18...and I like it

[steel686]

Removing the core from the liner was more work than I expected. The base of the coffin came out reasonably well and there were a few wet spots in the deck. Any where the balsa was still dry it came out hard. Finished up with a few hours of grinding with 36 grit and a shroud. Full Tyvek on a 90 degree afternoon is rough. I don't know how you guys do it down in the Sunshine State. The Divinycell has since been glued in and the stringers have been foamed and leveled. I plan to lay up two layers of 1708 on the liner and drop it back in to check clearance before laying glass on stringers.

[thealife]

What thickness are you using on the deck core and on the sides of the hull?

Why did you core the sides of the hull, what value do you see from doing this and what was your lamination schedule on there?

[steel686]

The core is H80 1/2” Divinycell. I’m planning on 2 layers of 1708 for the bottom of the deck. As far as coring the sides of the hull, I have seen it on a bunch of the more involved builds starting with Strick, dirtwheels, I think BTK,...It always seemed like a drum skin when you slapped the sides and just assume it will deaden the whole structure. I just put one layer of 1708 on the sides to seal it up. The balsa core seemed more like 3/8”. I understand why most people chose to cut the deck, leave a lip around the edge, and pad the stringers but I started down the path one way and kept going.

[sidelock]

Since you didn't cut the floor out and kept the liner whole I'm assuming you're not raising the floor ?

[steel686]

That’s right. I never had a problem even with a 410 lb DF140 on the transom. Installed ball scuppers and it lived on a mooring all summer. I figure with composites and shaving a fair amount of weight (fish box/shorter tank with forward bias/etc.) I could keep it original deck height. Anxious to let you know how that works out.

[thealife]

Nice, Im closely following your build as I am going down the same path of removing the entire liner and replacing the core that way as well, im trying to keep as much of the original as possible,

Was the deck sitting on the stringers the whole way along?

My 85s core is 3/4

[steel686]

Same here. Appreciate seeing another one going the same way and watching you chisel out your core. Thought it would be a piece of cake after the transom peeled away. When I took out the back section I realized that there was no bond all the way forward. If you look at the earlier pictures, the top of the starboard stringer was rolled and the plywood/putty had failed a long time ago. That was when I realized a needed to rebuild stringers and I am happy I did because they were both cracked at the rigging channel under the console. Hoping to fine tune and get a consistent 1/4" to 1/2" gap. Have a local guy that will shoot Plexus for me. That will be a good day. I'm ordering another 5 gallons of epoxy and cut a lot of cloth last night. Keep the pictures coming.

[steel686]

I guess this would be the first snag as I put things back together and obviously a concern all along. Two layers of 1708 over the coring in the liner back in August and I have been mostly tuning up and tabbing the stringers back in at the transom. The clearance is what I had hoped for other than one high spot. My problem is the alignment at the cut line behind the casting deck. The liner sat on a 5’ x 10’ stud framed bench so I could weigh the core down and presumably keep it flat. I expect that the sides relaxed down over a few weeks and when I laminated it, the angle from horizontal to vertical got too steep. The picture shows about a 3/8” gap when I snap the liner down at the starboard side.

What I am hoping is that I can cut a kerf in the horizontal plane of the Divinycell and let the side flex to a more open angle (maybe 30” back each side). Fill it back with a little thickened epoxy and have less fairing. Hate to break the seal but need to try something. Any ideas?

[dirtwheelsfl]

May be able to bridge the gap and screw some 1/4” ply in a few places to pull the 2 halves back together? Put some packing tape on the backside so it doesn’t get glued. Or use some starboard, nothing will stick to it... might have some more fairing work to get the tortured pieces looking like one again but I’d try that before cutting that new bottom.

[steel686]

Thanks Chris. Will see how much I can pull it back while it is still sitting in there dry. Had planned to glue a Coosa/1708 stiffener under the front section as a butt block. Probably should have asked if there was a better place to make that cut.