attaching a duck deck

I've just finished glassing the deck assembly to the hull on a Duckling, the fourth time I've done this -- a 12-footer and three 8-footers. It's far and away the least pleasant and most problemmatical part of the project, and it doesn't get any easier (although I am getting neater at it). So I've been thinking: would there be any problem with brushing the thickened epoxy mix into the wired seams from the inside (pretty easy, with the "extend-o-brush"), letting it harden, then pulling out the wires and applying the glass tape along the length of the sheer from the outside? The edges of the tape could be feathered in along the hull and deck before applying the final cover of glass fabric, and I think would be just as strong and completely invisible. Opinions? 


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RE: attaching a duck deck

Jim,

It might be good enough, but it won't be as strong as the specified joint. The main reason for that is because you'll have reduced tensile strength on the inside of the joint due to the lack of glass fibers.

Normally you have the glass tape inside and the 4-oz cloth outside providing the tensile strength to hold the joint together. Now you'll have only the outside fibers. If you get knocked ritght on the joint edge, the only thing keeping the joint from spreading on the inside is the epoxy/woodflour fillet.

All the force will be spread out only over the area covered by the fillet, rather than over the area covered by the tape. So you'll have more force per unit surface area than with the internal tape.

Again, it'll probably be good enough unless the boat takes a really really hard knock, in which case you'll have other problems.

Laszlo

 

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