Hi Mick

> The first problem may be using something soft to make the mold. What about
> some harder rubber trim, or hi density styro, or multiple layers(vertical)
> of card, or wax, or plaster, or plasticene, or that stuff that kids use to
> make sculpture and hardens, or clay.

I tried wax first which was a huge pain in the a... Then I tried it with plasticene as you call it but once you get it deformed it stays that way. You have been warned. The soft foam will bounce back. I have done more than a dozen of these and the groove always comes out good. When you try it with something harder I would like to know how you did.

> The deck-hatch gap in this point and your point three can be closed by
> plasticene, drip candle wax in, rub candle across gap, or rub in soap, or
> use oil clay.

The gap between the deck and hatch is raw wood at this point that has to be coated with epoxy later. Drip candle wax in or some other oily stuff and you will spend eternity working on your hatches.

And when you cinch down the hatch
> cover, doesnt it deform a bit at the attachm't locations.

The rim and the lid are so stiff and perfectly matching that it will not deform 1mm. Remember, the lid was the mold for the composite gasket rim. This type of construction is way too strong and stiff to worry about compressive forces on the deck. The gasket rims are about 1/8" of carbon, glass and epoxy to provide substantial reinforcement of the hatch opening.

> So glue the gasket on the hatch. Then rarely gets damaged, easy to clean,
> easy to repair in the tent. > Eliminate the upturn on the flange. Then this area won't catch dirt, sand.

The upturn bead is the whole point of doing it this way to hold the lid totally flush with the deck. The groove houses the gasket so it NEVER dislodges or gets rarely dirty,The lid, on the other hand gets dipped in sand all the time.

Vaclav