Installing Starboard Primary Bulkhead

March 8, 2019

With the rebuilding phase well on its way, I sought to grab some time in the afternoon to pattern, cut out, and install the starboard primary bulkhead.  There was little variation between the surfaces of the port and starboard side of the boat, so I was then able to use the door skin pattern created for the port primary bulkhead.  I mounted the pattern on the starboard side, aligning it with the now installed port primary bulkhead, and secured it with a combination of clamps and small wood blocks hot-glued to the hull and pattern.  With the pattern secured, I used a small compass and transferred the hull, cabin sides, and overhead surfaces onto the board.

I secured the pattern on the same sheet of 3/4" meranti used to produce the port primary bulkhead, and further transferred the dimensions to the meranti board.  I then cut out the new bulkhead with a jigsaw, and finished the edges with sandpaper to remove sharp corners.

I walked the new bulkhead over to the Allied 24, and made sure to bring the jigsaw, compass, and level.  Once in the boat, I attempted to mount the new starboard bulkhead, but immediately was faced with a cantankerous sheet of meranti.  Over the course of about 5 to 6 test fittings, and subsequent fine-tuning with the jigsaw, I was able to secure the new bulkhead in proper position.

I returned to the shop and procured solvent, rags, a small pot of neat epoxy resin, and a chip brush.  With supplies in hand, I set out for the boat to begin the install of the bulkhead.  I first solvent-washed the surfaces to be worked, and then painted them with the neat epoxy - to include the outboard edge of the bulkhead itself.  With the surfaces primed, I headed back over to the shop to mix a pot of epoxy resin, and this time thickened with the usual 406 colloidal silica and 407 low-density filler.  I returned to the boat with the thickened epoxy, and with various applicator tools placed the thickened epoxy along the outboard surface of the hull where the bulkhead would make contact.  With those same applicators, I cleaned up the squeeze out and also worked the surplus epoxy mixture into any voids between the bulkhead and fiberglass.  

Both bulkheads are in, and both will be tabbed in the next work session.

Total Time Today: 3.5 hrs