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I am making two WDs and they both have the same problem. There is a 1-2" gap between the top of the bulkhead and the bottom of the deck, It seems like the gap is too large to span with glass and fillet so I am thinking of attaching a piece of plywood to the back of the bulkhead to fill the space and fillet that in.
Did anyone else have this problem and do you have any other solutions?
Looking forward to seeing the CLC folks at Rutabaga on the 25th.
4 replies:
RE: Bulkhead gap on WD12
I'm currently building a WD12 myself, and have no issues such as you describe. I'm not sure how you could be facing a 1 - 2" gap above the bulkhead. The only bulkhead which is permanent is the one behind the cockpit, which has the height to reach the underside of the deck. The other two bulkheads, which don't reach above the height of the hull sides, are temporary hull formers and are removed prior to filleting and glassing the inside seams. If you could explain, or show in a photo, what you are describing, perhaps we could be more helpful.
RE: Bulkhead gap on WD12
just a quick note. if your gap is 1 to 2 inches wide, your repair piece needs to fill the gap and have at least 1/2 inch overlap to glue it to the existing bulkhead.
when i read your post the first time, i thought you said you only had a 1/2 inch gap (hence the 1 inch wide repair piece. if your gap is 2 inches....you would need 2 1/2 inche wide repair piece.
howard
RE: Bulkhead gap on WD12
I had the same problem. I suspected mine was caused by the deck springing toward the center when removed from the forms. The center was higher then the bulkhead, and the sides had pulled inside the hull width. My rookie solution was to set a pile of bricks over the bulkhead which compressed and spread the deck out. I taped the sides in place, removed the bricks and tack welded the deck to the hull with resin/wood flour. Then I put the bricks back on to reduce the remaining bulkhead gap and filleted the deck to the bulkhead. Not an elegant solution, but it seemed to work for me.
Good luck!
Steve
RE: Bulkhead gap on WD12
» Submitted by hspira - Fri, 8/9/13 » 10:25 PM
my recommendation is as follows:
1) using some scrap okoume, make a 1 inch wide curved piece that fits the underside of the deck (and overlaps the existing bulkhead by 1/2 inch)
2) after testing the fit, use straight epoxy to coat the new piece on both sides, top, bottom. also make sure to coat the top of the existing bulkead to ensure the existing bulkhead plus the new piece are water-tight.
3) glue the new piece to the top of the bulkhead/bottom of deck using epoxy thickend with cab-o-sil.
4) after it has set, fillet to the bottom of the deck as your would had you not had the problem in the first place.
this is a simple, easy, approach that will look clean and not add a lot of weight.
not a big deal. i am sure others will have good ideas as well.
Howard