Glen-L.com

If you use this method,is it best to wet out the hull,then after it kicks but not fully hard,then apply cloth so it gets a chemical bond as well as a mechanical bond?

I'm asking as I've just encapsulated without cloth for weight savings on my last build (big mistake ) , but will use cloth on the next ones.

_________________
Boat building can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream

You are correct - It is best to apply the next layer of epoxy once the previous layer has gone from liquid to jelly. If you wait too long and it becomes hard, you have to sand for a mechanical bond.

I waited to long on a part of mine and the last layer of epoxy peeled off like dead skin during construction. I had to sand and redo..

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Regards,
Bob Perkins

My Current Projects
http://h12restoration.shutterfly.com/
http://nutshellpramconstruction.shutterfly.com/

My Completed project
http://biscayne22.shutterfly.com

Thanks...

I'm still just like a puppy learning!!!

_________________
Boat building can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream

I think I learn more just listening to all the posts so let me see if I have this right. When I put the glass cloth on the bottom (and I'm thinking about the sides also) I should seal the wood first then dry install the cloth with epoxy and before it has completely cured put another coat of epoxy on. Are you doing the bottom and sides at the same time? If so how do you trim the cloth to fit well? Do you sand smooth at any time? How many people does this take?

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John Amundsen
Monte Carlo
Winter Haven, FL

Maybe it will be done by G6 and maybe not.

John

I did transom, starboard topside, port topside, starboard bottom and then the port bottom. If you work alone as I do each one is a session. You can get your next filler coat on the previous sessions work, also.

Bill

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Mini -Tug, KH Tahoe 19 & Bartender 24 - There can be no miracle recoveries without first screwing up.
Tahoe 19 Build

Bill is correct, work in sections, as in sections where there is a overlap.
I encapsulated my wood first, then filled all screw heads, faired all that smooth before adding the cloth. Yes, I sanded the whole thing for bonding.
After I was happy with all the screw heads and fairing; then I applied the cloth in the dry method.
This way there is a constant amount of resin required for wetout, it takes less than you think because none is getting soaked up by the wood. Only use enough resin for the cloth to go clear, DO NOT attempt to fill the weave. Too much resin on the 1st coat will float the cloth and you get uneven surface. I wetted it then squeeged off the excess. (or, squeegee the excess to a dry area)

For trimming use a fresh razor blade when the cloth has gelled, or before it gets hard. Do this going all the way around chines, overlaps, keel, transom, etc. you can get a fine nice line.
After it hardens use coarse sanding to knock off the cut edge and the subsequent section' layer will lay nice for it's overlap. I overlapped the bottom to the sides/ and the sides to the bottom so that the chine is double layer without using taped seams. you can do this on all seams.
Bill said work in sections, yes I did the bottom in 2 different sections, and overlapped the chine, keel, transom. That was a left bottom & right bottom section. Then a right side & left side. Everything gets overlapped so that I never used tape. It all sands to a nice feather edge and seams are invisible under paint.

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God Bless our Troops; especially our Snipers

The link below might help illustrate what Bill and Kens have said. It helps to let the epoxy set up a bit (until it gets tacky) before squeegeeing the overlaps. Too much epoxy here and you'll be working overtime to keep the cloth down ! A radiused edge makes everything a lot easier ...

http://www.chelseacoachworks.com/boats/ ... od_389.jpg

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Paul Kane Chelsea, PQ

Building the Glen-L Hot Rod : http://www.boats.chelseacoachworks.com

As part of the wetout process, I used:

This tool does a great job in making sure the epoxy gets fully into the fibers. Then you squeegee the fabric just to get out the excess, but the weave should show.

_________________
Regards,
Bob Perkins

My Current Projects
http://h12restoration.shutterfly.com/
http://nutshellpramconstruction.shutterfly.com/

My Completed project
http://biscayne22.shutterfly.com

Using Sapeli throughout is definatly more expensive than using the plywood for all layers. My thought process is in the places that some fairing needs to be done , I would much rather fair solid mahogany than plywood as it sands much more even. I have the framework pretty fair but I dont think it is perfect and this will alow me to get the hull as close to perfect as possible.
I intend to fair each layer of sapelli with a flexible longboard.
We have been using the plastic staples to adhear each layer down and have been real happy with the results. Im not sure yet if I will use removable staples on the last layer or go the vacume bag method.

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Jeremy Goldstein

I am way late on this one But here is my 2cents.I used 6 oz. cloth on my bottem and sides And glad I did .Innocence has been used regulrly since finished 2005 she has been banged around moore than I like but we built her to use.I now have some cracking on my transom and topside the only place I did not put cloth.Yall can bet money when I refinish there will be 4 or 6 oz cloth on both.I think the cloth will keep the wood stable and help prevent thin in the future.

When I glassed the hull on my boat, I found that if I had a new batch of epoxy ready to go when the previous batch was getting tacky, I could apply the new batch without having to sand between coats. The new batch adhered beautifully and there was no problem whatsoever with print through. Then at the G, Paul Kane talked about doing the exact same thing with his boat and I realized that other guys were discovering the same things.



Absolutamente! Both Ken and Warren are right on here.



Naw, you're an old dog. Trust me on that.

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Isn't it amazing!! The person that never has the fortitude to pursue his own dreams, will be the first to try and discourage you from pursuing yours.