Re: So this is how it is...
No personal experience, but I've heard the same thing: starboard is very hard to stick to. Even wonder-adhesives like 5200 have a hard time holding it.
I'm mostly through Vaitses book. I highly recommend it, also. Not sure what I'm going to do. The skin is decent, but not so pristine that I should put a lot of time/money/effort into replacing the core. But replacing the whole deck will be further down the road, so I still want to take a shot at fixing this panel. If I fabricated (or had someone else do it) a new panel, it won't look right, right now against the old cockpit, and several years down the road, it won't be the same 'age' as the deck when that gets replaced.
If I cut and chisel the panel core, then I have the air bubble concern that BS mentioned. I was thinking, what if I layed down a skin of seacast (pourable coring material, usually for transoms) to give me a better 'face' for the new core to stick to? Is that price prohibitive, structurally/chemically unsound? I'll have to check SeaCast's site.
My other MacGuyver idea was to cut 'channels' out of the core, running crossways every 12" or so. Seal it up w/ epoxy, and then mechanically fasten 3/4 x 3/4 aluminum angle to act as structural ribbing. The edges of the panel are still strong, so the middle of the span is what needs help. This would be a cheap and quick way to still use the panel. I think it would restore enough strength that someone's foot isn't going to go through the semi-rotten core and land on the gas tank. Anyway, that's my think-outside-the-box side coming through.
Thanks for all the advice, gents. It's pretty mild out today, so the rewiring job beckons...
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