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gaps in puzzle joints

Submitted by Michael\'s Dad - Fri, 6/14/13 » 5:51 PM

Hi All -

Sorry if this has been covered in the forum elsewhere, I checked and couldn't find anything.

We are just in the early steps of this project and I feel like we have already screwed up several times . . . I think I'm approaching "what was I thinking!!!!"

Anyway - My son and I are building a Passagemaker Dinghy from a kit. After assembling the puzzle joints and sanding them smooth, there are a few gaps in the puzzle joints where you can see daylight through them - just enough that you can blow sawdust through them. My thought is to thicken some epoxy with wood flour and squeeze it into the cracks with either a syringe or with a puddy knife . . .

Am I wrong about that?

John Kivel

Dexter Michigan

5 replies:

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RE: gaps in puzzle joints

» Submitted by Wood_Ogre - Sat, 6/15/13 » 6:37 PM

put blue masking tape on the down side of the joint and inject epoxy with a syringe. Do not thicken the epoxy as you want it to flow and fill all voids. It will probable take 2 applications as the first one will soak into the plywood.

RE: gaps in puzzle joints

» Submitted by Reinhard - Fri, 6/21/13 » 5:14 PM

Hi,

we had a similar problem because we didn't wet the joints with epoxy before we put in the mustard type. At places the joints were starved and even worse the showed the possibiltiy of voids. I scratched it open where there was just a very thin layer on top but nothing underneath and then we refilled everthing with a rather fluid mustard type epoxy. It wroked out fine. Meanwhile we have stiched and glued the hull and feel quite confident tht the joints are strong enough.

Reinhard

RE: gaps in puzzle joints

» Submitted by artbrut - Mon, 9/2/13 » 6:41 PM

Thanks for this info. I was wondering the same thing. I tried to close gap but was afraid of damaging the puzzle ends. This info makes me feel better!

Deborah

RE: gaps in puzzle joints

» Submitted by klitz - Mon, 9/2/13 » 8:41 PM

I've wondered the same thing. The building manual doesn't mention about precoating the puzzle joint with un thickened epozy. Why isn't this mentioned????? Is it important?????

RE: gaps in puzzle joints

» Submitted by catboater - Tue, 9/3/13 » 8:52 AM

I have only built a Wood Duck 12 so far so I can't speak of any other model but the instruction have you treat the edges of the joint with thickened epoxy. After the joint is assembled it has you add a strip of glass tape on the inside.

On the other end of the spectrum the Shop Tips has you dabbing the joint with CA glue. How much is too much? ? ? Don't know but I would err on the side of strength.