Rebuilding Engine Beds

[joewilson]

After reading the "Building tips" on Engine Installation on Buddy Boy, I was wondering what is the correct procedure for bonding the wood sister bed stringers sides to the hull stringers and bottoms to the hull prior to capping them with the AL channel.

[CaptPatrick]

Joe,

Since the sisters are epoxy bedded to the stringers/hull & ultimately through bolted, there's no need to tab them to the hull. If the boat broke apart into a thousand pieces, the engine beds would still be intact...

I used a gelcoated sheet of fiberglass, epoxied to the exposed surface of the sisters as both a way of sealing/strengthening, & cosmetically fairing them. Just add a fillet to the corner intersections...

Br,

Patrick

[joewilson]

Patrick,
When you say epoxy bedded do you mean a thickened epoxy putty or fiberglass mat and epoxy?
Joe

[CaptPatrick]

Joe,

When bedding with epoxy, prime all bonding surfaces with un-thickened, catalized resin. Wipe off any excess after about 3 minutes, allow it to tack up, (usually about 2 - 3 hours depending on ambiant temerature/humidity & speed of hardener used).

Mix a new batch of catalyed epoxy & thicken it with mainly Cabosil adding any other thickener that migh be need to fill heavy gaps or rough surfaces. The additional filler, if needed, can be virtually any dry granular material from sawdust, (fine texture, jigh to medium weight). to vermiculite, (course texture). I've even used dirt right off if the ground in a pinch. The Cabosil is the most effective bonding agent in the mix.

Br,

Patrick