By the time we delivered Atlantis from
Miami to
Annapolis 2 years ago, all that was left of the original
canvas were the frames. We did not want a
bimini that covered the whole
cockpit, just from the binnacle to the
helm seat - a distance of 4 feet. After getting a quote of $7,000 for a
fiberglass bimini a friend convinced me 'we' could build one.
Day 1
assembled the bits - MAS
epoxy, 2x6s sheet of
plywood, foam
core, glass cloth, glass mat and 2 4x8
sheets of FRP panel from Home Depot to use as skins. (Jamestown Distributors said the FRP would bond to epoxy)
Took a 2x6 to the
boat and clamped it to the existing frame and marked the curve. Realized that a 2x6 was not wide enough.
Cut the 2x6, screwed 'extensions' on the end so they were 2x12, clamped it to the rail. Cut the rest of the curve. Verified that the 2 bows had the same curve and repeated the process.
Them came the evil FRP. It has a bubble finish on one side that needed to be sanded. This stuff is hard as a rock and creates a fine white powder that goes everywhere. You MUST wear a mask! It also consumes sandpaper. I got frustrated with 80 grit, so tried 60. 80 was marginally better. Did the
sanding on the garage floor. Spent more time on my knees than a
cheap hooker at a national convention.
Set aside the FRP and screwed the sheet of
plywood to the 2x6s to get the shape.
Day 2 - part 1. Trimmed the excess off to get the size to its proper size 48 by 76.
Cut G10 into squares for the attachment points as recommended by Jamestown distributors.
Cut holes in the foam
core sheets for the G10 to fit in. Measured distance from the edges.
DAy 3 Did the first layer of glass cloth and foam last night. MAS medium hardener is not fast in 50 degree temps! I was short on foam core, so ran a piece of PVC about 5 inches wide to make up for it. Unlike West
epoxy, MAS sticks to PVC. Hoping to get another layer or two done tonight.
Day 4 Drilled pilot holes through the G10 and FRP so I know where the U Bolts go.
Added epoxy, another layer of 6 oz cloth, more epoxy and the top sheet of FRP last night. Clamped it, let it cure. It is now hard as a rock!
Next steps are to drill holes for a couple of U Bolts, test fit.
Day 5
It FITS!! Did. A test fitting yesterday. Today rounded the corners uses a lid from a 10 quart pan to give me the right radius. Then filled the edges with 3M filler, sanded and repeated. One good
sanding away from a coat of primer.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...wU?usp=sharing
Hoping to finish it this week.