The words for the day are 'pressure washer' . . . :ROFLMAO: that will do the trick.
I think I there may be a new pressure washer in my future, because the reigning machine had a throttle/governor mishap.
Anyway, I've been trying to get this 'bonding plate' off the transom for the past few...
More engineering on-the-fly . . . design change #6,157 :ROFLMAO: .
Given that the underside of the swim deck has as much fiberglass in it as the transom, I have changed the transom reinforcement, eliminating the struts that were to extend in the swim deck cavity, and moving the top...
I cleaned-up some of the wiring in the (former) engine bay in preparation for some grinding and glassing.
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I put a few 1/2" spacers on the extension bracket and tried another fit.
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I got my laser line thingy, so I checked the alignment with the keel.
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Looks OK . . . better than I...
Quick update . . . Maybe not so quick
I spent much of yesterday trying to get the extension bracket aligned, since it seems to be off once re-attaching it. I think the rear portion of the boat (swim deck) is symmetrical, but maybe not, because my centering measurements are off by about 3/4"...
I did some more grinding. The fit is better.
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Of course, every time I loosen up the extension bracket and re-seat it, squareness seems to go out. Yesterday it was pretty good . . . today, not so much. Laser line tool is on order.
The extension bracket is fitting better. I think a 1/2" spacer will do the trick.
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Here is the starboard side
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The port side seems to be the issue, as it flairs out about 1/4" at the bottom. The spacer and maybe a little bit more grinding here and there should do the trick.
Using deck...
Checking the measurements on the transom face vs. the extension bracket. . .
The width of the top is fine (actually 1/2" to spare)
The lower portion looks to have flared out a wee bit . . . probably during the framing of the outside stringers. I did some grinding (not a lot) and will see how...
I am leaning this way . . . I think the stuff is often called structural putty or deck putty. Basically, PB with a fiber content IIRC.
I think I can get VE structural putty . . .
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Or perhaps make my own. I can get VE resin for $49/gallon and I have lots of fiberglass material to chop up.
Looking ahead . . . the test fit is also serving as a rehersal of the actual installation process.
My plan is to . . .
Position the extension bracket near the boat/transom
Apply prodigious amounts of permanent adhesive to the contact areas
Pull & lift the extension bracket tight to the boat...
My car is a BMW . . . has no spare tire, no car jack, etc. My guess is that with this brand of car, you are not supposed to get your hands dirty :ROFLMAO: .
Anyway, we are keeping our cars and spend money on the important things in life . . . like boats :LOL:
Something isn't right . . . My geometry calc's are indicating that the extension bracket would have to be off by about 3/4" on the width to be stopping 5/8" short of the boat's transom. (possible, not plausible . . . :unsure: )
I have a hunch that it may be a matter of height, not width. So...
When I made the transom mating surfaces, I used corrugated cardboard as a 'padding' to mimic the thickness of fiberglass.
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Of course, if the fiberglass is thicker than the cardboard I used, it would explain the fit problem.
The fiberglass was 2 layers, so about 0.09" each side . . ...
