: Didn't know much about that particular foam so went and looked it up. Seems
: it's thermoformable (can be bent with heat) with moderate temperatures (80
: degrees C.). If it were me building it, I'd find a way to make the deck
: without stripping it, bending the foam instead. Most foams can be edge
: joined fairly easily using toothpicks as dowels to hold the edges inline
: until the glue sets. A bent foam deck would mean far less work getting a
: fair surface, virtually zero, and would minimize weight too. I didn't see
: a spec. for weight of the product and noticed that it's minimum thickness
: is 3/8" so you may not really save any weight doing this. A cedar
: core is pretty light specially since it can be very thin and still be
: strong enough.

: Bill H.

Bill
I do plan on bending the corecell where the curves on the deck aren't compound. In some areas (like the deck behind the cockpit), it may be easier to use a flat piece of Corecell but the area in front of the cockpit may be hard to heat and bend. I have built a rudder and thigh braces from corecell. It bends easily with heat but works best in only one direction. Compound bends are probably doable with a female mold. I'm trying to avoid building a female mold since I have already done the forms and have completed about half of the hull in WRC. I'm hoping that a combination of heat bending and strips will be relatively fast and yield a deck that is light and stiff. If this works, I may build a entire yak from Corecell.

I am planning on doing an experiment with edge gluing the Corecell using Loctite Power Grab Foamboard Construction Adhesive (if I can find it tonight)and fiberglassing over and under it. We'll see if the construction adhesive: eats the foam, doesn't adhere well, fails from the heat generated from the epoxy, or pulls apart at the joint. Should be interesting...