Sole core repair

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by Steve Palmer, May 14, 2018.

  1. Steve Palmer
    Joined: May 2018
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    Steve Palmer Junior Member

    IMG_5580.JPG IMG_5581.JPG IMG_5585.JPG IMG_5574.JPG IMG_5573.JPG IMG_5574.JPG IMG_5576.JPG I
    Im in the process of assessing a section of the forward sole where water has rotted the area surrounding the live well hatch.

    The panels are screwed down from the top and sealed. Which at first glance appears to be a good thing in terms of repairing the core since I don't have to worry about finishing work to the top skin.

    I have searched and searched the web and cannot seem to find an example of this type of decking and it's removal.

    Anyone here that's repaired this type of decking?

    I'm curious as to how easy this will panel come out. Here's some pics attached. It appears it's only attached around the perimeter and has a horizontal frame glassed into the underside of the panel.

    Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Welcome to the forum.

    Removable panels (what it looks like you have) are the easiest to repair, as you simply pull them up, makes the repair and put them back down. Since you have a patterned texture, you should consider trying to preserve this is much as practical. This often means peeling the upper skin away from the core, which can prove challenging if well stuck in some locations (you can bet it is). There are countless examples of this type of work, on this site in previous threads, which you may want to breeze through. Make a resin choice for the repair and move onto the details, as you come across them.
     
  3. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    Are they sealed or bedded Paul? I was debating doing this with the panels over my fuel tanks, but can't allow ingress.
     
  4. Steve Palmer
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    Steve Palmer Junior Member

    Thanks for the reply!

    So are you saying to try and JUST remove the top skin instead of the whole piece? Or, remove the whole piece and then separate the top skin from core?

    My plan was remove the whole thing and cut the bottom skin approximately 40x40 section, replace the wood and frame, then glass it back together.
     
  5. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Typically you'd remove the piece if it's removable. Dan has a point, is it bedded or bonded? If it has screws around the perimeter, I'd assume it's bedded, which may be well stuck, given the age of the boat. Pry it up, the worst that will happen is more delamination, which you already have to deal with.
     
  6. Steve Palmer
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    Steve Palmer Junior Member

    Thanks! Gonna try to remove it this week.

    Not sure bedded vs bonded... nor do I really know the difference!

    Will post updates when I get there.
     
  7. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Bedding is an sealant with possibly some adhesive qualities, while bonding simply means it's glued down. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to have a hatch, with perimeter fasteners that was bonded down, so I'm betting on bedding.
     
  8. Steve Palmer
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    Steve Palmer Junior Member

    It was definitely bedded. It came out pretty easily actually. That is, after 2hrs of cutting away the caulk. I made a hoist rig with a couple 2x4's and a come along and stuck a 3ft piece into the live well underneath so I could rachet it up and lift it up somewhat vertical
     

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  9. Steve Palmer
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    Steve Palmer Junior Member

    More progress...

    Removed all old core material and got it down to nice top skin fiberglass. My grandfathers giant chisel from the 40's that I inherited came in very handy!

    To my surprise it was endgrain balsa core.

    My local lumber supplier has marine Birch and Hydrotek ply. Any preference on these? I believe the hydrotek is 46lbs/sheet for 9mm. I'm leaning towards whichever is lighter... or special order Okume ply.
     

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  10. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Birch is significantly heavier than Meranti (Hydrotek), so go with the Meranti, though balsa is a lot lighter than both of the plywoods. You can consider using foam for the weight savings and it doesn't rot like balsa can, though a bit more costly. Additionally, the foam can make up the sandwich construction much better than the plywood, as it can be had in a similar thickness, whereas the plywood will need some "bulking" up to make up the thickness differences, which is just more weight.
     
  11. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    Buy a piece or two of foam.

    Noah's Marine is in Toronto, but those guys would cut it for you and it might save you tons on shipping.

    Then bed it into the saved skin with cabosil and epoxy mixed like peanut butter or just a bit looser. Use plastic with plywood and then weights to push the foam down. The plastic will keep the ply from sticking; the ply will keep the loading from weights more even.

    If you use plain epoxy; there will be voids. I like to use a thin v notch glue trowel to apply the glue mix. ...1/16 or 3/32 or so...

    PAR won't steer you wrong.

    12mm foam weight is about 7# for a 4x8 sheet for 'regular' density foam. Considerably lighter than the ply and it never absorbs water and can't rot.
     
  12. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Toss me a twenty and watch what happens . . .
     
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  13. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    Horses?
     
  14. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder


  15. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    Ha!

    Boats is your passion. Twenty bux for half a tin of dolfinite or a tube of 5200.

    Horses...

    All the best to you good sir.
     
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