Saturday, January 29, 2011

Preparing the Bulkheads

A few months ago I prepared a 28" x 28" piece of cedar strip with glass on both sides and 2 coats of epoxy. This is what my plans called for but is actually bigger than needed as you can see.
I began with the station that was closest to where the bulkheads will be placed. The rear bulkhead will be right behind the cockpit recess. The forward bulkhead is about 56" from the rear of the cockpit. I actually put the kayak on the floor and sat it it to make sure there will be enough legroom. That was fun and motivated me to finish so I can paddle it. I began with the station that was closest to where the bulkheads will be placed. then I cut a first and later a second cardboard cutout. Once I was very close I tranced the cardboard on the cedar strip square and cut them out with a saber saw.

As you can see the rear bulkhead fits well but I still have some sanding to do. My goal is to have 1/8" to 1/16" cleareance around the entire bulkhead. Then I will tack it in place with hot glue and use 3M 5200 tan adhesive sealant to seal it in place. I'm using this rather than epoxy and fiberglass for 2 reasons. I'm running out of epoxy. But also this is a highly rated and recommended adhesive sealant and I think it will be easier to install from a caulking tube. The seal on the forwad bulkhead inside the cockpit is going to be especially hard to reach. I've order two tubes from West Marine and discovered that they will match any internet price that you can find. This will save $3.00 per tube based on the low price of Boat Bandit but come without shipping charges. Good deal. I just have to wait a week to get it.