The crack in the plywood was repaired on both sides. On the outside, I injected epoxy resin into the crack and clamped with as much pressure I could muster. I also put a small strip of plywood over the crack to concentrate the pressure. However, it didn't totally flatten the crack. There was still a slight ridge, so I sanded it a bit and re-stained the wood. The result is this.
It is filled and almost the same contour it should be. The epoxy makes the color slightly off but I hoping when the epoxy and fiberglass cloth go on, it will not be as noticeable.
On the inside, the epoxied plywood was pressed to match the contour and glued into place.
It is two layers of 5.2mm plywood and has been clamped to match the curvature of the inside. I feel confident the repair is stronger than the original plywood and I can now continue.
The weather and this crack has delayed progress by a week. The challenge of boatbuilding is creating solutions to non-standard problems. That's what makes it interesting, indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment