-up, I am quite curious to view its progression all the way to completion and launch.
 
They were offering a good package price for boat motor and trailer. The powerhead is a Suzuki 150hp, which is a top-notch four stroke unit.

I would just like to get out and finish fitting my new blind. I am still debating whether to replace the GTI buckles right now with Nexus Mil-spec units.
 
Saw this on Shermie Clarke's Canadian Waterfowlers page.

Posting the link :
https://www.facebook.com/theduckboatcompany/videos/1612185208830820/


Bob
 
Thanks, Bob, I divided the standard bow compartment on my TDB-17' into three spaces via fabrication of a pair of bulkheads I made using three layers of 4mm core matt, sandwiched together with resin impregnated CSM layers...which only took over a week to layout and make prior sanding their edges to fit the interior contours and mount. I did the same thing with my TDB-14' using marine plywood. Olsen fabricated the templates and built their bulkheads, probably with less resin per unit area and density out of 2" in half the time. Sure would be nice to have a CAD/CAM unit sitting in the shop...as well as possessing the skills to operate it!
 
Olsen Marine staff are starting the lay-up for the deck/top cap, and sole mold completion. I wonder whether this boat will have a cockpit storage cover...never been around a TDB-21'. Now I better understand why the previous owner of the company couldn't build one.
 
RLLigman said:
Olsen Marine staff are starting the lay-up for the deck/top cap, and sole mold completion. I wonder whether this boat will have a cockpit storage cover...never been around a TDB-21'. Now I better understand why the previous owner of the company couldn't build one.

A cockpit cover for a TDB-21! That would be another hull! Maybe it would be 3 interlocking pieces to not be so unwieldy? Looking forward to seeing a completed 21.
 
Well, Dave, you will likely see one up close at the east coast shows. I was think along the lines of a soft-cover, but your idea would be a better course for extended storage applications and intervals.
 
Now that the mold for the cockpit sole is fully fabricated and is finished, it will be interesting to see how Olsen Marine personnel set the deck braces and infuse the foam core as the cockpit sole gets affixed to the hull interior.
 
Interesting short video on the application of the non-skid "tape" sheet to the cockpit sole tooling gel coat. I replaced some of the deck non-skid on my old Outrage, it was a bugger getting the patterns to match. I was amazed by the variety of styles that are manufactured. I was also surprised by amount of gel coat they displaced.
 
It looks like they infused a couple of additional layers of core-mat or divinucell in the cockpit sole layup piece. Kinda intriguing to see how they fit this together and do the foam injection in the below deck bulkhead spaces.
 
Hey everyone, I'm sorry I have been so absent on here! I wanted to give everyone an update.

Our summer has not gone as planned, a couple unplanned surgeries really put a damper on progress. That being said, there are lots of projects underway at the shop. We are building some 17's and 14's as well as doing some off-season maintenance to some older boats. The real purpose of this thread is to keep you all updated on the progress of the rebirth of the 21SC, so here goes an update...

The hull and deck were built, and the deck was set aside since it would not be needed for a while. Templates were then made for bulkheads below the cockpit sole; the bulkheads were made and then glassed in to the hull every two feet. Next, we glassed in longitudinal stringers. From there, the next big hurdle was a cockpit sole. We built a mold for a cockpit sole, and it is a huge mold to move around the shop; it is about 8 feet wide and 25 feet long. We then infused the first cockpit sole from that mold. Since the cockpit sole will be supported every two feet, it didn't need to be cored, but since we overbuild everything, we cored the entire cockpit sole. The sole has not been glassed into the hull yet, but will be in the next couple weeks. We then moved on to the decoy shelves. The molds for these were terrible and needed to be ground down and completely resurfaced. Once we made a pair of shelves, we were able to make templates of the foam boxes to be mounted below the shelves. We then made plugs and then molds for the foam boxes. Once we made the first set of foam boxes, we moved on to the console. The console mold is actually in great shape like the hull and deck molds, but holy cow its heavy. Just this week, we ground down the edges of the hull and deck to do a test fit, and to check the fit of the blind templates. The only parts that we have left to make are the ring-frames to go at the fore and aft ends of the cockpit. Other than that, lots of rigging and assembly are what we have left.

It has been a learning process for sure, and it is certainly not over yet. We can't wait to build the next one, when we can focus on just the parts and not the molds. I will try to do a better job of keeping you all updated!
 
Nate, I dated a women in college that held the perspective that: in every endeavor there are a finite number of mistakes that can be made, so simply stepping-off into a project to eventually persevere involves essentially getting all the miss-steps and errors "out of the way". I have learned to appreciate her perspective, a re-work of Edison's comments to reporters and shareholders when he said, " I haven't failed, we just know 10,000 materials that don't work!"

Look at it this way: The previous TDB Company owner, stated he would achieve the same end; resurrection of the TDB-21'. He then never even got the effort past the hoopla phase !
 
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RLLigman said:
Nate, I dated a women in college that held the perspective that: in every endeavor there are a finite number of mistakes that can be made, so simply stepping-off into a project to eventually persevere involves essentially getting all the miss-steps and errors "out of the way". I have learned to appreciate her perspective, a re-work of Edison's comments to reporters and shareholders when he said, " I haven't failed, we just know 10,000 materials that don't work!"

Look at it this way: The previous TDB Company owner, stated he would achieve the same end: resurrection of the TDB-21' and never even got the effort even past the hoopla phase !

Hope you only dated her once.....

Mark
 
We're still very good friends. She teaches biochemistry at Albion College, in southern Michigan.

Interesting comment from a guy who is employed by the firm that makes the post-it note adhesive; described initially as a failed effort into super-strength adhesive development research.

Wasn't this all debunked by internal employee testimony that confirmed that the inventor was actually someone from outside 3M who had his research stolen after disclosing the formula to company employees?
 
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