RN aluminum backing/reinforcement plate under pole bracket

[Crab]

How thick have most been making this plate? And I assume all the way to the sides then down the hull, glassed in.

 

[Proformance1]

Are you talking about the Al backing plate like the one on the XMetal pole brkt? If so i was just looking at that today and it was about 10GA of 1/8" thick.

 

[Crab]

I was going to make one that went under for the bracket and hood hooks, and continued to the sides and down to be glassed in there. Overkill?

 

[Matt_E]

Yes.

 

[Crab]

Yes.

Your reccomendation?

 

[Matt_E]

Reinforce that area, and put a regular backing plate on it.

 

[Sanford]

Reinforce in specific key spots is all you need to do. You need to foam the void areas underneath then glass over it. I have all the detail pictures showing exactly this in my link below (under Projects > SuperJet RN).

BTW: Don't forget to add a little extra layers of glass on the vertical sides at the front corners.

 

[Crab]

Looks good, I like the 4oz carbon. Is there any need to pull the nose foam out and glass all the way to the nose? And did you let the biax cure before laying the carbon, or do both wet?

 

[chad]

lay the carbon on the wet biax , something about the chemical bond when you do it that way .

 

[gj_fx1]

yup you want all the resin to cure together regardless of the cloth type.

sanford: do you accurately fit that carbon cloth dry or are you trimming the edges as you lay it?

btw: I think if you wanted a metal bracket all the way down the sides you would need to bolt it at the bottom somehow or you wouldn't see any advantage over a good glass job.

 

[Sanford]

I didn't use any carbon fiber in my whole SJ build. I used 1208 biax and topped it wet with 4oz e-glass. Its black because I used a little black pigment in the expoxy mix...not so much that it was solid ink black, just enough to be translucent black.

I made an exact pattern with heavy construction paper then transfered & cut the fiberglass. I wanted to avoid trimming while wet or after it dried. It was a one shot kill.

After its all layed up and wet, use a flexible putty knife and make sure there isn't any epoxy pooling (spread evenly). Less is better. The end result leaves really smooth finish (important when you wrench on ski) that still has a consistent weave pattern.

BTW: I used 8lb foam in the nose void areas. I wanted something harder than 2lb or 4lb (as typically used in rear tray area).

 

[gj_fx1]

nice. I avoid having to trim anything wet, but never worked with pigmented stuff where its obviously important to have a real clean fit.

 

[vitalikol]

thanks for advise Sanford

 

[Mouthfulloflake]

that is GREAT advice Sanford!

I trimmed mine after it dried, and its a MESS, I bleed anytime my hands are roaming around in there, tiny glass daggers EVERYwhere.

smoothing while wet is MUCH better

I didn't use any carbon fiber in my whole SJ build. I used 1208 biax and topped it wet with 4oz e-glass. Its black because I used a little black pigment in the expoxy mix...not so much that it was solid ink black, just enough to be translucent black.

I made an exact pattern with heavy construction paper then transfered & cut the fiberglass. I wanted to avoid trimming while wet or after it dried. It was a one shot kill.

After its all layed up and wet, use a flexible putty knife and make sure there isn't any epoxy pooling (spread evenly). Less is better. The end result leaves really smooth finish (important when you wrench on ski) that still has a consistent weave pattern.

BTW: I used 8lb foam in the nose void areas. I wanted something harder than 2lb or 4lb (as typically used in rear tray area).