Nice to see you're using the TLAR methodology. Now I know I'm in good company. 
Repairing Hunter 40 damage from Hurricane Matthew
- Thread starter B757Captain
- Start date
Deck enclosure/hard dodger, Part 4:
Continuing with the framework for the front, the frame between the front window panel and oblique panel:
I kept trying to make a one-piece oblique panel but just couldn't make the angles work. Adding this did the trick:
Which got me to this point and I could finalize the cross braces:
Then I just had to duplicate it on the other side:
Disregard the dark wood color - it had just rained! In fact, I lost about 4 days of working time last week due to the rain. For the first time in a long time I was really ready for the rain to stop! Bring on the 90s with humidity! I may have to change shirts 3 times a day but at least I can epoxy when I need to without looking at the skies and praying.
Next up, taking it all apart for gluing and other good stuff.
Cheers,
Mark
Continuing with the framework for the front, the frame between the front window panel and oblique panel:
I kept trying to make a one-piece oblique panel but just couldn't make the angles work. Adding this did the trick:
Which got me to this point and I could finalize the cross braces:
Then I just had to duplicate it on the other side:
Disregard the dark wood color - it had just rained! In fact, I lost about 4 days of working time last week due to the rain. For the first time in a long time I was really ready for the rain to stop! Bring on the 90s with humidity! I may have to change shirts 3 times a day but at least I can epoxy when I need to without looking at the skies and praying.
Next up, taking it all apart for gluing and other good stuff.
Cheers,
Mark
Deck enclosure/hard dodger, Part 5:
Before going any farther I needed to do some trimming - the molded, umm, thingy(?) on the deck (I'm assuming it has/had something to do with blocking off the hatch (?) was impinging on the forward structure, so:
A little surgery and some glass to reseal things. Next I had to cut the channels for the acrylic windows to sit in. I was worried at first about subjecting the foam to my router so I tried a test piece - cuts through it like butter! Imagine that. With a little practice under my belt I got the first of the channels cut on the side pieces:
I had to remove them and take them back to the garage since the rabbeting bit I wanted to use will not fit into my hand-held router. The side pieces needed to be removed anyway for final gluing so with the channels cut, back to the boat and they got permanently attached. After that all the framing got removed (a section at a time - lots of individual pieces!) and glued permanently in place.
With all that dry I couldn't think of any reason to wait, so time to glue on the front panels. First one in place:
And the rest:
Next up, adding the top!
Cheers,
Mark
Before going any farther I needed to do some trimming - the molded, umm, thingy(?) on the deck (I'm assuming it has/had something to do with blocking off the hatch (?) was impinging on the forward structure, so:
A little surgery and some glass to reseal things. Next I had to cut the channels for the acrylic windows to sit in. I was worried at first about subjecting the foam to my router so I tried a test piece - cuts through it like butter! Imagine that
. With a little practice under my belt I got the first of the channels cut on the side pieces:
I had to remove them and take them back to the garage since the rabbeting bit I wanted to use will not fit into my hand-held router. The side pieces needed to be removed anyway for final gluing so with the channels cut, back to the boat and they got permanently attached. After that all the framing got removed (a section at a time - lots of individual pieces!) and glued permanently in place.
With all that dry I couldn't think of any reason to wait, so time to glue on the front panels. First one in place:
And the rest:
Next up, adding the top!
Cheers,
Mark
Hi Mark.I am sure that you have your own ideas.
Here is how Troy at Free Range Sailing built his. Seems quite similar.
gary
Here is how Troy at Free Range Sailing built his. Seems quite similar.
gary
They are using mostly the same materials and techniques, though I'm relying more on an internal structure than they are - and they explain why in the video. As a personal taste thing, I want mine to look more like it might have been a factory option rather than the boxy look
.Although they both perform the same function, yours is definitely more aesthetically pleasing. Great craftmanship! Cheers!
Agree with the boxy look on Troy's boat.
He has to get enough headroom to move freely in and out, so not many options for shape.
The inner/independent SS frame that works as a strong grab rail looks good to me.
Gary
He has to get enough headroom to move freely in and out, so not many options for shape.
The inner/independent SS frame that works as a strong grab rail looks good to me.
Gary
Deck enclosure/hard dodger, Part 6:
With the frame glued and reassembled and the front panels attached, time to work on the top. First up is to deal with the radius from the sides to the top:
Here I cut 1" foam strips then measured (eyeballed/guessed) the angle to cut the strip sides so I would get a semi-close fit against the side foam. Two strips rounded out the radius. But - there's always a but! - the foam panels come in 4 foot widths and the top from the radius strips measured out to around 54". One more wider strip needed but that strip wouldn't make the angle at the oblique panel. No worries, I have a plan, so I pressed on, added those strips then cut and fit the top panel. When all looked good, time to make it permanent:
I secured the top panel with screws and 1/4" ply squares while it dried. I left the front edges of the top panel loose for a reason - I wanted the front edge to be flat with the front panels so I wanted the top fully dry before I started bending things!
Don't worry, I will fill in the openings above the oblique panels! Although when I looked at it I was reminded of the old "eyebrow" windows on the 707/727 and early 737s. What a pain in the butt those were!
Next up, sanding, shaping, filling, and general prep for glassing.
Cheers,
Mark
With the frame glued and reassembled and the front panels attached, time to work on the top. First up is to deal with the radius from the sides to the top:
Here I cut 1" foam strips then measured (eyeballed/guessed
) the angle to cut the strip sides so I would get a semi-close fit against the side foam. Two strips rounded out the radius. But - there's always a but! - the foam panels come in 4 foot widths and the top from the radius strips measured out to around 54". One more wider strip needed but that strip wouldn't make the angle at the oblique panel. No worries, I have a plan, so I pressed on, added those strips then cut and fit the top panel. When all looked good, time to make it permanent:
I secured the top panel with screws and 1/4" ply squares while it dried. I left the front edges of the top panel loose for a reason - I wanted the front edge to be flat with the front panels so I wanted the top fully dry before I started bending things!
Don't worry, I will fill in the openings above the oblique panels! Although when I looked at it I was reminded of the old "eyebrow" windows on the 707/727 and early 737s. What a pain in the butt those were!
Next up, sanding, shaping, filling, and general prep for glassing.
Cheers,
Mark
Mark can't wait to see how the area above the companionway is going to be handled, you have a nice looking hardtop started and knowing you it will be nothing but top notch!
Whole structure looks like it came out of Boeing, Wichita, to me!Deck enclosure/hard dodger, Part 6:
Don't worry, I will fill in the openings above the oblique panels! Although when I looked at it I was reminded of the old "eyebrow" windows on the 707/727 and early 737s. What a pain in the butt those were!
Next up, sanding, shaping, filling, and general prep for glassing.
Cheers,
Mark
Deck enclosure/hard dodger, Part 7:
After letting the top sit for a day so the epoxy would fully cure I removed the clamps and started on the next step - prep! The window channels will need fiberglass reinforcement and 1708 is too heavy to conform so I glassed in some 8 oz. bi-axial:
Let that cure then cut and sanded the excess off. While doing that I also started filling the gaps with filler. Somewhere in the previous 50-odd pages I think I said I didn't know of anyplace on a boat that was suitable for West Systems 410 Micro-light filler. IMHO it is too soft for structural repairs or fairing, but I finally found someplace it will work! It is really good for filling the seams in the foam!
Next up was to add plugs in the foam where the hatch slider supports will go. I also plan to add a grab rail on each side next to the hatch so I cut the plugs from 1/2" ply:
Marked and measured the locations on the top and carefully! routed out the openings:
An glued in the plugs:
After that I decided that since Lowes was probably not going to compensate me for advertising their products, I sanded the foam to get rid of their logo! Actually needed to do that anyway to prep the foam for glass . Finally, lots more sanding, filling and more sanding to get here:
Next up, laying glass!
Cheers,
Mark
After letting the top sit for a day so the epoxy would fully cure I removed the clamps and started on the next step - prep! The window channels will need fiberglass reinforcement and 1708 is too heavy to conform so I glassed in some 8 oz. bi-axial:
Let that cure then cut and sanded the excess off. While doing that I also started filling the gaps with filler. Somewhere in the previous 50-odd pages I think I said I didn't know of anyplace on a boat that was suitable for West Systems 410 Micro-light filler. IMHO it is too soft for structural repairs or fairing, but I finally found someplace it will work! It is really good for filling the seams in the foam!
Next up was to add plugs in the foam where the hatch slider supports will go. I also plan to add a grab rail on each side next to the hatch so I cut the plugs from 1/2" ply:
Marked and measured the locations on the top and carefully! routed out the openings:
An glued in the plugs:
After that I decided that since Lowes was probably not going to compensate me for advertising their products, I sanded the foam to get rid of their logo
! Actually needed to do that anyway to prep the foam for glass . Finally, lots more sanding, filling and more sanding to get here:
Next up, laying glass!
Cheers,
Mark
Will the foam stand up to the resin? I once made a carved sign out of foam board, but when I sprayed it with paint, the paint thinner in the spray can melted the foam. I had to paint the foam with a water-based brush on primer before I could use the colored spray paint.Actually needed to do that anyway to prep the foam for glass
-Will
Short answer, yes it will. Long answer, I tested the foam's compatibility beforehand. I'll defer to the experts for the chemistry explanation but epoxies are usually safe with foam whereas polyester resins can - and in my testing with laminating resin - did eat the foam
.Deck enclosure/hard dodger, Part 8:
It's time for glass:
This is the absolute limit - as I discovered - for one guy to do at one time! At least with the temps I was dealing with. I had to balance individual mixes small enough to not kick off prematurely but at the same time keep the volume up so each batch would not start curing before I could work back around to it.
So, starting at one corner I brushed the epoxy onto (and into) the foam, covering enough area for the first pre-cut sheet of cloth. I worked around the enclosure this way, just laying and rolling the cloth onto the foam until I had it all covered. Then it was elbows & mixing and rolling epoxy into the first layer.
After the first layer was done it was right into applying the second layer. Here I had a small panic attack! A few days before I cut all the cloth and labeled all the pieces. Unfortunately that day I came close to a bout of heat stroke and had to rush a bit to finish up - and the panic attack came when I couldn't remember or decipher my labelling code for the pieces!
Figured it out eventually and second layer on! And a hard half day! Time for a shower and an early cocktail!
Next up, cleanup, trimming, sanding and working on the hatch & sliders.
Cheers,
Mark
It's time for glass:
This is the absolute limit - as I discovered
- for one guy to do at one time! At least with the temps I was dealing with. I had to balance individual mixes small enough to not kick off prematurely but at the same time keep the volume up so each batch would not start curing before I could work back around to it.So, starting at one corner I brushed the epoxy onto (and into) the foam, covering enough area for the first pre-cut sheet of cloth. I worked around the enclosure this way, just laying and rolling the cloth onto the foam until I had it all covered. Then it was elbows &
mixing and rolling epoxy into the first layer.After the first layer was done it was right into applying the second layer. Here I had a small panic attack! A few days before I cut all the cloth and labeled all the pieces. Unfortunately that day I came close to a bout of heat stroke and had to rush a bit to finish up - and the panic attack came when I couldn't remember or decipher my labelling code for the pieces!
Figured it out eventually and second layer on! And a hard half day! Time for a shower and an early cocktail!
Next up, cleanup, trimming, sanding and working on the hatch & sliders.
Cheers,
Mark
If you are again working in the heat, I am already starting to itch and scratch.
Deck enclosure/hard dodger Part 9:
After letting the glass cure for a few days, time to work on the hatch and companionway. First up was to design an install the supports for the sliders/rails. Nothing fancy here, I figure that since the hatch itself will be pretty light (relatively) I didn't need to go too overboard so the supports are ply and will be screwed and glued to the top:
I did angle cut the supports so they are level - easier than making rails angled matching the top curvature - and the hardest part was making sure everything was square and level. I did leave a 2" gap forward of the companionway opening for water drainage:
Then I started on the entryway itself. First to go was the original - not sure what to call this - dropboard channel?:
It's a piece of extruded aluminum that has been a source of leaks over the years. I can't remember how many times I had to reseal it
. With it out of the way I could start on the deck/cabin top joint. Here it will get the "grind out the old junky filler and replace with good stuff" treatment.
Next up it's major decision time. If I do dropboards I not only have to fix and rebuild this area but also have to create a channel for the boards. Now, I have been on the fence for years about dropboards. This boat has only ever had one and it has always been a pain to store when it's out. The new setup will require at least 2, probably 3. More of a pain to store! My alternative is doors. Not a perfect solution either but that's the way I decided to go. So I need to make an entryway structure for the doors. First up is adding to the side:
This is just the backing support for additional structure. Next is building out the lower channel:
Next up, more doorway construction!
Cheers,
Mark
After letting the glass cure for a few days, time to work on the hatch and companionway. First up was to design an install the supports for the sliders/rails. Nothing fancy here, I figure that since the hatch itself will be pretty light (relatively) I didn't need to go too overboard so the supports are ply and will be screwed and glued to the top:
I did angle cut the supports so they are level - easier than making rails angled matching the top curvature - and the hardest part was making sure everything was square and level. I did leave a 2" gap forward of the companionway opening for water drainage:
Then I started on the entryway itself. First to go was the original - not sure what to call this - dropboard channel?:
It's a piece of extruded aluminum that has been a source of leaks over the years. I can't remember how many times I had to reseal it
. With it out of the way I could start on the deck/cabin top joint. Here it will get the "grind out the old junky filler and replace with good stuff" treatment.Next up it's major decision time. If I do dropboards I not only have to fix and rebuild this area but also have to create a channel for the boards. Now, I have been on the fence for years about dropboards. This boat has only ever had one and it has always been a pain to store when it's out. The new setup will require at least 2, probably 3. More of a pain to store! My alternative is doors. Not a perfect solution either but that's the way I decided to go. So I need to make an entryway structure for the doors. First up is adding to the side:
This is just the backing support for additional structure. Next is building out the lower channel:
Next up, more doorway construction!
Cheers,
Mark