Re: Yet another Bulkhead Separation Story, Chapter 1
Reply #10 –
Don,
Too bad about the bulkhead. I did the repair last year although mine was not as bad as yours from the pictures. I didn't try to remove any rust between the angle and the basement floor. I think you should try to remove as much rust as possible and coat the metal with undercoating. Although I have not seen how Foretravel built the floor, I think they first weld a frame using 1 1/2" square steel tube (I'm not positive about the size), second a foam board is placed in the openings formed by the steel tubing, third 2 thin pieces of sheet fiberglass are bonded to both top and bottom sides of the frame. There is quite a bit of framing in the midsection where heavy loads might be expected, such as at vertical bulkheads, and tanks. You might also find some plywood in a few places. It is placed there for screws to attach items such as the water pump. The water tank is located just above where you will be drilling holes. Be careful not to drill into the tank. The framing may have been weakened from the rust as it is not very thick to begin with. The angle is rather thick so no problem there. I suggest that you make some backing plates from 3/16" thick flat steel. Sort of like a square washer to transfer the load from the nut on the bolt to the top and bottom sides of the steel tubing. Otherwise the wall of the steel tubing at the hole for the bolt just tends to collapse as the bolt is tightened. I tried the hole saw then switched to a rotozip tool and cut somewhat square holes. That made it easier to insert the backing plate and nut. After all the bolts were in and tight, I foamed the openings, re-fiberglassed and sanded it smooth again. Since it is where no one will see it, it doesn't have to be perfect. If you have to take all the bolts out to clear the rust, suggest you empty the tanks first to remove as much weight on the floor as possible. Maybe even consider supporting the floor forward of where you have to work. I used a block of hardwood with predrilled holes as a guide for drilling the holes. One hole for each size drill and drilled on a drill press. I clamped it to the angle. The inside part of the angle is not exactly 90 degrees like the outside. Its rounded at the corner and tapers some to the edges, so the guide block has to be made to fit. When pulling the gap together, tighten all the bolts a little in several steps until it closes. I also used a lock nut on the bolts. In some places you may find that the sharp end of the original bolt terminates inside a fore and aft tube. If a lot (half) of the bolts are broken it might not be a good idea to completely fill the tanks until the repair can be made.
Topic: Yet another Bulkhead Separation Story, Chapter 1 (Read 1619 times)
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