8.25.2008

Vac bagging the cabin center section bulkhead

The Cabin bulkhead consumes the majority of my 8ft. x 12ft. vacuum bagging platform. This cabin bulkhead is 112 inches wide by about 78 inches and is made up of a total of 12 layers of glass ( two layers of 24 oz. tri axial glass on each side of 3/4 inch thick core cell foam) with double strips of uni-directional glass along the edges of what will become the entry door and window openings.

This is one of the largest single flat panels that I have bagged thus far and it required six 1500 ml batches of resin that I mixed and applied one after another. With vacuum bagging, unfortunately, a portion of this expensive resin will end up in a land fill in eastern Oregon because the excess resin is pulled through the perforated membrane that is positioned between the peel ply and the breather medium.

Someday, If I take a 60 ft. wave over the stern, I think I'll be glad that this bulkhead is good and strong. ...... If that happens, it's more likely that I'll wish I was on shore under a palm tree having a beer.