Re: Hull glasing pointers

Posted by Howard on Sep 25, 2005

some pointers on this step....

1) if you have never done it before...give yourself a three hour window. it can be done quicker....but this is a step you want to be available to come back and check every 15/20 minutes after you finish...until the epoxy starts to kick....so you need a slightly bigger time window. make sure you will not get interuptions during this phase. you need to get the entire hull glassed in one step.

2) make sure everything is clean...your hull, the glass, and the surrounding area. you don't want to be glassing the hull and find out that you are glassing dirt onto the hull or between the hull and the glass. also consider putting some plastic on the ground to protect from spills that will inevitably happen as a bit of epoxy rolls off the hull. i wear a hat to keep hair from falling onto the hull.

3) make sure the temperature during your glassing will be decreasing. this prevents outgassing and is critical to getting a great finish. the wood has air in it. if the wood heats up during the hull glassing, you can get little bubbles that will form in your finish. also try to start at a temperature that gives you plenty of working time. this is one of the longer steps....so its nice not having the epoxy going off as quickly as possible. i keep a cheap thermometer prominently in my shop. i always make sure when glassing the hull that the temperature is going to be on the way down.

4) make sure your squeegees are smooth and will not snag the hull glass.

5) make sure you have scissors handy that can cut the cloth for the slit that you will have to make for the stern. have some vinegar nearby to clean up your tools. a couple of small spring clamps are useful for making the cloth stay where it needs to around the ends. don't over-worry about getting the bow and stern tips perfect....just get it close enough....some sanding and touch up will typically be needed to finish properly those two spots.

6)after you are done, come back and check your work every 15 minutes or so. look for dry spots, or any area where the cloth has lifted up away from the hull. at this point you can probably still fix it.

7) consider doing your next fill coat on the same day. if you do what jim suggested ....a nice thin, completely wet out coat. you can go to at least one fill coat prior to considering sanding/scraping.

8) you will be mixing a lot of epoxy in this phase....consider an extra pair of hands to keep things going quickly. if your are working alone, consider premeasured cups as the one to two ratio....and pouring epoxy into them...then pouring them into a third cup for mixing....it is a heck of a lot quicker then trying to remember how many pumps you did...and you don't have to worry about losing your count. i also have an electric mixer...an old drill...this was a great labor saving investment as i ofter worked alone. also ensured i got very good mixes.

good luck.

hs

In Response to: Hull glasing pointers & ? by Mulepilot on Sep 24, 2005

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