>> I am using 6mm okoume marine plywood, fiberglass, and epoxy >> to build the new bulkheads. I would not bother with the marine plywood myself. I would just create a flat piece of fiberglass about 4 layers thick and after it cured use that instead of the plywood. (Just cut out the shape that you need.) Then I would fiberglass that in, first with some resin mixed up with thickeners and micro balloons or some "lightener" to create a paste (or buy a premixed paste) to fix it in place and create a bevel at its junction with the hull and deck. Then I would fiberglass that in with cloth strips. The paste would spread the pressure around over a larger area. I actually make an effort to separate the edges of the fiberglass piece from the deck and hull by a few mm with tiny wood wedges (pieces of a match) so that the bulkhead is being completely held by the paste and subsequent fiberglass strips rather than resting on the hull and deck. This might reduce pressure points. The bulkhead itself does not have to be thick or rigid. The piece may be flexible and floppy in your hand but once it has been fiberglassed in place it will be plenty strong and the deck will be plenty rigid in the area of concern. I use only three layers myself (but the middle one is Kevlar that I have lying around) Four layers of typical fiberglass cloth should be enough. Once you fiberglass it in, it will be effectively much thicker near the hull and deck. I hate glassing in these things. Do it outside where there is good ventilation. I do it in a place that I can get my kayak vertical because I find glassing these things in easier in this position (at least for part of the job...) X X X X X X X P P X X PPPPPPP X *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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