Yet Another Transom Job in the Works - ?ions

[ob1jeeper]

FJ,
Thin as the inner skin is, I believe it's important to get a good bond to the core.

I made a core template then dry fitted each core piece, then bonded the layers of core material together, outside the boat. I then dry-fitted the bonded core, trimming as required, then clamped it in place.

Since you have your bracket, I would also dry-fit it, while the core is clamped / dry-fitted into place. Mark and drill the bracket holes in the core & inner skin, and use these holes as well to clamp it all together.

Additionally, I marked and drilled the inner skin in an approx 4" grid, (in the "reachable areas").

Then when it as all dryfitted and ready for resin, I slathered both pieces liberally, set the core in place, used the bracket holes with large washers, to clamp it in place, and finsished it off using 3/4" screws with fender washers, in every other previously drilled inner skin hole, to "clamp" the inner skin to the new core.

While that was curing, I fabbed the outer skin replacemment, dry fitted & pre-drilled it for the bracket holes, and before mounting it, again drilled the skin on an approx 4-6" square pattern, and secured it with 3/4" screws (& fender washers) to the core in the alternate holes to allow the excess resin and air pockets to escape from the un-used holes.

When it all set up, I removed the screws & fender washers, then back-filled the holes. The inners I simply sealed up with a 2" square patch of resin soaked glass as no one is going to see them anyway, and the excess holes in the outer skin was an easy grind, fair fill, & level before final finishing.

Hope this wasn't too confusing...