MJ Sailing · video

What this video covers

Construction of custom cockpit doors for a catamaran begins with 1.5-inch thick Nidacore panels.Watch To provide structural rigidity, the edges are decored and reinforced with six layers of unidirectional fiberglass strips bonded with structural putty.2:34 Each door is skinned with two layers of 1708 fiberglass and a layer of 0.75-ounce chop strand mat, vacuum-bagged with peel ply for a smooth finish.1:44 Aluminum bar stock is embedded into the decored sections to provide mounting points for hinges.14:19 To ensure alignment, window cutouts are deferred until all three doors are hung and leveled using a laser.13:24 Separately, the exterior cabin sides receive a coat of high-build primer, with plastic sheeting used to protect adjacent gel-coated surfaces from overspray.7:39 Future plans include installing Southco self-supporting hinges for the center door and finalizing the window configuration.15:04 Using Nidacore instead of foam core reduces material costs by approximately two-thirds, though it requires additional labor to reinforce the non-adhesive plastic edges.3:55

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