The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

Chapter 26 – Interior Construction 321
these fasteners slightly and leave them in place; the
small holes they make are hard to detect after filling.
We often use fillet joints in interiors, especially where
curved surfaces meet. Fillets (described in detail in
Chapter 11) save a great deal of time and are strong for
their weight. Rounded fillets are also easy to keep clean.
Settee or cockpit trim
Bulkhead
support
Settee front
Cushion rail
Plywood step with
protective hardwood
edge support
Triangular cleat
Trim
Plywood and wood parts can be bonded quickly to the
curved inner hull surface by positioning them and
applying a fillet of proper thickness on either side at the
intersection of the mating materials. <strong>The</strong> alternative to
filleting is to laboriously attach shaped wooden cleats to
the curved surface and to bond the parts to these cleats.
Plywood
cleats
1 ⁄8" saw kerfs filled with
thickened epoxy
Paper honeycomb
1 ⁄16" Birch plywood
1 ⁄2" Plywood
Figure 26-9 Design details for interior joinery. <strong>The</strong> basic designs are universal to boatbuilding, but modifications can be made
to lighten the structures without sacrificing strength because they are bonded. We usually use fillets and triangular cleats instead
of square stock for interior construction and get the same bonding area for less weight. It’s easy to form corner pieces for
settees, bulkheads, and other molded items over common objects such as pipes and barrels.
Frame
Cushion
Settee or bulkhead with laminated corner
Foam
Bunkfront
Rail
Cap
Plywood
Drop-in icebox top
Cleat
Bulkhead or
cabinet corner