Chapter 18: Turtleback Bulkhead and Drip Rail

Chapter 18: Constructing the Turtleback


Step 3:  Turtleback Bulkhead and Drip Rail

I constructed my own bulkhead without the triangle supports.  I  wanted more vision for the backseaters.  I also wanted to get back there if I had to.  The bulkhead is 3/8-inch foam sandwiched between two 3/8-inch, 5-ply birch bulkheads.  Each birch bulkhead is glassed front and back with carbon fiber BID, microed to the foam, then glassed again with carbon BID, and finished off with the regular BID and UND.  The bulkhead is quite strong!  I can always add two small vertical supports later if I feel more support is required.  The picture looks like I constructed it in segments, but that’s just the left-over threads from the peel-ply J.  The jig makes an excellent work stand for working on the outside of the T-back.

I used one of the half-circles from the jig frames to draw the cut line for the drip rail.  I then used drywall screws poked through the holes that locate the cut line to hold the drip rail foam in place while the 5-minute glue cured.


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