Meter/Mix System Keeps Up With Production Demands for World-Class Builder of Luxury Yachts
Having taken over the business from his father “Sonny,” where the time-honored method of fastening planks on frames was still being practiced, Hodgdon knew that to compete in an increasingly high-tech market, it would be critical to research and implement the latest technologies and processes into the design and construction of his yachts. That research led to the use of cold molding, a process that uses epoxy to bond a successive series of thin wood laminates to a wood frame, providing an extremely strong and stable hull.
Following the application of each laminate series, the strips are further held in place to achieve full bond strength by using a unique but simple method known as vacuum bagging in which large sheets of plastic bubble wrap are laid over the wood and sealed around the perimeter. A vacuum pump is connected to the plastic “tent” and the resident air removed, yielding an even clamping force over the entire surface.