Klegecell for Floors / hatches

[thedink9]

Has anyone used Klegecell to replace the wood in hatches or floors? I know it will not hold a screw but want to hear if it is stiff enough, to handle a couple of 200lb. guys,
without flexing?
Dink

[strick]

Depends on the thickness of the composite as well as the layup schedule you use over and under it. There are several kinds of composite Klegecell, Corecell, Divinecell etc... For a floor I'd use 5/8 inch and at least two layers of 1708 top and bottom. For hatches I've used 3/8 inch just to fill in the middle of the hatch. No matter how you do it your stringers must be spaced properly to support yout floor. Composite is great if you want light but not necessary if you use good quality plywood and a good lay up schedule.

Strick

[Mark]

dink,

you might want to contact Other Tom about this topic. He has some VERY light material in his boat and he does not seem to baby it (at least not the time I flew with him).

[EBEACH]

Have you considered using Nida-core? The stuff isn't cheap, but is very light and rigid. Can be purchased with 18oz woven already applied. Trayder used it on his deck.
Trayder's Nida-core deck.

Who are you using for a supplier?

[other tom]

I used 3/4" divinycell (essentially same as kledgecell) with 1808 pre-skinned on each side. Longest span I have between stringers/bulkheads is about 6' fore & aft and 38" athwartships. I measured, cut, and assembled the whole floor off the boat on a perfectly flat floor layered with plastic. butt jointed all the pieces together with epoxy & milled fibers, then layered each side with another schedule of 16oz biax. Glassed in some plywood backing in areas like the leaning post and console. Advantage was that the fairing was a lot easier since it was essentially already fair. (this is on a 25'). The whole floor went in (only weighed 42 lbs, 20' long, 7' wide) and glued/tabbed to all the stringers/bulkheads. Shot it with high build, sanded, then 545, and good for the finish coat. Doing the hatches and drainage gutters, thats another story.

I regularly abuse the boat and not a bit of movement. Don't drop anything heavier than a shimano 50 on it from he heigth of the t-top though (also another story) An 80 will require some body work....I have the visible data.

[other tom]

Mark, the Bertie goes back in the water next tuesday...threw away the old tower, the aluminum guys get it for the rest of the week. I am doing the final paint work in the shed at Lauderdale MArine Center, and while I am out, I have whacked all the thru-hulls, removed some big a#$ fairing blocks, sent the props for CAD tune-ups, installed dripless seals, faired the running gear and bottom, installing bigger tabs, new pulpit, and are painting from the keel to the top of the bridge. Plumbed in some drains for the glasstech cockpit floor and transome bait tank. I went with Navnet, so am installing the 'ducers now too...I have electronic controls, so the cockpit gets a set along with a navnet repeater so you can drive around from the cockpit chasing bait (I mean flag yellowtails)..... see you guys soon.

[Mark]

Tom,

Can't wait to see all the things I've heard about on the Bertram. I'm currently up NORTH for a few days where I was treated to the fantastic Goldfarb-Gogg tour of Newport and surrounding areas here in Rhode Island. Trayder was counting the days (hours?) over dinner until we head to Dania.

Should be fun for all [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]