(previously posted on a Catalina forum by mistake)
My rudder has been dripping rusty water for a number of years, and this winter, I've got in in the shop and am going to peel it open, clean out any soggy foam (or perhaps all foam), inspect the structural grid, and re-foam, and re-skin (or replace skin).
I'min the process of deciding on which side of the rudder to cut into so I can remove the skin, and I wanted to know the location of the internal grid so i can figure out the best places to cut. I've used my studfinder (in metal mode) to map out the structural grid (see picture). I was a little surprised how much grid there actually was! The stud finder worked very nicely.
My real question is as follows: Does anyone know if the grid is glassed to one surface or the other on the inside? If so, which side, or any thoughts on how to make that determination? Or might it just be embedded in the foam?
If the grid is glassed to one side, then I really want to remove the opposite side, otherwise I will have a very hard time disconnecting the skin, and I will have to rebond the grid before re-assembly.
The readings with the studfinder produce about the same results on both sides. I have tried, without conclusive results, to see if the studfinder readings indicated that the grid was closer to one side than the other, or that one side had higher density than the other.
One thought is to drill a hole on each side (maybe 1"), at the same location, near some of the grid work, and then poke around in the hole, scratching out some foam, and hunting for evidence of glass bonding on one side, and not on the other.
If anyone has any experience with Hunter rudders of this era or has any suggestions, I would be most appreciative.
Chris
My rudder has been dripping rusty water for a number of years, and this winter, I've got in in the shop and am going to peel it open, clean out any soggy foam (or perhaps all foam), inspect the structural grid, and re-foam, and re-skin (or replace skin).
I'min the process of deciding on which side of the rudder to cut into so I can remove the skin, and I wanted to know the location of the internal grid so i can figure out the best places to cut. I've used my studfinder (in metal mode) to map out the structural grid (see picture). I was a little surprised how much grid there actually was! The stud finder worked very nicely.
My real question is as follows: Does anyone know if the grid is glassed to one surface or the other on the inside? If so, which side, or any thoughts on how to make that determination? Or might it just be embedded in the foam?
If the grid is glassed to one side, then I really want to remove the opposite side, otherwise I will have a very hard time disconnecting the skin, and I will have to rebond the grid before re-assembly.
The readings with the studfinder produce about the same results on both sides. I have tried, without conclusive results, to see if the studfinder readings indicated that the grid was closer to one side than the other, or that one side had higher density than the other.
One thought is to drill a hole on each side (maybe 1"), at the same location, near some of the grid work, and then poke around in the hole, scratching out some foam, and hunting for evidence of glass bonding on one side, and not on the other.
If anyone has any experience with Hunter rudders of this era or has any suggestions, I would be most appreciative.
Chris
