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-----Original Message-----
From: Sellar, William E.
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 10:14 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Wet Deck Core Replacement
I am doing this on my boat, but rather more than a 2x2 area. I cut the
top panel with the edge of a grinder and lift it out. Then bevel the
edge of glass deck that remains. I think the bevel is supposed to be 7
to 1 or 9 to 1, check this.
Remove the core with chisels, grinders, whatever it takes. This is a
surprising long and hard part of the job.
Sometimes the bottom layer of glass is thin, so I add to it if needed.
I use diviny cell as the core material. Epoxy adheres to it very well
and it will not take up moisture in the future. Had a piece in a bucket
for months. I have two densities of divinycell; I use a higher density
under winches & cleats. I really advise against plywood. Some of what
I am taking out is plywood and it was in worse shape than the balsa.
For a small area you could use Coremat (Defender Industries). I've
tried it and its similar to divinycell.
The foam cuts easily with a saber saw or hand saw. Sand to fit with
coarse paper. If the foam is too thick it helps to rough fair the foam
piece before it goes in rather than the next day. Cut to have a 1/16
gap between pieces.
I use West System (though you could use any brand) and a variety of
fillers to put the foam in. When the area is ready for foam, I mix a
batch of straight epoxy and coat the bottom and sides of the foam and
then the entire deck area where the foam goes in. I next mix a batch of
epoxy with an adhesive filler like 403 or 404. I trowel a plaster like
mixture onto the surface where the foam will go in. The bottom surface
is usually irregular and the plaster mix fills in the lower parts. Also
trowel the edge of the foam and all vertical surfaces. When ready I
place the foam on the plaster mix and press it in with my hands. The
goal is to get material oozing out of every joint. When its in place I
put weights on the foam, trowel the excess off the joints and quit for
the day.
I started out replacing the original top deck sections. But easier and
faster just to lay up a new section with cloth ( I use bi-axial) and
epoxy.
I am finishing with Treadmaster which is a rubber mat no skid material .
I am happy with the result. It fussy to cut it accurately and there is
an installation learning curve. This is going on the entire deck in my
case. If you put it on an isolated spot it will probably look strange.
Someone else mentioned reproducing the existing no-skid pattern, I
suspect it is hard to get a good looking job of this as a beginner.
Someone also mentioned doing it from underneath. If the joinery work
allows access, this is a good approach as it does not require deck
finishing. I would do this if I could access for a small spot. Hard to
work overhead, but doable.
Bill Sellar
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