cutting my gunwales

[Dubs chops]

Okay guys i am wanting to cut the gunwalls on my square like another i have seen here recently. my guestion is how do you shape the railcaps or whatever there called? can i just cut them like i like then lay glass over the foam thats left to use it for shape? or will te resin eat the foam? i just want to do this once. i am making my own railcaps too if that help explain it.

 

[Matt_E]

The foam does fine with resin.
Cut, shape/sand the foam to desired shape, then glass.

 

[Dubs chops]

sweet. i am actually going the route you went in the floor. sfter i make the new ones should i jack around trying to get that foam out or leave it in for support?

 

[Matt_E]

Put foam (whatever type) in for support.

 

[Dubs chops]

i am talking about in the gunwales. or is that also what you are talking about? why not leave the old stuff in there and just defoam and put the polystyrene stuff in the bottom under the tray?

 

[Matt_E]

Oh, I gotcha.
If it's not wet or crumbling to dust, keep it in there.

 

[Kennay]

Because you will need to pour in foam to get rid of the air and empty spaces in there. If there is no foam, there is no support... just check out Matt's thread, or mine in particular for the square and you will see what you need to do

 

[Matt_E]

After re-re-reading, I am not sure what you mean.
You want to cut (not defoam), then glass, then defoam and put the polystyrene in the bottom.
Right?
I would put foam EVERYWHERE, not just in the bottom.
For the gunwhales, I tried packing as much polystyrene in there as possible, and used pour-able 2-part foam for the rest.

 

[Kennay]

For my gunwales I pored them in solid 2 part.... figure if water gets in there and comes in contact with the 2 part, it's going to end up draining down through the poly again before it really gets a chance to soak it up anyway. So on mine, from the floor up (Mind you, a bit of that is displaced by the full length footholds) is 2 part.

 

[Dubs chops]

correct matt. cut make new gunwales. then defoam if needed.(it does) the put in polystyrene. i need the foam in to begin with to shape the gunwales.

 

[Kennay]

defoaming would be a way too easy to leave that old 2lb 2 part foam in there in my opinion. Once you cut the sides, you could just push it right out after you defoam the floor. Do it right man, get all that old crap out. It would be too easy not to.

 

[Matt_E]

He is wanting it out - but not right away.

1. Cut gunwhales
2. Shape old foam & glass over it
3. Defoam from the below
4. Refoam.

 

[Kennay]

Yea, that's a bad idea in my opinion. He needs to defoam the floor, cut the gunwales, and then defoam them from the top (Should be super simple). Refoam the floor, install the tray, and the foam the gunwales and shape that down and glass it.

 

[Dubs chops]

hmmm this is another interesting idea.

 

[Kennay]

That is the only way you will be able to utilize all the foam bonds to the fiberglass.

I'm just saying man, you need to start at the bottom with the foam and work to the top, if not, it will be like reaching around your ass to scratch your elbow.

 

[Matt_E]

I agree with Kennay here. It will be easier to do a very clean defoam job if you cut it and then defoam.
Once you're defoamed, and refoamed on the bottom, just pour foam in the top.
Shape & glass. :biggthumpup:

 

[Dubs chops]

so use foam for the gunwales after i defoam. but then i am stuck using 2 part foam for the gunwales instead of polystyrene right? But i dont guess that is a big deal huh. so will the 2 part run all the way down to fill in the voids in the polysttrene if i pour form the top of the cut gunwales? or will it take the path of least resistance and just come all out the top and not filll the voids?

 

[Matt_E]

Use as much of the Polystyrene as you can fit in there. It's sandable.
I just think you need some 2-part to fill the cracks and add volume in spots.

 

[Dubs chops]

i know bu tif i our the 2 part in from the top of the cut gunwales will it get into the crevisis? or will it all just come out of the top which would be the path of least resistence.

 

[Matt_E]

I would do this in several stages.
Here's what I did on mine:
- Filled the bottom with polystyrene as well as I could
- Poured foam in all the little cracks in the bottom
- Sanded the foam in the bottom so the tray sits flat on it
- Put polystyrene in gunwhales as best as I could, except for foothold areas.
- Poured foam in the gunwhales
- Sanded gunwhale foam
- glassed the tray closed, glassed footholds in
- Poured foam behind the holds.