Fairing the Overhead (Part 1)

December 16, 2018

In the coming days I would be working to smooth out the interior of the doghouse, or cabin top (including the overhead).  There were a number of voids in the laminate that required filling and fairing - no doubt a job not evenly remotely considered by the previous "yard".  The wholesale failure of the coach roof required a build out from the shell of the laminate - from the bottom and top skin of the overhead itself.  There are, in places, areas of the overhead with no core material in place; and there are, in places, areas where the bottom skin is as fragile as tissue paper...after the local 3rd grade class had there hand at it!  The structure of the overhead, where the mast would be stepped, lacked in integrity, but would be built up to withstand the forces it would be subjected to.

I began the day by cleaning the previously sanded surfaces by vacuuming, first, and then wiping down with a solvent to remove any remaining contaminates.  With the surfaces free of contamination,  I then prepared a small amount of epoxy resin mixed "neat", that is to say that the epoxy resin in a straight mixture of resin and hardener, and without any thickening agents.  I then applied the "neat" epoxy resin to the areas of focus for this afternoon.

I applied the epoxy resin to the areas encompassing the mast support and the overhead forward of it.

With the old overhead laminate wet out with the "neat" epoxy resin, I then came back and filled voids in those same areas with more epoxy thickened with West System 403 microfibers. With the significant voids filled, I then applied a couple layers of 9oz fiberglass cloth to the encapsulated

mast support beam.  The support beam was in a state of...well, it was in a state.  So, as a first order of business to reconstructing the mast support beam, I properly filleted the transitions and then applied cloth to the structure.  I tackled the port side to begin with.

I repeated the same process for the starboard side...

...and then completed the job with wrapping the center portion of the mast support beam with the same 9oz cloth.  This initial application of fiberglass to the mast support beam is, well, initial.  There will certainly be more to come to ensure that the mast is properly supported, and, dear reader, I will need to beg your indulgences.

I completed the day by wetting out and filling the voids in the forward portion of the overhead, or doghouse.  I first started with the port side...

...and finished on the starboard side.  The intent is to produce an aesthetically pleasing painted interior surfaces, but to also increase the laminates durability.  More of this to come... 

Total Time Today: 3.5 hrs