Date: 8/30/2007
Name: Carlos #2
email: calden3@msn.com
subject:deck recore, etc.
I just finished recoring part of my deck.I'm going to take it out in a day or so and run around on the cabin top and see if it's stiff enough with one layer of 10 oz. cloth under the new balsa material. It certainly feels like it by just standing on it in the driveway with my 230 lbs. of hunkin' manliness (euphemism for overweight.) If it feels the least bit wimpy I'm going to add styrofoam stringers covered with fg tape.
I'm a very handy woodworker and love tinkering with my boats, and found that the actual process of doing the recore was fun. HOWEVER the amount of fiberglass and epoxy dust and airborne particulates was huge. I will NEVER do this kind of job again, not unless I can flip the boat upside down and work in some fully air-filtered workshop where I can hose it down easily.
Despite wearing a full moon-suit, complete with breathing mask, full goggles, stretchy hood, etc., I generated an amazing amount of dust, and spent at least as much time cleaning up - multiple times - as I did fitting the core material, gluing it, cutting cloth, etc. Not fun, and took much more time than I thought due to the waste control.
I still go to sleep at night wondering about those little tiny teensy weensy glass particals nestling deep into my lungs..... Now I understand why the "recore" article in the maintenance links states that some people say buying a boat that needs a re-core is not worth it at any price.
Carlos #2
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