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Cut out the ceiling on our Pearson Triton about two weeks ago. A soggy mess, except for a center strip about 14 inches wide from the hatch cut out to the bulkhead. With all soaked balsa removed, after two weeks of drying time, everything left came away very quickly with 40 grit on a palm sander. I tried to use that sander to get back to fresh fiberglass, but that was going to take a long time, and end up with me full of glass fiber particles. So I sanded down to smooth with 40 grit and used epoxy instead.
One coat of unthickened epoxy to the mating surface of the core panel, then one more coat of thickened epoxy there. Finally, I cleaned the sanded inside of the cabin top with acetone and covered it with a thickened coat of epoxy. The leftovers I poured onto the core material and spread over the middle of the panel.
I built three jack stands for this work. Two plywood panels cover the two surfaces when pressed together. A 48 x 16 x 1/4 closed cell foam pad is behind the core, between the plywood and the core panel. The Jack stands are slowly tightened until a proper fit and release of epoxy from the top joint.
For the other side I'm going to make a duplicate of the core panel shape in cheap 1/2 inch plywood and press the stands against that. That way I can be sure of a complete application of pressure to ensure a good bond.
James
One coat of unthickened epoxy to the mating surface of the core panel, then one more coat of thickened epoxy there. Finally, I cleaned the sanded inside of the cabin top with acetone and covered it with a thickened coat of epoxy. The leftovers I poured onto the core material and spread over the middle of the panel.
I built three jack stands for this work. Two plywood panels cover the two surfaces when pressed together. A 48 x 16 x 1/4 closed cell foam pad is behind the core, between the plywood and the core panel. The Jack stands are slowly tightened until a proper fit and release of epoxy from the top joint.
For the other side I'm going to make a duplicate of the core panel shape in cheap 1/2 inch plywood and press the stands against that. That way I can be sure of a complete application of pressure to ensure a good bond.
James
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