The replacement backing plates will no longer be balsa and plywood. I purchased two 12" square 1/2" fiberglass sheets and cut them so they can be inserted as core replacement in the areas where the rudder gudgeons, chainplate and swim ladder are mounted. This serves to isolate the balsa from the bolt holes, provides additional strength, and prevents the bolts from compressing the balsa. The picture below shows the pre-staged pieces ready to be laminated. The buildup includes 3 layers of 17 oz biaxial fabric so the final thickness is the same as the core.
This photo shows the assemblies after the glass was laid up with resin and cured. The pieces were covered with plastic and a board with weights to obtain a reasonably flat surface.
The picture below shows the pieces after the resin cured. The edges will be trimmed, the pieces sanded for bonding, and the hole pattern drilled prior to bonding to the transom. The fasteners will be waxed to hold these pieces in place while the core-bond cures.
1 comment:
Thats a good idea. I don't think I would have been so concerned with how thick it was, just not too thin. I might have doubled up the thickness of the transom in that area since you're working from the inside. No one will see that the reinforced areas aren't fair with the inside side of the transom. You're probably gonna buy new fasteners anyway so why not get longer ones? I'm sure the extra weight in that area is negligable compared to the piece of mind of knowing how strong the transom is.
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