[Public-List] Reinforcing the cockpit sole

[George Dinwiddie]

Stephen

On 2/24/14, 3:46 PM, Stephen Gwyn wrote:
>
> Hi George,
>
> Yes, the cardboard V (or U, or ideally some sort of square shape)
> glassed over is exactly what I had in mind. I've also heard of foam
> shapes used, instead of cardboard.
>
> What I was looking from from the group is whether anybody has actually
> done this under and Alberg 30 cockpit sole, and if so, what special
> techniques they used to glass to the bottom of a surface in cramped
> quarters.

I've not done it, but I can tell you it will be hard to do. Perhaps if 
you removed the plywood bulkhead to one of the side lockers and worked 
from there you could reach OK. Be sure to put down plastic sheeting to 
catch the drips and keep them off the engine and shaft.

> Alternatively, one could imagine a few solid oak beams under the
> sole. Or even aluminum angle stock, or an I beam extrusion. One could
> steal a section of toe rail off a C&C for example...

How would you fasten those? I wouldn't want to add holes. And the oak 
would eventually rot.

I redid my cockpit sole, but that was because the core was rotting in 
the aft area due to water intrusion around the rudder post. Whitby just 
cut a jagged hole there, and left balsa sticking out to catch any water 
that seeped under the rudder post fitting. ;-) If you've got that, I 
suggest trimming the balsa and sealing the edge with epoxy.

I cut out the upper laminate, dug out the core (some of which was the 
consistency of toothpaste), put in foam core, and laid up new glass on 
top. The sole is pretty rigid now, but that doesn't mean there's no flex 
around the edges. A box is not an inherently stable shape.

  - George

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