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Propane lockers
I'm modifying each lazarette to hold a 5 gal. horizontal propane tank. Starboard tank for heater and stove. Port tank for BBQ. Problem: Existing lockers are too small. Solution: Make them bigger. This means not just the interior of the locker, but the opening as well. I also wanted the opening to match the profile of the original hatch opening so, although it will look a little different from the original, it won't look like it wasn't part of the original design. I started with a mockup of the enlarged interior to make sure everything needed to meet ABYC guidelines will fit inside.

Here's the finished part, which will be the new opening to the lazarette, and is large enough for a 5 gal. propane tank to pass through. Next - make the lid with a channel to hold an O-ring. Then do the same on the port lazarette.

I then glued 1/4" wide MDF strips to a base of flat plywood. This will be the "opening" that holds the 1/4" o-ring.

Although I had a CAD design for the channel, I decided to not use it and trace off the rim of the lid base instead, to compensate for any way in which the finished base deviated from the CAD design, since proper fit would be critical.

Once I knew space could be made to hold everything. I jumped ahead to the most difficult part of the project - building a gas-tight hatch closure. I wanted to do this first because if it proved not doable then I would go back to plan B which was to use smaller propane bottles and a smaller off-the-shelf sealed hatch, like the newer 22s have.I designed the locker lids on a CAD system. Each lid (port and starboard) was built as three separate components. The lid top and the o-ring channelwere then epoxied together. The lid base will be fiberglassed into the top of the hatch and the top will be secured with hinges and latches.

Here's the finished part, which will be the new opening to the lazarette, and is large enough for a 5 gal. propane tank to pass through. Next - make the lid with a channel to hold an O-ring. Then do the same on the port lazarette.

Mold has been filled with fiberglass and West System 105 epoxy resin with white color additive. I waited three days then I sanded the excess cured resin from the top of the mold before disasssembling the mold and releasing the part. I was nervous about it releasing but it easily popped free.

Here's the assembled mold ready to fill with epoxy resin and fiberglass. The molds were constructed from MDF, painted white with three coats of lacquer, and then sealed with six coats of mold release wax.

First I made the lid bases. At right of photo I've assembled the four mold parts for the lid base for the starboard locker. On left of photo are strips of 1708 ready to wet out and lay in the mold.

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Here's the finished part, which will be the new opening to the lazarette, and is large enough for a 5 gal. propane tank to pass through. Next - make the lid with a channel to hold an O-ring. Then do the same on the port lazarette.

pcg
Feb 5, 2024

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