Prairie Schooner
Jeff & Donna, E35-3 purchased 7/21
We will be getting new instruments in our ’86 E35-3. I think a third transducer was installed at some point which leaves us with three holes. The electronics company requested that we fill them all and they’d make a fresh one.
I couldn’t get a wrench on the existing thru-hulls or make a tool to try to unscrew them so I decided to just drill them out. Smart? Maybe not, but it’s water under the bridge. In the process of grinding out the scarf I ended up getting into the TAFG. More water under the bridge. Anyway, I went out about 10’’ from the hole edges. At 3/4” thickness that’s about a 1 to 13 scarf.
I’m using epoxy because of the better adhesion. We’re due for a warm day here in New England this Thursday. It will get alternating layers of biaxial cloth and woven cloth, placed at different angles, with the largest patch touching the hull first, getting progressively smaller. I’ll put 2-4 layers inside as well.
The holes will be smoothed out. I just didn’t have a drum sander with me today.
Anyway, does it look like there’s anything grossly wrong here before I start laying up?
I couldn’t get a wrench on the existing thru-hulls or make a tool to try to unscrew them so I decided to just drill them out. Smart? Maybe not, but it’s water under the bridge. In the process of grinding out the scarf I ended up getting into the TAFG. More water under the bridge. Anyway, I went out about 10’’ from the hole edges. At 3/4” thickness that’s about a 1 to 13 scarf.
I’m using epoxy because of the better adhesion. We’re due for a warm day here in New England this Thursday. It will get alternating layers of biaxial cloth and woven cloth, placed at different angles, with the largest patch touching the hull first, getting progressively smaller. I’ll put 2-4 layers inside as well.
The holes will be smoothed out. I just didn’t have a drum sander with me today.
Anyway, does it look like there’s anything grossly wrong here before I start laying up?