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Kamis, 12 Mei 2016

Hockey Puck Manufacture or Epoxy is Stressful II

09.48 in Boat Plans, ends, epoxy, hockey, hull, ii, is, manufacture, or, puck, stressful

Did I mention that epoxy is stressful? To recap: You have 15 to 30 minutes to get a bucket full of epoxy mixed, applied, and secured down before it turns into a rock-hard mistake that must be laboriously chipped, chiseled, and sanded off.

Add to that, less than ideal conditions of 95°F days and adding a thickening filler that reduces the epoxy pot-life by a huge factor.

During our days of mixing thickened epoxy (to adhere joints together and fill gaps), we inadvertently manufactured many hockey pucks in the bottom of our mixing containers.

But by far the most interesting mistake I made was one one particularly hot day that I made a triple batch. I broke the batch down into three containers, and successfully used the first batch before realizing that the other two batches had already begun to gel. One of the three had kicked off dramatically and begun to melt through the plastic mixing container. I set it out in the yard somewhere safe.

"Before Its Time" 2012. Mixed Media: Plastic, epoxy resin, natural materials.

It formed an interesting, uh, sculpture as all the epoxy melting through the bottom oozed into and solidified around various bits of yard mulch.

Here is out collection of hockey pucks and sculptures weve created. As we move to finishing the hull, well be mixing thin batches with no filler, so the likelihood of unexpected epoxy disasters decreases.

This is what a long day of working with epoxy does to me.

Sheeting the Hull

14.54 in beams, Boat Plans, cross, hull, sheeting, the

It looks easy, right? What could go wrong? Four rectangular sheets of plywood lined up together on a horizontal surface made to fit them, screwed down on all the edges.

But as soon as we started sheeting the bottom of the boat, we realized this seemingly simple task would be more complicated. How do we jockey all these sheets of plywood into perfect alignment, secure them together, turn them over to apply epoxy and then put them back into perfect alignment before screwing them down. And somewhere in there, we had to apply butt blocks to where the sheets came together.

We tried laying out the plywood correct side down and applying one of our patented temporary butt blocks to hold the ends of each sheet to its corresponding partner. But when we awkwardly tried to turn this paired 16 foot long überblatt over, the warblinesss of it pulled those temporary butt blocks out, causing us later grief. So we tried another tack.

The plans called for butt blocks at the place where each plywood sheet met another at its short end. Got that? Read it a couple more times. (No butt blocks were needed on the center line because the sheets met in a butt along the keel stringer.) So we realized we could install the permanent butt blocks and the strength of these would allow us to manipulate each pair of plywood sheets.

These butt blocks were a little trickier than the single butt block on each side stringer because they needed to be installed in the spaces between each of the stringers. So installing the butt blocks looked like this:

Put all four sheets precisely where they needed to go, correct side up.
Crawl underneath the boat and draw lines where the stringers met the sheeting.
Turn all sheets of plywood upside down in place.
Measure (and carefully label) each space where a butt block needed to fit.
Cut the butt blocks 6 inches wide.
Coat the butt blocks, the spaces where they fit, and the plywood ends with a first coat of thin epoxy.
Coat the butt blocks and the ends of the plywood with a second coat of thickened epoxy.
Fit the plywood together carefully.
Put the butt blocks in place (noting the careful labeling)
Screw the shit out of them with screws every two inches

Whew. And this is only a preliminary step (but really one of the most complicated).

After this cured, we had two pairs of plywood joined end-to-end that were pretty bombproof and could be manipulated awkwardly, but safely.

Somewhere in all this, I found time and space to give all the top surfaces of the boat a first thin coat of epoxy. Now we gave the hull sheeting a first coat where it would join to the stringers.

We gave that time to become tack-free so manipulating these long joined pieces would be easier. We took the plywood off the top, and gave the top surface of every stringer a second coat of thickened epoxy. We also epoxied the edge of the plywood where the two long pieces would meet each other along the keel stringer. Then we awkwardly person-handled the sheeting into place.

We put in a few screws to hold the sheets in place, and then went around and put screws every three inches. Kai gave each screw a little tap with the hammer to get them started. This made my finishing the screw with my power drill that much easier and faster.

So with screws 3 inches apart on all of edges and 6 inches in the center, it was by far our most screwy day at 448 screws. With all these screws, we got afraid that by the time we got around to the final side the epoxy would have cured, so we put in every third screw on all edges and then went back and filled in.

After this, it was kind of exciting to get up on the boat and be able to stand there. Of course its upside down, but still. It felt a lot more boaty than the piles of lumber and sawdust and sticky epoxy goo wed been playing with previously.

After the bottom sheeting cured, I was able to release the come-along which has squared the boat during this procedure. I was relieved that slowly de-tensioning the come-long was a non-event with no creaky or poppy complaints from the boat. Sweet.

Out of the Shop

05.24 in Boat Plans, hull, of, out, planking, shop, the

I had planned on using beer and thirsty friends to get the boat out of the shop and onto a trailer, but then a I reconsidered the logistics of getting six friends here at the same time with late fall weather cooperating, and devised a new plan on the first warm day. As when I previously turned the hull over, I suspended ratcheting tie-down straps from the ceiling beams and lifted the boat up off its building cradle. Then I moved a small cart under the center of the hull and lowered the boat onto the padded cart. I backed the 8 wide trailer up to the 6 wide shop door; pushed the hull out the door, rolling on its cart, until about 8 of the hull was out the door and on the trailer; then simply finished winching the hull onto the trailer.

Crowley Marine was ready to install the engine, steering gear, engine controls, and wiring, and they recommended a canvas shop for the travel cover and bimini. So, in a short period of time, the boat is now basically ready for the water. Of course, there are always more finishing projects. I need to (1) reinforce the deck underside where the bimini fittings are fastened; (2) place flotation foam in the bow and stern; (3) touch up the cetol finish in spots along the sheer where it was disturbed when the sheer strip was placed. After pricing simple custom upholstery for the plywood-framed cockpit seats, I found that I could purchase quality standard bucket seats for less than half the price. I should get the seats in the next two weeks.

But with winters snow in our yard and the ski slopes beckoning, that will all wait until warmer weather.

Sample Developable Design calculations

09.04 in Boat Plans, calculations, design, developable, finally, hull, is, over, sample, the, turned

In 2008 I wrote a short paper on a mathematical method of developable hull design (which is included in this blog, see entry of Dec. 2008). I tried to keep it short and discuss only general principles, but some subjects are difficult to understand without providing examples. Without any examples, I dont think it was very meaningful for most readers. Recently the subject came up again, concerning the difficulty of developable design and the paucity of explanatory material. Last night, I wrote a short paper concerning a stepwise approach and actual sample calculations involved in creating a hull shape. The numbers used are from the runabout building in my shop currently. The paper is not a comprehensive "how to" but hopefully will make the subject more easily understandable.

Sample computations for Developable Design

To illustrate the generation of many exact points along the chine curve, the following is a list of some coordinates of the chine at 7” intervals for the anterior chine of the hull I am now building: (0, 0, 24.48), (7, 3.2, 22.56), (14, 6.3, 20.7), (21 ,9.2, 18.96), (28, 11.9, 17.34), (35, 14.4, 15.84), (42, 16.7, 14.46) ,.…. until (119, 28.8, 7.2). This series is generated from the parabolic curve Y = 28.8- (119- X)squared / 490 and also Z = 0.6(28.8-Y) + 7.2 and is valid for values of X between 7 and 119.

Where did these equations come from? I want a boat about 6’ by 18’, so I picked a length of about half that which I could evenly divide into 16 segments [more segments = more accuracy]; 16x7 or 112” will suffice, next add a short straight 7” segment onto that. Have you ever noticed that when you bend a batten, the curve does not extend all the way to the end of the board? At the batten end there is no fulcrum to apply torque. Thus, last few inches have no bend unless confined along its entire length. So I always add a straight segment at the end of every curve. A 6’ beam gives a 36” half beam; minus some width for flare of the topsides (4”) and an allowance for a chine flat (3.2” at maximum point) and you end up with 28.8” chine beam which is 25.6” of camber in the 112” length and 3.2” of offset along the 7” straight end segment.

To create the forward keel projection, I most frequently use a parallel projection. A conic projection, with the apex of the cone forward, will create sharp curvatures in that area. It may be what you want, but it will also be hard to plank. A conic apex amidships will give a mild curve at the keel, if that is what is desired. The parallel projection has a controllable curvature and is easy to calculate. We already have defined a 28.8” chine beam, and picked a 7.2” deadrise to go with it [based on estimated displacement]. So deciding on the slope for this parallel projection from chine to keel only involves selecting an X intercept from the maximum chine point (119, 28.8, 7.2). The further forward we select this point, the more pronounced will be the forefoot of the keel with sharper curvature. I chose a point 52.5” forward of maximum chine beam. 52.5/7.5 = 7; 28.8/7.5 = 3.84; 7.2/7.5 = 0.96; thus we have our slope, X: Y: Z=7: 3.84: 0.96 which coincides with the 7” segment intervals.

Now all anterior keel intercepts can be calculated to define the keel. At the keel, Y=0, and we solve for X and Z. X@keel= X@chine- (7/3.84)Y@chine and Z@keel= Z@chine– (0.96/3.84)Y@chine. Aft of the point X=119”, the keel is straight and Y=0 & Z=0 for the keel. After finding the shape of the keel, we next move on to the shape of the transverse frames below the chine. To calculate transverse frame shapes below the chine, the same slope or ratio is used. We set X = 14, 28, 42, etc., or whatever other frame locations desired, and solve for Y and Z. For every 7” forward we project a chine coordinate, the Y dimension will decrease by 3.84” and the Z dimension will decrease by 0.96”. Simple math creates the entire shape of each frame. Just connect the dots.

Creating topsides with some flare to the bow, transitioning into a tumblehome stern, seems to be best accomplished with a conic projection forward, linked to another conic apex further aft to create the transition, then a parallel projection extending aft to finish the tumblehome contour. Conic projections involve finding a third point on a line give two defined points. Rather than discuss an entire design, I will list selected apices and show sample calculations.

The apex of the first cone was selected at X, Y, Z = (56, 39, 70.2). This will give a bow angle which matches the forefoot of the keel and provide moderate flare to the topsides not to exceed a 6’ total beam. A sample calculation would be to calculate the Y and Z intercepts at the frame location X = 98 for a line between the apex and the chine coordinates (119, 31.9, 7.2). The calculation is Y = 39– (98- 56) (39– 31.9)/ (119– 56) = 34.27 and Z = 70.2– (98– 56) (70.2– 7.2)/ (119- 56)= 28.2. The relation is that the change in any one coordinate of a point on a line is proportional to the change in any other coordinate. Since we choose our X intervals, we can then find Y and Z.

When calculations are complete for X between 0 and 126, we select a second apex (91, 35.5, 38.7) which lies on the ruling line, halfway between the first apex and the point of maximum chine beam (to the outside of the chine flat) which is (126, 32, 7.2). This new apex is then used to calculate points aft to the chine location (189, 32, 7.2). From there a parallel projection is used with the slope 7: 0.25: 2.25 and defined points every 7” along an extended chine equation to X= 294. Although the actual chine ends at X= 213.5, the extended portion will determine the shape of the tumblehome at the stern when projected forward. As more curvature is included in this extended curve, the tumblehome will also increase.

The entire shape is not yet designed, but sequence and type of calculations needed should be understandable. The results, when finished, are full-size measurements in three dimensions with fair curves and excellent accuracy using simple tools. Enough offsets are generated that all you have to do is connect the conveniently-spaced dots.

initial hull sheathing

06.55 in Boat Plans, direction, hull, initial, new, sheathing

Once all the frames and the anterior keel are mounted and aligned on the strongback, the entire framework was then faired so that panels would lay flat instead of merely touching one edge of each frame. This provides more panel support and more bonding/nailing surface. Once faired, rosin paper patterns were made for each proposed panel of the hull sheathing. I was planning to make thin ply patterns but found that stiff paper was accurate enough in this case. I had to decide the order of panel placement and the position of junctions between panels. I wanted to place the panels which required the most bending first, and I wanted to join separate panels in places where hull curvature was at a minimum. On my previous boat I scarfed all the panels together before placement, but found that handling an 18+ long, narrow panel wet with epoxy resin, precisely placing it, and getting it securely fastened in place quickly was a difficult task. Fortunately, this hull has convenient panel juncture points where either a butt plate could be placed or a nearby frame could back an in-place scarf joint.

Those plywood panels which required significant bending, the bottom forefoot and stern side tumblehome, were submerged in a shallow basin of water for several hours and then quickly clamped on all edges into place of the frame and left to dry for a couple days. The panels were then removed, trimmed for a more exact fit, and bonded into place. As more panels were placed with adjoining edges, clamps could no longer be used on all edges. For these locations I used a nail gun with a 3/4" or 1" 18 gauge nail and scrap 1/4" ply placed under the head to facilitate later removal.

At this point, the entire hull is sheathed, and we can begin to see the full shape of the hull. I now want to cover the entire hull with a second layer; 6 mm. just isnt enough thickness for me. Sure, I could used multiple layers of resin and cloth, but that stuff is heavy and expensive. The strength-to-weight ratio for wood is excellent, so I will add about 4 mm. of thin wood planks; sand it as needed, and finish with a layer of resin and cloth. Ive had to research band saws and blades to get the right setup for "resawing", cutting a normal plank into 3-5 mm. thicknesses. The band saw I bought was missing an important set screw, and I was unable to properly adjust it until I figured out that the mechanism was not functioning properly. Looks like it is now properly set, and producing thin planks is my next task. I have picked cypress wood for the planks- available, relatively cheap, fairly light, and rot resistant.

Download Wooden Boat Hull Plans

16.04 in boat, Boat Plans, hull, plans, wooden

Wooden Boat Hull Plans

In order to help out some of our visitor that also participate and looking for wooden boat hull plans in this great past-time, I decided to go above and beyond and include simple, easy-to-follow, step by step instructions with all of wooden boat hull plans. Since I don't have the time to mentor every person I meet that is interested in learning to build boats, I felt like this was the best way to give back.

The illustrated wooden boat hull plans that I've created are of such high quality, that those that I've shared them with have said it's just not right to keep these stashed away in a private archive only to be seen by a select few. The plans for wooden boat hull plans offered here on the website are based upon my many years of boat building experience, you'll find no better source of information and proven boat plans anywhere on the internet!

>> Get wooden boat hull plans here <<

Hull Ends

08.55 in Boat Plans, correcting, ends, hull, i, mistakes

Oh god, at the end of every work day when we are high-fiving each other, we are always marveling at just how much more boatlike the boat looks. But today, for reals, at the end of the work day, the boat doesnt just look boatlike -- technically if you dropped it in the water, it would actually float for several minutes. Today, we attach the hull ends.

We start by beveling the edge of the bottom sheeting.

And since we are cutting up two perfectly good pieces of plywood with complicated angles, we draw a picture to help us.

We cut our first cut along the edge and our second cut after we snap a chalk line. After that, we check for fit and, magic! It fits.

We had already put on a first coat of thin epoxy. Now I needed to thick coat and screw the ends. I think I did this epoxy work alone, which might have been a first. So I was a little busy and didnt take a hundred intermediate photos.

However, when done, I took celebratory photos from almost every angle.

Again, screws every 3 inches on the edges and 6 inches in the field. Thats a couple hundred screws.

So at the end of this day, if the boat were flipped over and plopped in a pond, it would float for several minutes before slowly settling to the bottom. Exciting.

Get Wooden Tunnel Hull Boat Plans

14.21 in boat, Boat Plans, hull, plans, tunnel, wooden

Wooden Tunnel Hull Boat Plans

In order to help out some of our visitor that also participate and looking for wooden tunnel hull boat plans in this great past-time, I decided to go above and beyond and include simple, easy-to-follow, step by step instructions with all of wooden tunnel hull boat plans. Since I don't have the time to mentor every person I meet that is interested in learning to build boats, I felt like this was the best way to give back.

The illustrated wooden tunnel hull boat plans that I've created are of such high quality, that those that I've shared them with have said it's just not right to keep these stashed away in a private archive only to be seen by a select few. The plans for wooden tunnel hull boat plans offered here on the website are based upon my many years of boat building experience, you'll find no better source of information and proven boat plans anywhere on the internet!

>> Get wooden tunnel hull boat plans here <<

Finally the hull is turned over!

12.56 in another, boat, Boat Plans, finally, hull, is, over, the, turned, year

I didnt realize it has been so long since I updated my current boat building. When I went to my local lumber store(last summer) to buy planking stock, I noticed that they had some beautiful African mahogany for not-much-more than the cost of cypress. It also came in sizes more amenable to re-sawing with less potential waste, so I went for it. My wife has pretty much blessed the project, saying, "Dont go cheap; get whatever is best." She liked my last boat and the compliments it gets (here in Colorado boat-building is quite rare, so almost anything impresses the onlookers), so she fully supports my current project.

At home I used a bandsaw to slice and re-slice the mahogany into strips of about 5.5 mm. thick by 3 inches wide with assorted lengths so that I could stagger the plank junctions. A bandsaw leaves some roughness and thickness variation in the planks which I corrected with a planer. Planks were laid out on the rosin paper patterns, which I had used to outline-shape the plywood sheathing, and numbered in sequence for placement on the hull. Then the task was to tack the planks in place on the hull with temporary staples after coating the hull and plank underside with a thin layer of slightly-thickened epoxy. Mahogany is heavier, denser, stiffer than cypress. I discovered that the staples I had used for the cypress on my previous boat were not quite strong enough to penetrate and hold the mahogany in place on the ply sheathing, but I switched to using brads (airgun, pad under the head for easy removal later) where necessary and got the job done. I was glad that I hadnt made the planks any thicker.

Next is (of course) a preliminary sanding to get rid of any resin blebs and planking variations. I used an orbital sander with a canister to collect the fine mahogany dust, as well as a long board. Then came a layer of fiberglass cloth (8 oz. on the bottom, 6 oz. on topsides) and five coats of epoxy resin to completely bury the cloth. Did I mention that sanding is my least favorite task? The bottom wasnt too difficult because the surface is almost horizontal and I was able to use filler to achieve the correct non-slumping mix of resin. So the resin coat came out fairly even. But the plan was to finish the topsides clear to show the underlying mahogany grain. This meant that I was working on a somewhat vertical surface and could use no fillers. Even when the epoxy coats were quite thin, runs could happen easily and show up after you thought you were finished and had walked away. Those tiny little brad holes that I thought would cover easily didnt always fill like I had hoped. So I sanded and re-coated several more times. I used the fine mahogany sanding dust (from the sander canister) as a filler to a limited extent. The color match was perfect, but the particles werent uniform enough to create a true smooth layer. I should have used a flour sifter. Lessons: 1. Avoid clear finish on the vertical hull surfaces. 2. Fill every imperfection, no matter how tiny, before applying epoxy. 3. When creating your own wood flour, use a fine sifter to get uniform particle size.

With the winter holidays coming up, it was time to paint the bottom and let it thoroughly dry for several weeks before turning the hull over. I washed the epoxy to get rid of any wax, lightly sanded, then cleaned the bottom again and let it dry. The paint went down beautifully in a nice even coat. Then I waited for it to dry. We went away for Thanksgiving, and when we came back the bottom was still tacky. That paint never did dry on the hull; it dried on the mixing paddle and in the application pan, but not on the hull. So I scraped and sanded to take all the non-completely hardened paint off. I had heard that with epoxy, you didnt need a primer. Well, now I put down a primer coat, then paint from a fresh can. And it dried nicely. I use a laser to mark my intended waterline. I designed the hull; I know its displacement; only a few minutes for me to mark three points along the side of the hull and then connect them with a laser and tape it with painters tape. I am sure I will come back to this task for a touch-up and plan to add a boot stripe.

Last night, with Christmas and New Years past and the decorations put away, my wife and I turned the hull over. First I constructed a sling; when the hull was supported from overhead, I released it from the building strongback. Then the hull was rotated in its sling and lowered down unto a cradle I had constructed. Now comes more enjoyable and creative steps in building. I have learned to start from the bottom. Do those things which are most difficult to access before covering over with decking, seating, and other surface coverings. Next week is the Denver boat show. It is not too early to start looking at outboard motors; debating between 60 and 75 hp.

Hull UV Protection

13.17 in Boat Plans, bond, coat, fiberglass, hull, protection, uv

Fiberglass over plywood is ridiculously tough. There are wood and fiberglass boats still around after 50 years. However, fiberglass has an Achillis Heel -- sunshine. Fiberglass rapidly degrades with exposure to UV rays.

Thus, it is recommended to paint or varnish fiberglass with something offering UV protection.

We wanted the boat to show off its lovely woodiness, so we chose varnish. There are fancy marine varnishes that are made for marine applications. Spar Varnish is one example. They are relatively expensive (though not compared to epoxy which is ridiculously expensive). However, there are exterior varnishes that are equally good that you can pick up at the hardware store/lumberyard which are just as good.

In a moment of insecurity, I called and checked in with Gayle at Glen-L just to make sure. She gave me a thumbs up on my selection of exterior UV varnish.

After varnishing, it looked pretty much the same as after the last finish coat of epoxy. But in my mind, I knew Id protected the fiberglass from its Nemesis the big ball of fire in the sky.

To the deck and onward

23.51 in and, Boat Plans, deck, hull, onward, sheathing, the, to

With the interior almost complete, the deck has been my focus recently. First came an initial sheathing with 6mm okoume ply. Then a second layer of okoume ply was shaped to the deck edge (about 9" wide) and bonded in place. This was then stained with a deep brown water-based stain, called "Expresso". Then the major part of the fore and aft decks were covered with 6mm thick African mahogany planks. Next a 1/2 by 1/2 channel was refined with a router at the deck-topside junction (sheer) and an appropriate piece of African mahogany was bonded into this sheer joint and sanded to provide a smooth rounded lip to the deck edge. At this point the stained section of the deck needs another coat of Expresso stain and then it will be ready to be sealed with fiberglass and epoxy. The recessed portion of the stern, incl. splash well and engine mount, will also need to be glassed. But we can now also start thinking about the windshield design. Today I cobbled together a quick mock-up, using cheap ply and duct tape, of a proposed windshield design. Looks okay for a first attempt, but undoubtedly will be modified in the final version. We are thinking of having the windshield frame fabricated in metal. That would require finding a metal fabrication shop willing, equipped, and reasonably-priced to do the job. That may be a task in itself.

My biggest problem holding things up is that I need to sell my current boat to make room in the garage. The new boat is bigger, heavier, and would benefit from a more powerful engine. The existing engine, controls, hydraulic steering, and trailer could be transferred to the new boat, but would make the existing boat even less marketable. When I built sailboats they were so much cheaper to equip that I could sell them much more cheaply. I never count my labor as a cost; it is just something I enjoy doing. It replaces golf and a gym membership.

Planking the hull

18.01 in Boat Plans, design, evolution, hull, planking, the

Planking the hull has been fairly straighforward. First I had to assemble my new band saw and learn to properly adjust and check it. That proved a bit more difficult than expected since it was shipped to me minus a screw (which took a while to discover) needed for proper tensioning. I also needed to choose which wood to use. Surprisingly, I found a local source in Colorado for cypress at moderate cost. I resawed the boards into a 3" by 3/16" cross-section. Most boards have some kind of curve to them; so I had to be careful to mark and maintain a straight line when laying them out on the curved hull surface. Then it was simply a case of coating each board and the underlying hull plywood with epoxy and temporarily stapling them in place with minimum mess. I used a bit of excess to make sure that they were thoroughly wetted and bonded which then required that I sand the entire hull to remove blebs and discontinuities.

Ready to leave the shop

22.59 in Boat Plans, hull, initial, leave, ready, sheathing, shop, the, to

Painting is not my favorite thing, but I have been doing quite a bit of it to complete this build. I still need to do some touch up but I have been trying to get this boat out of the shop and onto a trailer so I can get the engine and controls installed. Of course the boat will still need cushions, and bimini top and a travel cover. The weather forecast mentions possible snow next week, so I am just a little late to launch this season.

Hull Finish Work or Correcting Mistakes III

08.56 in Boat Plans, corners, correcting, finish, hull, ii, iii, mistakes, of, or, square, the, usefulness, work

I like to joke that I bring Old World Craftsmanship to my work. Old World like Neanderthal, the fine kind of workmanship you get from precision woodworking tools such as heavy clubs and sharpish rocks. One of the things I like about building is all the layers of increasingly fine-tuned craftsmanship one brings to a project.

So all of my corners, more or less, meet each other, give or take a half inch or so. Unfortunately, to coat the whole thing with fiberglass, the tolerances had to be a little more fine than that. I knew all along that I was going to have to make all the edges smooth and even.

With all the lumber we ripped, we had no shortage of useful shims. I made little shims to cover all these under or over cuts.

I didnt worry about fit that much, just that the shim covered the error. I knew I could trim and sand the results.

I had to coat everything with a first coat of thin epoxy, then followup with thickened epoxy.

It was a lot of gooey mess and didnt look any too pretty mid-process.

I held the shims in with little brads until the epoxy had set.

After the epoxy set, I pulled the brads and trimmed off the extra.

The fiberglass sheeting calls for rounded corners to make a good bond. I pulled out my router for the job and bought a 3/8 inch rounded bit. That was the minimum radius that Glen-L suggested.