TEMPLET

,#30, Dasboot - Oak Rub Rail

I used the edge of an angle grinder to rout a 1/8th" to 3/16th" deep groove right over the mating lips of hull and deck, then filled it with epox thickened with 407. The important trick...which I missed.. is to rout only the lower, hull-half of the joint...just touching the upper lip to clean it for a bond. I routed the 1/4" wide groove over midway between the meeting edges, and recapturing the angle of the joint at the bow area was difficult. It took three or four applications of filler to build up enough plastic to shape into the angle. The rail sits adjacent to, and below this joint line, so it's gotta be true. So rout the lower half of the joint only, and preserve the line. I didn't think it was important to strengthen the joint...there's a lot of mat...about 1/4" thick or more...on the inside of it. I figure if I had not routed both sides of the joint, I could have knocked off the job in two days: one to rout and fill, the next to sand and shape. Done....Jeff