Cut the hatch opening?

Posted by dennis tran on Jul 25, 2005

How do you cut a hatch opening?

My assembly manual has exactly one line: "Step 3: Cut the hatch openings using the full size patterns in the plan", and that does not help much.

So I think the steps are:

1. Install the deck,

2. Cover the front/aft decks with fiberglass cloth and epoxy it,

3. Cut out the hatch openning patterns and stick them to the decks, and start cutting.

My questions are:

a) Should the step 3 and 2 be reversed? That is, cutting out the hatch opennings ** before ** putting on the glass cloth and epoxy?? I would think bare wood is easier to work with.

b) How do you cut the openings? Should I drill holes closer to outlines of the openings on the deck and go for it with a Japanese pull saw? or with a jigsaw?

This is my first kayak so it is nerve-wracking... It is not unlike the first freefall I made, it better works on the very first try...

Thanks,

Dennis.

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