New Bulkheads

The big project this week was the fabrication and installation of two new bulkheads.  The new bulkhead will make the boat much stronger.  It was really interesting to see the process of creating a composite part from start to finish.

First we fabricated a MDF base and a quarter inch foam blank of the bulkhead

 

Holes were drilled in the foam to allow the resin to be properly draw out by the vacuum

One layer of Biax is laid up onto the MDF base

A strip of Biax is laid up to form the base of the flange

The foam core is then laid on top of the MDF base

Six layers of unis are added to the inside round and then covered in another layer of biax

Mid set break

The foam core is then covered by a final layer of Biax

Vacuum bag it

Bake it

Finished part

As Vlad would say, Smuck it in

Ready to be tabbed

I got to do my first vacuum bagging all by myself.  I installed a small patch of Biax to reinforce a filled in hole.

It was a simple job

 

All done

We removed all the stickers from the stern of the boat to prepare the stern for sanding.

Before

After

We also have been preparing the front longitudinal for repair.

I spent this weekend up in Newport, Rhode Island.  There were a total of nine webbies in Newport this weekend with me.

We had a fun Superbowl party