Glen-L.com

I've been making some good progress fiberglassing my Glen-L 15, and need to make a decision. When I was fiberglassing the bottom I planned on wrapping the cloth into the centerboard trunk, but couldn't get it to wrap well so I cut it on the edge of the opening. I have a nice clean edge now, and I would like to think I can get by with using epoxy to seal the edge into the trunk and move on. My concern is that I will get some wear over time in that area. Should I go back and radius the corners along the trunk opening and fiberglass around the edges, or am I ok?

Thanks for your help and advice from your experience!

Chad

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Chad

Well if you are talking about glassing the edge grain of a plywood trunk while the boat is upside down, keep in mind that you must also isolate the opening so the resin does not run down inside of it. In some cases I have taken good quality duct tape and shove down a ways into the slot before glassing the edge. Make sure the inside is clean of any dust so when you press the tape to the sides in a cupping manner, it sticks. Remove after the resin gets to the green stage.

That is exactly the stage I am at, it is upside down and I just finished fiberglassing everything but unsure if I need to continue the cloth around the edge and into the CB trunk. That sounds like a good way to keep keep drips out, I'll give it a shot.

Thanks,

Chad

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Chad

If you want to really out do yourself, cut the edges of the plywood back a bit and create a built up edge of high density thickened epoxy using west system 404 and then glass over. Make sure that you cut back enough along the edge that you do not close up the slot when adding the additional glass too. I actually do ease my slot ends a bit which does reduce the hard spot.

Thanks for the tips. I may just go all the way and do that. If I was in a hurry then I wouldn't build a boat...or sail!

Chad

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Chad

At least with sailing,when you are on the boat,you are at your destination!!!

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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