Glen-L.com

Hello Folks... as some of you may know by now that i have a bad case of the boatbuilding bug.... so doctors said i need to go fishing the shallows more often...

So i went ahead and started building the flats flyer hehe :p

My plan is to glass the whole boat, bottom sides and deck then paint the whole thing... This will be a hardcore fishing and spearfishing boat so it need to be able to take a beating.

Will 8oz glass be enough??

Also of course i plan to use epoxy resin for the bottom and sides but can i use polyester for the top side, deck helm etc... or should i just stick to epoxy ?

I started it Jan 2nd... Heres where we're at now!

Cheers
Zane...

That's all you've got done in 8 days???

Seriously though, I haven't done it yet, but from everything I've read, the heavier the cloth, the more difficult it is to wet out. The 8oz might be a little tough to work.
I wonder if it's feasible to apply multiple layers of cloth? Or what about using something like carbon fiber cloth instead of fiberglass?

...oops, I'm doing it again... asking more questions instead of answering them. oh well.

_________________
Jeff

My Celerity build.

Stick with epoxy. It costs more but is way better. You can use the 8 oz but 6 oz will work just fine. boat is looking good.

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John Amundsen
Monte Carlo
Winter Haven, FL

Maybe it will be done by G6 and maybe not.

Did some reading and some asking around.... basically polyester is just cutting corners... well for the most part!

Im sticking with epoxy!!

Fiberglass, three coats of epoxy and sanding done.

Tomorrow ill start the painting process.... planning to spray it with primer then sand with a sanding board to reveal any low spots then fill them up with marine filler sand again then paint.

Iv never done this or painted a boat before.... what tips and things to look out for that can you guys share with me? Main concern i have is i want as straight and as smooth of a surface as possible.

Heres a pic of the boat as it sits!

Cheers

Hmmh.... Not much love for the flats flyer??

Just noticed the thread, she's looking good so far.

If you are indeed using this boat in the flats I would highly recommend doing a bottom coating of epoxy with powdered graphite mixed in. It gives a very slick, very durable finish that slides over rocks, sandbars and oyster bars easily. It's so hard and slick that it's almost impossible to sand

For sanding the primer to get it perfect I use a dry guidecoat from 3M. It looks like this:


and I buy mine here:http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/3m-dry-guide-coat-cartridge-applicator-kit-05861-p-11157.aspx

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I Peter 2:17

Ah nice thanx for the tip gstanfield!! So i already have three coats of epoxy on the whole boat.. Do you mean i should add a coat or two more to the bottom mixed with graphite then when dry sand then prime ..fill.. paint over it whatever color the boat gonna be?

Cheers
Zane

At this point I would not worry much about adding to the epoxy coats. Instead I would use the premixed and consistant barrier coat called Interprotect 2000E.
Be warned that it does come with some serious fumes. But it can be recoated without any issues or sanding and fills and protects like few other products. Rocks and oysters when hit hard enough does scratch both products. But I have used this product for decades now with complete confidence and success and beats the heck out of the additives in expensive epoxy without dealing with the tiresome job of sanding for recoating if you let it cure too long.
Buy a gallon kit and it comes on white and grey too. Its tough enough for your job and the right stuff at this point of filling and priming and painting.

http://www.wholesalemarine.com/p/ILX-20 ... +Grey.html

I am looking at that Flats Flyer as well! Love itQ



And I am really with Oyster on the Interprotect 2000E. That stuff is incredible! I love it!

And some guys use a black spray paint as a guide coat as well. Just MIST on and sand off and you will find your low spots.

Steve

The stuff I was talking about is used instead of a bottom coat of paint. I know of dozens of builders who have done it with excellent results (myself included) in salt water flats. It will give you a deep black finish and it's slippery and practically zero maintenance. I've dragged my driftboat over hundreds of yards of gravel beds without so much as a deep scratch to the graphite.

Of course if you don't like a black bottom then you're out of luck

I've used the interlux product mentioned too and it's great stuff, just not my preference for extreme abuse situations.

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I Peter 2:17

I believe this is what Kens used also

_________________
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

Found this article from someone who used the graphite bottom on their canoe.
http://tomangelakis.tripod.com/graphite_bottom.htm

Sounds like it works really well.

_________________
Jeff

My Celerity build.

Ok back on track again... Thanx for all the input fellaz!!

So I used the epoxy/ graphite mix for the bottom but then primed the whole boat and painted it! If the bottom paint gets scratched then no biggie as long as the graphite is there to protect the hull!

I won't be going in such shallow waters or dragging my boat on rocky beds anyways!


Tomorrow i will be hitting the boat with clear coat. Whats the best way and about to use for this boat? Im planning to use automotive clear coat.

One more thing.... Has anyone stretched this boat to 24 feet??

Ill post some progress shots tomorrow

Regards
Zane

Post a ton of pictures!! I just bought a frame kit that was already built so I will be building this one also! I Have to finish my first project beforehand though...

Jason