Glen-L.com

OK, so I put on two more coats of epoxy, and the last coat has bubbles.

The temperature here has been so screwy lately that it is driving me nuts. The first coat took forever to cure because it was 25 degrees and I could not warm my garage up enough. This weekend it was like 50 degrees (and rainy). I turned my heaters on for a little bit, while I was prepping to coat, then just turned them off because I was using fast hardener.

I put one coat on the entire boat, then later that day I put a second coat on. When I put the second coat on everything seemed fine but when I got up today there are small bubbles (or holes) everywhere.

Question 1: Is this a temperature thing or an application thing (I rolled it on with the yellow foam rollers)?

Question 2: What do I do now? Does it all have to be sanded down until they are gone and re-coated, or is there another way. The boat will be painted if that makes any difference.

Thanks for any help.

_________________
Jeremy

Hope is NOT a plan.

these are the two most common that are listed on the West System site...
PROBLEM: Pinholes appear in epoxy coating over abraded fiberglass or epoxy.
POSSIBLE CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

Surface tension causes epoxy film to pull away from pinhole before it gels.

After applying epoxy with 800 Roller Cover, force epoxy into pinholes with a stiff plastic or metal spreader held at a low or nearly flat angle. Re-coat and tip off coating after all pinholes are filled.

PROBLEM: Fish-eyeing in coating.
POSSIBLE CAUSES & SOLUTIONS:

Contamination of the coating or surface or improper abrasion for the coating.

Be sure mixing equipment is clean. Avoid waxed mixing containers.
Be sure surface is properly prepared. Use proper grit sandpaper for the coating, e.g., 80-grit for epoxy. See paint or varnish manufacturer's instructions for proper surface preparation. After surface is prepared, avoid contamination--fingerprints, exhaust fumes, rags with fabric softener (silicone). Coat within hours of preparation. After wet sanding, rinse water should sheet without beading (beading indicates contamination). Wipe with appropriate solvent and re-rinse until rinse water no longer beads.

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(insert witty phrase here)
Billy's Belle Isle website

J,

I had this problem with mine as well. I found that I had too much resin on mine to begin with, so I sanded down until it was all smooth (without going into the cloth).

If I still had pinholes, I backfilled with epoxy like the method Billy suggests.

When I was doing my Interlux painting on the hull, they suggest a solvent wash 202 I think... which will remove contamination. It even suggests flushing with solvent and subsequent rinse until the water sheens off the surface without beading up.

You should probably use some of this, or something similar prior to painting at least.

If you have any other questions, PM Billy, he is a great resource... I should know!

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Malahini Build Gallery:

http://picasaweb.google.com/11229065623 ... directlink

Billy and Charles, thanks for the replies. Sorry to be so late in responding, just that life, work and family thing.

Anyway I thought I should let everyone know what I figured out. I am pretty sure that the surface of half the bottom and one side was contaminated. I have 2 electric heaters and 2 propane heaters. I have tried to not run the propane heaters much while using epoxy because I have read here, and from West System, that it can contaminate the surface (I am a believer).

What I did not think about was that I had been working on other things in the garage and had used both propane heaters all day . I remembered this when trying to sand down the holes and I found some areas that seemed to be on the verge of de-laminating. I tried to sand under those areas but kept sanding into, or in some case through the glass.

Maybe I could have gotten away with just grinding out those areas but I was not happy with the whole thing. So I took all of the glass off that side and half the bottom (that is not fun either).

I have not found any problems on the transom or the other half of the boat so I feel at least a little better about that.

I could be wrong about the cause, but it makes sense to what I did.

Propane heaters have been retired for now.

Thanks again.

_________________
Jeremy

Hope is NOT a plan.