G 10 vs aluminum as backing plate material

[Steve Laume]

I am making slow but steady progress on my hard dodger. I plan to add a couple of teak grab rails on the top and am considering how to fasten them. I could and my need to use self locking or acorn nuts on the underside. The problem with this is that they would tend to be uncomfortable if you hit your head on them.

I am wondering if 1/4" G10 or aluminum, when drilled an tapped would be sufficient to hold the hand rails in place. The winches, blocks and the traveler are all installed in this way on Raven. The factory plates are aluminum. Does anyone know how G10 compares as far as thread strength is concerned?

It would be kind of a big deal if the fastenings were to fail and a hand rail pulled loose, Steve.

[Jim Walsh]

Quick and dirty method. A piece of G10 with stainless nutserts epoxied in place. Round the edges of the G10 and bed it in thickened epoxy.

https://www.suncorstainless.com/rivet-nut-insert

[John Stone]

I have tapped lots if G10 Steve...all with very good results but it’s usually into 1/2” G10. I don’t know the answer to your question though about thread strength. I like Jim’s recommendation.
Seems like it would be very good and you can epoxy that insert into the G10 too. Since I use a lot of bronze I have also epoxied bronze hex nuts into G10 with great results.

I’m interested in your hard dodger design. Takes a lot of thought to make them look like they belong there. Got any drawing?

[Steve Laume]

Jim. you are the man! That is the perfect solution, with a piece of hardware that was not on my radar. The G10 will give me plenty of backing and I will be able to accommodate the 1/2" length with 1/4" of G10 and the 5/16" of the dodger. The last thing I would want is hand rails that I didn't have total confidence in and this solution should make that happen. Thank you so much for the idea and the link.

The dodger project is one of the most complex projects I have ever attempted. There is no level as a carpenter is accustomed to. There was also no nailing or screwing forms into the boat. Everything is curved and asymmetrical. THERE ARE NO DRAWINGS. I wedged in a whole lot of bracing and started to make up forms to attach cedar strips. The top and sides were relatively straight forward. The front involved a lot of procrastination and much thought before I even started. I first laid plastic sheeting on the boat and several layers of glass then set cedar strips into it with thickened epoxy. I glassed over the top of the strips to give me a base to work from. Then the curves had to work. There is the traveler bridge to stay under and I didn't want to lose any of the existing hand holds on the coach roof. The radius is much different between the top and the coach roof so lots of strips had to be tapered from 3/4" to 3/8" to get things to work around the bends. I built the whole thing on the boat and then finally brought it into the shop to add additional glass to the top. It has a small eyebrow that I used some maple syrup tubing to form a lip and glassed that in as well. Once the outside was glassed up, I was finally able to flip it over and start glassing up the inside. Lots of layers. I am going for polar bear resistant. I only have a couple of more layers to go. I am hoping to be able to heat and curve some 1/4" Lexan to make up the windows. I am also ordering a couple of 70 watt semi flexible solar panels to mount on top. Teak hand rails and the side lights will mimic the popts on the rest of the boat. I might even add a teak eye brow over the ports. This project has taken far longer than I ever imagined but I am very happy with the way it is coming out.

I don't want an ugly dodger but I sure do want the comfort and security a nice one will provide, so it all seems worth it, Steve.

[Jim Walsh]

Jim. you are the man! That is the perfect solution

Great... Can’t wait to see this project in the flesh.

[John Stone]

Steve L, how is your hard dodger coming along?

[Steve Laume]

I am working on the trim rings for the Lexan windows. I have all the outside ones laminated. I am making them out of two 1/8" layers of really nice vertical grain, cedar, epoxied together to hold the rather contorted shape. Now that the outside ones are made up and trimmed to shape it will be easy to make up the inner ones, using the outsides for bending forms. I have the strips taking on a pre bend in the shop right now. I sprayed them with water and ran an iron over them to soften them up a bit and then clamped them to the window cutouts. I plan to glue them up tomorrow. When they are all set up, I will a trim bit to copy the ones I cut on the band saw.

I did pick up some 1/4" G-10 to make backing plates. It might be a bit of overkill but maybe there is no such thing with hand rails. I found that I can fit the nuts in the rails and run the bolts up from the bottom. I will bed them in a little epoxy so they don't turn. Everything is looking pretty good but this has been an extremely slow project, Steve.