We finished installing the bow compression beam last weekend. (Sorry for the delay in updates, I'm sure you could hardly sleep with anticipation!) Here is a view from the open bow. We pre-glassed the foam core and then cut it to fit. The fit was snug, but not so much that it distorted the hull. Then we glued it in place with a thin putty with some cabosil filler to prevent running. Once it started to set, I added small putty fillets in the joints. After the fillets started to set, I taped the beam on all sides to the hull.
The tape job requires a few complex wraps, cuts, and folds. This tends to cause problems with tape fibers coming loose, resulting in a messy finish. While looking at other blogs about F-82 construction, I came across a suggestion to cover tape with peel-ply until it sets. So I tried it, and the result was fantastic. The peel-ply held the tape edges in place and gave a seamless finish in the transition from tape to beam. I'll keep this trick in my collection as I continue with the project. Wish I heard about this idea when we were taping the gussets in place.
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