Hatch covers (Lapwing and CS)

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

I am working on the watertight hatches that Graham now includes plans for.  I am just about to glue up the hatch covers themselves that have top , sides  and front made of ply and a 1 in X 3/4 inch wooden piece at the back to screw a hinge into.

Given that these need to be flush in the inside I was wondering for those who have made them how you glue the sides, top and front together at right angles - and hold them in place while glueing.

Thanks

[John Turpin]

Lots and lots of clamps.

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

Thanks John - can I borrow some of your clamp collection for the weekend (or better still I could just take the three ready made hatches in the photo)

[Tom Lathrop]

John's clamping technique will certainly work but can be a bit tiring to get set up.  I often use a hot melt glue gun to set individual pieces in place with a few tacks of glue.  In this way you can add piece by piece until the whole thing is ready for the final gluing job.  A few strips of tape can also hold parts in place temporarily.  Make the hot glue tacks small and you can just epoxy over them.  Works for me.

[Tom Lathrop]

My hatch interior parts are made of fiberglass on a mold but if I wanted a different size, I would have to make a new mold which is a bother.  I would just use Graham's design for any new ones.  My hatches have proven waterproof enough to resist a hose directed right at the seams.

[John Turpin]

Thanks John - can I borrow some of your clamp collection for the weekend (or better still I could just take the three ready made hatches in the photo)

Sure, Richard.  I'll bring my clamp bucket to you. 

I like Tom's hot glue technique much better than mine.

[Peter HK]

I didn't have plans for the hatch detail included when I ordered my CS17 plans but the CD included many photos and I had seen these sort of hatches done before...usually on much larger boats. I tended to take Tom's approach. Instead of hot melt glue I used tooth picks and small brass screws and weights on the work surface to hold everything together and in alignment and didn't worry too much about exact right angles figuring it would all be flexible enough to bend a couple of degrees.

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

Thanks Team

I have one glueing up now.

[hokeyhydro]

Wait *rumble rumble clatter clatter* ah, there they are! Yes, I have a set of corner clamps! Methinks they will come in handy for hatch construction. The B&B plan design for hatches is very robust.  I figure if you get `em right from the get-go they will never warp and leak. 

[Twetmore]

I am doing the same thing right now for my CS20 and unfortunately the only answer I have is clamps.  I only have a limited amount of the Irving clamps which seem to work the best and don't want to buy more since they cost so much and I probably won't utilize that many again for a while.

I decided to go with Gurilla Glue to glue all the parts together since it sets in a lot less time in my garage in Chicago this time of year and I think it has a really high holding strength.  When I am done, I will go back through and fillet all the joints with epoxy.

Good luck,

Tom

[John Turpin]

Thanks Team

I have one glueing up now.

Trust me.  This is the easy part.  Installing them so they fit, open/close, don't rub, and don't squeek is the challenge.  I spent endless hours sanding and shaving as fixing one rub spot just seemed to move the sticking point to another spot.  The good news is, I didn't spend more than 100 hours of frustration on it.  (Oh, and one hatch still sticks and squeeks.)

[Tom Lathrop]

This is the way I make my hatches.  Having an open front makes it very difficult if not impossible to make a waterproof locker.  My sealed edges are all in the same plane which makes sealing easier and better.  It takes about 1/2" away from the opening depth and the front lip must be back that far to clear when opening the hatch but I think its worth it.

John,  One trick in mounting any enclosed hatch or door is to fit the part in place with wedges in the slots holding it in the best position while you install the hinges.  You can install the hinge(s) on one part first and then place the hatch in position.  If its clear when you place it in position, it will be clear when you open it.

[John Turpin]

Yep.  That would have helped.  It was a painful experience the way I did it.