Recoring question
 

There's a thread going about an entire top cap needing to be record which got me thinking about my cap up by the bow where I want to reinforce it for a swivel rod holder. The boat is a 1972 20 CC. My cap is solid glass except for the bow area where there is balsa or plywood. I want to avoid removing the entire cap so in the picture below here's my plan: cut the top cap about two feet forward of the gunwhale rod holders on each side,then cut the two vertical pieces right near the bow about half way down then remove that section of the cap to be able to turn that piece over and remove the old core and add new/better coring that will better support the rod holder. I'm pretty comfortable glassing as I've done the deck and transom and the engine has yet to fall off. The picture is old, when I redid the deck but it's all I got now that the boat is shrink wrapped. Does this seem like a good plan?

http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/...psb2ad63f4.jpg

Is the plan to remove the rub rail, cut the deck from gunnel to hull joint above the rod holders then split the deck from the hull for this operation?

Remove rub rail but not cut from deck, cut from the top piece of the side where the rod storage is.

Recoring cap
 

If you did that how would you glass the back side and under the cap? Glassing upside down is not fun.. What about outlining where the firing is on the topside. Being careful to stay within the core. Cut the top skin off and recore from the top. That way you still keep the structural parts of the cap intact ..and you only glass from the top. When you remove top skin.. Keep it so you can glue it back to the core material.. It will save you some glassing.

I figured there would only be two places (one on each side where I cut to remove the bow section of the cap) and I could use some tape to hold the wax paper to the underside to keep it up. Or something similar like a piece of waxed melamine screwed in from above to hold the glass up that way. I thought about cutting it out from the top but if really like to beef that area up with like 3/4" material. If I did that there would be a raised area up there.

Im having a hard time visualizing, any chance you could draw some lines on that picture to show where you want to cut?

i wish i could shine. lets see if i can explain a little better. Looking at the picture. The two vertical supports just forward of the small hatch, i want to cut those in the middle horozontally. Secondly, where the gunwhale rod holder is on each side, forward of that 2feet, just above where the shaddow is on the port side, cut up that small piece and then across the cap and same thing on the other side. This will allow me to remove the forward 4 feet or so of the cap while leaving the rest intact. If someone has the technology to minuplate the photo to add lines where you think i'm talking about, i'll let you know if thats what i'm thinking. Thank you for the help.

I cut the section of the cap off on my 20' hull in the rear to do the transom not the front like you mention. Some things I found when I did mine- 1) Like mentioned by Martin it is hard as hell to get to the back sides and even harder to glass them. the wax paper thing works good and I have done that several times to hold the resin in place. It will help it kick off faster and give you a more uniform finish. 2) Make sure you taper back the edges both ways far enough when you do glass it back. When I did mine I started with an inch both sides and the guys up here recommended me going further and I changed it to 4-6" each side and it gave it a better surface to bond to over a larger area. 3) It will be much easier to core the cap off and up side down but a pain to put it back on.

If it was me, I would consider just cutting out the top of the area you want to do and remove the core from the top then replace it and build it back. The down side of doing it from the top tho- 1) you will have a difficult time removing the core material if not rotted well. 2) if you keep the bottom skin in tack you are limited the thickness of you core you can add back. If you want a thicker core you will have to cut threw the bottom skin and use a backer to hold the new bottom skin while you re-make it then you can add the thicker core above it once you re-make the bottom skin lower. If you do it from the bottom side with the cap off you can cut the bottom skin off then add as much thickness as you want with out trouble. 3) The refinish on the top has to be worked much more to get that fine finish and then gel coated or painted. from the bottom you don't have to worry as much with the final finish under the cap but you do where you splice it back on. So either way you will have fine finish work and paint to do.

I would have to say over all if you are going to do a small area for a rod holder it may be less work and easier to do it from the top, but if you want to re core the whole nose section and re-work all of it, may be better to cut it and pull it off and glass it back down. I always like to do cap work from the bottom with the cap off but getting it off is a lot of work. Also you can think about removing the whole cap but that's a ton of work due to the rear area is stuck down with tons of potter putty and the top of the stringers glued down as well as the front section. Being you did the floor the way you did you cant pull the liner out no longer probably. If it was a master angler where the cap comes off easier with out the liner it wouldn't be so bad but an sf model with a glassed in floor you will be cutting something no matter how you go about it.

Since you've already painted the decks (I think you did, didnt you?) I would just go through the top.

Run a circ saw with the blade depth set to cut just through the top skin, and cut out as much of the bow area as you dare. Leave enough of an edge to grind back so you can glass the original skin back on.

Once you remove all the core, replace it with whatever you want, plywood, coosa, solid glass whatever. Glass and fair the top skin back on and then repaint it again. Should be able to blend it together ok.

Zachary

I believe you know this is going to be a PITA. However keeping on task with the objective I would work from the bottom, cut the section out as best you can that is soggy, provide a reasonably smooth surface to attach 3/4 marine plywood that you can epoxy (thickened) to the underside of the deck using a notched trowel ( you may have to use pieces that you can fit in there and dowel or plate join them together) then over lap the seam with another piece of ply screwed and glued. If the deck has curve to it you can use 1/4" wood that conforms better to the deck and laminate it to desired thickness. if you feel the need reinforce with gussets' or just coat with epoxy. In the end you will have a solid deck that should be more than adequate for the support you need for your rod holder. If a BFT rips the deck off let me know where you were when you hooked him and I will be there trying to catch his brother LOL

Forgot to mention the lack of finish work with this method is a lot less time consuming.

Re coring
 

Well if you are not going to repaint
Then this is what I would do.
1 . measure the height of the cap to deck, then make some chocks or stands to hold up and realign...

2. Take a 4" cutting wheel with a very thin dimond blade. Or cutoff wheel and cut the vertical supports out. Just enough. Say 4-5" from top .

3 ..then take a 4" cutoff wheel and cut the core out from underneath. Careful.not to cut through top.. Just score it and remove bottom skin..

4. once all scored all around take a chisel and hammer and remove core..you may get lucky and get most of it out on a few good hits...if you have the bottom skin off and there is balsa still there.. Change out the 4" cutoff and put a 4" twisted wire cup on and grind all the remaining core off..those wire cups wreak havoc on balsa...

5.once clean grind with 36grit /and clean up dust wipe it down..

Now make a pattern on a table, not sure if you have a layup table. But make a pattern out of cardboard

I saved your pict and was able to draw some lines

Casting deck
 

keep the peice cut outs so that you glass back into place...

Once you have to cap supported you can go ahead and cut the verticle parts out and then go ahead and cut coring out from underneath the deck

Make a template of ho much coring you want. Lay it out on visquene or layup table and bevel your edges of corelay an over sized piece of glass say 3" all around. Then add your core bevel side up.. Then glass over this and encapsulate it.. And there you go... Once cured pull it off your visquene ..and rough up the visquene side and trim and fit into place.. Make some flimsy but strong wedges to fit and hold the part ul to the deck cap.. Now that you have it all ready . get some bonding epoxy like six10 and put a nice even layer.and glue it in place. Take your wedges or deadmen and use them to hold in place till cured.. And then just go ahead and reinstall your verticle pieces..this should take about a good weekend.. Good luck sir

Here's a sketch

If you were in Panama city Florida. I would definitely help you with your project. But since your not this is the best I can come up with.. Less evasive and tme consuming.. If you want to do it in three parts and not cut your verticle parts out well you can.. And then you don't have to fair or repaint at all...gl

Martin. Thank you. That is where I was going to cut but also across the cap itself 2 feet back from the bow on each side. This would allow me to remove that section from the boat. Right? Can you draw those lines and let me know what you think? Thanks. I'll
Have to re read your posts when I'm not dog tired. I just got back from tuna fishing on a buddies boat.

Sorry my phone is not accurate on getting them lines right on you pic so I could not do it. Per haps you could draw a sketch and post a picture of it with what you are wanting to do...but either way outrageous is right , it will be a PITA