I finished boxing in the cleats for the two transom compartments. I started leveling out the bow cleats. That got me thinking a bit, the instruction sheets do not really say anything about the top of the bow compartment with respect to reinforcement, only that any fitting must have backing plates. If I were to install an anchor cleat on the top of the bow compartment like I have seen in many pictures, how would the lack reinforcement affect the strength of the anchor cleat? I have seen the low shear builds where they build a casting deck in the front where they add 1x2's under the deck, but I do not intend to stand on this deck section. What i did for this was to notch a 1x8 plank into the bulkhead cleat (1x4) and radius the leading edge to lay flat on the bow cleats. This is flat and level with the bow bulkhead up to the bow. I can use this as a guide to level out the top of the side sheets as well to make the decking a little more smooth when I glue it down.
This leads to another question, what thickness of plywood should I use for the bow deck, considering that it will be glassed on both the top and bottom, I was thinking 1/4", the instructions do not say, and there are many opinions related to many other types of boats. In keeping with the "light" design of the boat I was thinking 1/4" with the full length backing structure down the middle.
In the picture you can see the bow reinforcement, not a great picture. Also the stern locker reinforcement for the stern rack.
Another FS17 Build Thread
Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
Over the weekend I was able to glue down the rear compartment deck pieces, it is pretty solid, especially with the deck reinforcements for the transom rack. Then I added a 2 ft wide strip of 1/4 inch ply down the center to provide a little more reinforcement for the console, tank, and to elevate my feet a little to keep out of the splash water. This center strip will be glassed around the edges with tape, and then across the top as well.
Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
Seeing as how the major deck structures are installed (not glassed or finished) I thought I would mock up the rest of the main pieces.
Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
Glassed in the transom deck pieces and motor well. Two strips of tape along all edges/corners, several additional long strips from transom to deck over the reinforced areas and over the place where the rail will be attached just to make sure the area is well reinforced. I added a sheet of 12oz to the top of the motor well that extends from the transom lip to almost the deck to tie it all together. Several of the taped areas got a little cloudy (second layer) but I did not see any bubbles or issues. All taped corners staggered with respect to sequence. I will trim the over extensions after it all sets up. I would think that this should be strong enough for pretty much anything the FS17 is capable of.
Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
So I was in the process of laminating the 1/4 inch strip of plywood down the middle of the deck and encountered a slight issue. I started the process of laying tape around the edge of the plywood and i thought that since it was only 1/4 inch i thought that the tape would form to the step. I was incorrect. I could not get the tape to smoothly lay down and an almost full length bubble was encountered. This was by far not my best work. I should have rounded, angled, or tapered the edges before I laminated the panels. So after all of the epoxy was fully cured i had to take the angle grinder to put in the taper, without grinding through the deck glass. I did that last night. To tape the panel edges I will put in a small bead of fillet around the edges and the tape the edges again. Hope it goes better this next time.
Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
That is the nice thing about this building procedure. Almost anything can be repaired and fixed properly. Keep up the good work, the end is in sight.
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- * Bateau Builder - Expert *
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Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
Yep if little boo-boos could not be fixed I would be totally screwed
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- * Bateau Builder - Expert *
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Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
Yep if little boo-boos could not be fixed I would be totally screwed
- cape man
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Re: Another FS17 Build Thread
Even with that fix I recommend you make a filet around the edge before taping it. It will fill all the small voids and create a smoother appearance.
The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before - Neil Gaiman
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