I guess you re-used the deck laminate. I've never done a deck core repair. Most threads or videos show the new wood being glassed over rather than re-use of the existing deck laminate. I assume that's because it's hard to get the deck laminate off cleanly. How did you accomplish that?
It must have saved a lot of time and work. In only about ten days you're most of the way there. How difficult was it to get the existing laminate to sit evenly on the new core?
I've recored a few decks, or spots on decks over the years. This one is a bit different. There is only the outer skin, 1/4" plywood and then nothing but some tabbing to the inner deck liner. Usually there is an inner fiberglass layer , balsa core and then the deck skin. Which i find easier as there is support under the core.
I sounded out the rotten spot with a hammer, made some marks and cut the skin and remaining plywood all at once with a cut off wheel on a grinder.
I made tabs that I glassed and screwed in place from the existing deck into the void to support the new plywood. This allowed me to bond the new skin to my tabs and the existing tabbing on the backside. Some screws to hold it all in place until it cured.
The old core plywood scraped off the deck laminate quite easily. What was left a grinder made quick work of. I feathered my edges on the core and bonded the skin back on with thickened epoxy. Once cured, another round with the grinder then 2 strips of biaxial (1708) and more epoxy. I will sand this all down, fair it in. Redrill all my holes, prime and paint what I have to, then lay EVA foam decking over it to hide the scars.
