3.18.2008

pre-fitting the starboard Mast bulkhead

I'm fitting the mast bulkhead on the right. Again, I set the bulkhead in place then use my sharpy marking tool to give me a 3/4 in. offset mark ( same thickness as the optional foam strips) then I lay the bulkhead down flat and use the saber saw to cut the line. After that, the bulkhead fits perfect on top of the tapered foam edge strips.

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3.16.2008

two layers.....


I use a small roller to spread epoxy on the seams then apply two layers of DBM1708 tape with a 3/4 inch offset. This tape is easily worked into the fillet/epoxy mix and once in place, I cover the join area with strips of peel ply.

setting the bulkhead in place


I slathered plenty of filler on the hull, placed the foam strip down, slathered more goop on top of the foam strip then slid the bulkhead in its' place. A quick once over with a bondo spreader that has a 2 in radius edge on it helps create a nice smooth corner that can then be covered with 6 in. wide DBM1708 fiberglass tape.

marking the bulkheads


Since the foam strips are 3/4 in. thick, I made a scribing tool with a piece of scrap foam and a sharpy pen. Once I have my mark, I cut the excess off the edges of the bulkhead with a saber saw fitted with a carbide grit blade. ( I mark both sides because the hull is not always at a right angle to the bulkhead and when I make the cut, I set the saw blade at an angle and try to cut to the lines on both sides of the bulkhead ) Since I use plenty of epoxy fill when I make th join, it dosen't have to be perfect.

fitting the foam strips

I use a heat gun to form the bulkhead strips so that they will conform to the shape of the interior of the hull.

installing bulkheads

Here's a photo of the forward bulkhead join detail. Rather than bed the bulkheads directly against the hull foam, I decided to place "optional" foam strips between the edges of the bulkheads and the interior hull locations. The white goop in the join area is a mixture of epoxy, aerosil and microballoons. It serves as a general fillet material and insures that all edges are fully bonded.