Rob,
Hey I figured this would be too good a bait for a materials artist of your expereince to resist passing up. Glad for your input. Actually, your embedding rare earth magents in your hatches was one of my jumping off points on this.

Yeah it’s a definate gamble. When I was in college I used to make food money working in a thin section lab for the geology department. We’d cut the rocks thin, sand ‘em thinner. Then We could beam light through the grains and look at them under micrscopes. Funny how everything comes back in life to visit you again. The rock I found on the beach was breciated, (Blown apart by volcanic forces), and then has recrystalized substancially. So I’m hoping that will make it some what more crack resistant even as the veining may act against that.

Crackage is definatly part of the gamble. I am acttually planning on some cracks. I picked a part of the stone that is recrytalized better, veined less, then others for the big triangle I also purposefully broke off the tip, and using thickened epoxy reconnected it because I think the the things your suggesting as psossilbe/proboble are likely at the smallest end. I also scored the back with dremel and diamond wheel hoping that any cracks if they come could sort of be coerced into moving side to side rather then down the length of the piece. I’ve done a fair amount of marble flooring, and crackage is (even with elastemer grouts and cements.... inevitable, So.... if you can’t control it...... you declare it part of the look. (LOL) No problem is ever to to big to run away from.... LOL

I have been pondering glass coverage on this thing. I had thought about putting two swatches of #6 over the inside pour and no fabric on the outside, but you’ve got me thinking perhaps I ought bury the glass in the pour .

I was still pondering weather to put a patch of 4 over the whole thing after I had it seamed out. I kind of thought I might not,. But what your saying makes sense. Perhaps if I went to a number 2 in auto weave over the outside. Still conjuring on that one. I figured I might try it if it doesn’t work I can sand it out of the top. Hmmnnn what do you think?

An alternate Idea on this whole gig I had was a jewler trick of laying the slab of wood into a piece of wood, like a tray and then putting all of that into the boat. It might have been a better way to go structurally, but I was trying to avoid the bordered look. Something I may experiement with in the harpoon points. If worse comes to worse I can always go back and do it that way out front if this way doesn’t work out.

It’s a cool problem to consider,

Hey Rob......if you think this is a risky gamble..... You ought see what I have planned for my SS.............This is all just proof of concept.... Err.....Rob ya know,...... I have been sanding a good deal lately and when I sand I think to much and well....... You being a designer and all......When I build der boats...... folks don’t sleep tp well, not sure why.......It must be in my nature. Hang in there Rob, the SS putter Putz is,.... even as I sand being filled with enough boat loads ofconcept, wild hairs and oddities to keep us both up for many nights....Sound Effect : Maniacal laugh played here.

!RUSS