Thanks
Declan, the last fourteen years of retirement has been a bit like that........just can't fit it all in.......but I don't get bored!
So, last week I actuallt got back into the workshop and decided to make the wheelhouse 'nose' Port side life-raft container storage space. This immediately think of 'risk management' training I had delivered and the 'x' and 'y' axes [co-ordinates] on a basic risk grid - the 'likelyhood / probability' and 'impact' factors. The reason for this was that the wheelhouse was going to be fitted and taken off many, many times, the damage most likely to happen was to be on this little box, hitting the deck on re-fitting each time. Hence it had to be strong. The likelihood was high and the impact high also! Therefore:
- I decided that it would be made in grp pre-form sheet [just a laid-up thin sheet of fibre glass and gel coat at approx. 1.25mm]
- it would be 5 min. epoxy glued provisionally
- then UV glued [Bondic] on the inside joints - which would give the 'meniscus' curve at the join
- then covered with epoxy resin and glass fibre tape
- finally the same process would be used when gluing it onto the inside of the inside of the wheelhouse.......
- but two shaped wooden blocks would also be added top and bottom to support the unit for when it did get banged!!
- you will notice that I used 'engineers' parallels' to keep everything at right angles - most useful and heavy to hold it all in place, however, I did rub candle wax on the surfaces were glue was likely to adhere to.........it work, and the items separated easily.
I also considered:
- whether to cut the aperture oversize by 1.25mm on each side and have it sitting flush
- or attached to the back of the correct size of aperture - being 75mm by 30mm
I decided to go for the latter, as if it did decide to break this ought to be hidden on the external paintwork, where if it was projecting through there would be a crack appearing all around the aperture - QED.
- the depth of the box is 55mm
This all took longer than I had envisaged, but was fun!
I shall later [next week or the week after - I have a busy week of engagements coming up]:
- fix this to the wheelhouse
- and then start making the smaller, but similar 'boxes around the wheelhouse.
That's where I am at at the moment, but any of this could be made with either styrene or plywood, using similar methods.......you have the choice, just remember 'probability' and 'impact' to this part of your Project!
C.C.
PS - you might notice that on the fourth photo from the end there is a 'protusion' on the front corner edge - this required [gently.....] for the glass fibre and epoxy resin on the inside top edge of the 'nose' to be ground back, using the Dremmel, to accommodate the box correctly.