Sooo Ready to get Back in the Water...

[Nicholson58]

[QUOTE=Suijin;1505834]OK I have a question for you folks, and particularly for Minaret if he's encountered this before.

Pulling out the port lights I had to sacrifice the formica lining the interior cabin sides. All it took was 1/4" of 5200 gripping it under the lip and it would crack all the way to the edge. Decided it would be faster/easier/better to just get them out and replace the formica.

I found a way to break the 5200 bond. I use a torch and great care to break the bond. It takes about 450 degrees or so. If you heat the metal until you can begin to lift the bezel with a putty blade and work progressively you will win.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by minaret

Only seen print through when someone tried to laminate over p-lam that wasn't flat, ie fake tiles with a seam indent or some other pattern embossed in the laminate. Flame away if it goes south, but you should also go on the other forums I linked to and flame them as well!


Dude, you get up even earlier than me! 5 AM CF advice? I love it...

Agreed... rare for sure! I'll go fast and come out smooth as a baby's butt...

I've seen some lam that approaches the crap they put in trailers/coaches/motorhomes.... Bah! What is that crap!

Yea... I get up pretty early... Wake up with CF for oh... 5 hrs or so....
Truly enjoy the helping... saving somebody's butt from a nightmare make ya feel kinda good...

My actual informative contribution on this thread however is about <1%

[Suijin]

Well while pondering the issue of whether to go over the old formica or pull it off over a cup of coffee one morning, I gave a piece of the old a yank. Pop! Twenty minutes later I had bare cabin walls. So the very issue that caused it to crack in the first place resurfaced to make my life easier. Sanded down the old adhesive in short order and started making templates with luan strips and a glue gun:



Meanwhile, had finished the epoxy filling and went to work cutting out the wider dimensions and spigot cutouts. A bit of a b!tch with the cabin sides being 1.5" thick, but got there. Here's a finished cutout, minus epoxy sealing around the bare wood:



I have decided through this process that this is the most useful tool I own. I carry it in my pocket and use it constantly. Nothing like having a 4" flexible razor blade for cleaning up surfaces, cutting plastic sheeting, trimming, scraping, etc:



Bonus time. I was casually rooting around in the yard's heap of discarded equipment in one of the bays and happened upon two dusty old broken Cruiseairs. 30 minutes later I had one functioning Cruiseair and one pile of junk. Woot!



Formica got glued up yesterday and went uneventfully. Need to route out the port light openings in it and then I can start installation. The end is in sight...

Meanwhile, I spotted something suspicious where my hull meets my keel amidships, right in front of a couple of small spots that need repair.



Hmmm, perfectly circular. I know where this is going. I pull out my trusty box cutter and POP. Yet another bad repair job uncovered.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Lookin' good man!

Cleared path ready for the endzone....