Core decisions on 43 DCMY

[Cricket]

Yeh, I'm not understanding the use of plywood either, to me it's just a harder version of balsa that will have the same outcome if water gets in.
I would go with Coosa, appropriate thickness so you only have to install 1 layer.
Run it through the table saw if it needs to be scored to be able to bend for the deck crown.


Regarding biax 1208 and 1708 cloth, with epoxy we use 1200 and 1700 which doesn't have the layer of mat.
Just think it's much easier to work with.

It's not like I don't like plywood, have a 32' custom Carolina center console built out of Okume, Meranti with fir stringers all wrapped in epoxy and biax glass.

 

[Boatsb]

Coosa will not handle the compression as well. 3 layers of saturated 1/4 plywood with glass between will not rot. I've done it this way for many years and never had a failure. I usually do a single lamination so its all one solid piece.

 

[whoover]

The plywood is at the suggestion of Scott. The size of the area is such that it will have to be in three sections to fit through the locker door and the joints staggered like bricks on the next layer. All of the edges will be sealed and all of the new mounting holes will be over bored and willed with epoxy. The repair will be kept dry so it should be stronger than the original balsa core and much stronger than what I removed.

Walt Hoover

 

[whoover]

Yesterday was cleaning up the edges to good solid core and making a pattern for the replacement core. Im glad that when the work starts in the spring there will be three days between layers. I need a few days to recover from climbing in and out of the anchor locker. The total area has worked out to about 15 square feet so I feel I got pretty lucky.
Walt Hoover