Replacing Bulkheads

[TxHawk]

Do any of you pros have any project pictures of replacing/adding bulkheads.

I have been doing a lot of research online and there really isnt much for older performance boats. The deck is not coming off the boat, so whatever I install has to go through the cabin door. What materal do you recommend?

I am close to dropping it off at my glass guy, but need to completely talk myself out of trying something myself.

********The partitions hangind from the deck are gone now.

[26 Spyder]

I am getting ready to do the same thing you are.
My plan is to look at the existing structure and where my cabinets etc will be and build off of that. I plan to use plywood or balsa and glass it in. My boat had partitions that were screwed in and I will be making them permanent and hopefully adding strength and deck support.

Judging by your pics if I was doing yours I would rebuild your hanging bulkheads and tie them into the stringers below.

[TxHawk]

Are you using foam between the bulkhead and deck/hull?

[26 Spyder]

Originally Posted by ExcaliburHawk40

Are you using foam between the bulkhead and deck/hull?

Not sure what you mean..

I was going to cut the plywood or balsa to fit the profile as close as possible and tab it in as well as glassing the wood for strength. The fiberglass would carry the load, not the core material.

[TxHawk]

I have been reading about using a foam "pad" to take away hard spots. I understand what you are saying. That was my plan too until I started reading more.

[jeff1000man]

Marking this thread. I ran across something a while back. Let me see if I can find it.

[26 Spyder]

The "foam pad" makes sense if using plywood as long as the foam is dense. I don't think it would be needed if using balsa.
Another thought I had is bonding a 4 or so inch wide plywood pad bonded to the deck/hull to spread the load then glass the perpendicular bulkhead to and over the pad.

[mrv8outboard]

use rigid balsa panels. you can bed them on the balsa fairing or just leave an air gap and bed it in a bedding/adhesive compound. make sure you have a good sized radius transition between the bulked and the hull. use a layer of 8"1808 tape then a 10" layer of 1708. then use 1708 tape around the inside of the ring of the bulked. fiberglass is just that it can bend but does not like 90 degrees. radius,radius and radius. oh and vinyl ester resin.

[Wahoo ATV]

Why not do it exactly like they did when they built the boat? Use plywood, tab it in with a mix of resin and filler and then glass over it.

If you haven't done it before, West Systems makes an excellent guide on how to do it and you can get it almost anywhere like West Marine.

[jeff1000man]

What about NIDACORE or other structural type coring materials?