Best Way to Put In Temporary Bulkheads?

[CatBuilder]

I have a logistics nightmare when it comes to moving my hulls around.

I have found a solution, but it involved temporary half bulkheads going into 2 of the half hulls.

The half hulls are just glued together foam with one single skin of 34oz triaxial on the *inside* of the hull.

I need to lift these hulls and move them around, so I need to support them.

I want to put in several temporary bulkheads, but I don't want to cause any problems or a lot of extra work doing it.

So, what's the best way to attach temporary bulkheads to my inner skin, while preserving its quality for secondary bonding of the real bulkheads later?

[hoytedow]

I think hot-melt glue would be fine for temporary bonding and won't leave a residue. Any clinging clumps can be yanked off with a plier. Otherwise use mechanical fasteners and patch resulting holes with epoxy.

[CatBuilder]

Originally Posted by hoytedow

I think hot-melt glue would be fine for temporary bonding and won't leave a residue. Any clinging clumps can be yanked off with a plier. Otherwise use mechanical fasteners and patch resulting holes with epoxy.

Hmmm....

I forgot to mention I'd like to be able to lift the boat by two bulkheads while pulling it out.

Maybe that won't be possible without a real bulkhead... in that case, I'd use the straps I have.

How do I know the hot melt glue won't leave a residue on my virgin glass, which has to accept secondary bonds still?

Also, what about tabbing?

Could I tab them in with 4 (qty) 2" tabs on each side of each bulkhead? Take the heat gun to the part of the tab on the plywood when I need to remove, then grind the little remnant off the real hull? Or... would that cause too much stress on the skin where the hull is when I go to lift the boat by the bulkhead?

[hoytedow]

Let me think about that awhile.

[hoytedow]

I am no expert, but if the bulkhead needs to come out I would use mechanical fasteners strong enough to hold hull weight and be prepared to fill holes afterward. I can't think of another way to do it without having to grind off epoxy tabs. Others know far more than do I. Par should be the best authority on this question.

[CatBuilder]

Ok, I'll hold off until some more guys are on the forum. Thanks.

I really don't want to drill any holes in the new hull. I don't mind grinding off epoxy tabs at all though.

[Charly]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Ok, I'll hold off until some more guys are on the forum. Thanks.

I really don't want to drill any holes in the new hull. I don't mind grinding off epoxy tabs at all though.

use straps fastened to the bulkheads at the top, and wrapped around the outside of the hull and fastened to the bottom. use a temp stringer to hold it all in place?

[CatBuilder]

Might work. Where would the temp stringer go? What would hold it to the hull?

[Charly]

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Might work. Where would the temp stringer go? What would hold it to the hull?

notch out the temp bulkhead for a stringer where it meets the hull, and put triangular braces from bulkhead to bulkhead to keep them vertical. Maybe slip a longitudnal stiffener outsude to hull between the strap and the hull as well.

[p_smith]

Hey Cat, thanks so much for documenting your build, very useful and educational for an amateur like myself.

Is there any way you could leave the first half hull in its mold until you finish its mate and join them with final bulkheads? Seems that if you remove it at this point you're bound to introduce longitudinal distortion into the hull that you will never be able to truly remove. It would be a shame after all that laser work.

[CatBuilder]

Thanks for the kind words, smith.

How could I build the 2nd half hull if the mold is not empty?

Anyway, too many issues to discuss here with logistics, so I won't. Anyone know how to do temporary bulkheads?

[TeddyDiver]

Take some 2 x 4 cut them in to shape (on top of another) fast them together with boards on both sides and tighten it on the hull half with trailer straps around..