1975 25 hardtop construction

[martin]

any body know how the upper foward deck is made or what the core is.
I think it's ply wood I have some soft spots on my front deck sec. I think the wood core is bad anyone know if it can be fixed or how.
or if i'm totaly off track.



PLEASE HELP

[rossjo]

Balsa core - pain the butt to fix/replace ... search the threads for other info on simlar projects ...

One MUST keep their decks sealed or they quickly go bad!

[martin]

Thanks that is bad news for me is it posible to get under it and take down the head liner and laminate some type of fiberglass panel to the under side posibly with #5200 then inject wood stablizer in the soft stuff and reseal the deck.
What is the best thing to cover the deck with or seal it with it is curently coted with a non skid product not positive wich brand.

[Paul]

Hi Martin,

If the soft spot is small, you can drill a hole thru the top side glass and inject Git-Rot epoxy into the balsa core then seal the hole or holes with epoxy resin.

If the area is large, it can be repaired from inside the cabin. This involves removing the headliner. On my '78 F-26, that would mean removing the panels around the side windows and teak straping across the ceiling then pulling out the staples that hold the headliner up. Once the fiberglass is exposed, you'll probably be able to see the dark colored wet spot right thru it. A moisture meter would be a handy tool to inspect the extent of saturation. Water gets into the core thru a crack or an un-sealed screw hole, then thru a process "wicking" it saturates a large area of the core. Saturation usualy becomes less as it gets further away from the point of entry. Once the area to be repaired has been determined, the dirty work can begin. Since fiberglass dust can and will get every where, it's best to remove what you can from the cabin, and then cover what ever you can't remove.

Use a circular saw with a carbide blade set to a depth that will allow it to cut thru the inside layer of fiberglass and part way into the wood core only.
Cut the area to be repaired away in sections. Be sure to wear proper safety equipment (goggles, dust mask, coveralls, etc.) and ventilate the cabin while doing this job. Then chisel, scrape and sand your way to the bottom of the top side glass.

Once the area is cleared of saturated core, you can epoxy new balsa or ply wood into place. Then replace the inside layer of glass with new fiberglass roving and resin. I like to use West System epoxy resins for this type of job. West System also offers "how to" information for jobs like this. Since gravity will cause the resin and roving to to want to sag, vaccuum bagging may be the preffered methode here.

Be sure that you also repair the spot where the water got in in the first place.

Hope This Helps
Paul Cruise Control
'78 F-26HT

[rossjo]

Boatlife.com has 2 products for these type of repairs:

"Git-Rot"
http://boatlife.com/productsdetail.cfm? ... 20&cat=WMR
Unique two-part liquid epoxy saturates and restores original strength to wood by penetrating the rot. Not the necessary to remove loose rotted fibers. Wood must be dry. Apply by injecting into the wood. Will soak into wood by capillary action.

"Wet Wood Epoxy"
http://boatlife.com/productsdetail.cfm? ... 65&cat=WMR
Two-part liquid epoxy cures in the presence of water. Adds strength and stability to wood decks, fills under buckled and warped planking. No need to replace planking. Fills voids under decks preventing accumulation of rot causing water.

Does anyone have extenesive experienc wtith the "Wet Wood Epoxy"? Is this a pipe dream, or does it work?

[martin]

thanks paul that should be doable I have done repair work like this before I realy appreciate the advice I thought this boat would be less work than my 1968 32' sea skiff guess the are all the same.


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