Frames repair - epoxy works

Nice and warm - perfect conditions to finally repair broken frames in the engine room.

I started the day with fine-tuning replacement bits which I made yesterday. Spoke shave was the best tool to use - taking thin shavings so that wood ends go to null thickness when they will meet existing frames.

Then came epoxy session #1 for today - gluing the big frame and these four bits. All glued surfaces were prepared with 80-grid sandpaper and wiped several times with acetone, to remove any oils and oak acids.

To avoid gluing these parts to the planking I figured using shims which cover exposed parts of the hull. The shim acts as a filler between scarfs - or as a real shim in case of the big frame where I had some mismatch in shaping against the planking. I’ve ripped them from the same oak as the replacement bits. They are 2mm thick.

Shims are bedded with Farm 80 on the side which is facing the hull. This is to prevent moisture creeping under them and to keep them in place while I glue the main replacement bit. While doing that I needed to be sure that I do not contaminate gluing surfaces which are directly adjacent to shims so I shielded them temporarily with tape.

In case of the big, laminated frame the shim needs to be bent to sit on the bilge curvature so I stapled it into position with stainless steel staples.

Then came the really messy job of spreading both epoxy and bedding compound onto the same component - and not contaminating one another. With several gloves changes I accomplished that pretty well.

So went the big frame. Temporary M4 screws positioned the frame in right spot. Tightening the nuts pulled the component into position. I tighten nuts until I have glue squeeze-out on all edges but not more - otherwise there is a risk of glue starvation resulting in weak joint.
After clean-up the frame will sit until epoxy fully cures.
To avoid gluing M4 screws permanently to the frame I covered them also with Farm. This hopefully will allow me to pull them once the glue cures.

Next went four frames on port side. The whole circus took long time due to me constantly running back and forth under the boat and into cockpit, to install and tighten M4 positioning screws.

Having this done I moved to shaping remaining bits for engine room starboard side.
To fully utilise the epoxy - as it is always too much mixture prepared - I prepared mahogany plugs to repair screw holes in the mainsail traveller beam.

Once all was ready I could start epoxy session #2. Although it got quite late - around 8 pm - the temperature is still high enough to use epoxy.

Now all 8 cockpit frames are glued. Excess epoxy was fully utilised to close all old screw holes and to repair the big hole left after corroded sail track anchoring rode.

Once all cures I can move on to frames’ riveting and painting. Then finally I will assemble back the cockpit so we can lift back the engine.