Newbie issue

I am building a Passagemaker take-apart.   Woodworking and epoxy stitch building is all new to me.  I decided to use Peel Ply to ensure a bubble free and smooth finish.  In general I'm getting getting GREAT results except where the Peel-Ply material was folded for shipment.  The Peel-Ply then leaves either depressions in the epoxy or ridges along the crease fold.    I've tried smoothing out the material to no avail - can I iron out the creases with a clothes iron or spray water on the peel ply to eliminate the fabric creases?  I believe I recall that peel-ply has a special "epoxy release" treatment so I dont want to damage the release properties while trying to get rid of the devilish creases.   Thanks!!

 

 

 


3 replies:

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RE: Newbie issue -Peel ply

   I contacted WestEpoxy and spoke to their technical reps about the creases in the Peel-Ply telegraphing into the epoxy and thus leaving valleys or ridges in the epoxy.  

He suggested a heat gun on the material to relax the material and eliminate the creases.    I tried my wifes hair dryer on hot with very minor improvements.   However ironing the material works magically if done on both sides of the material.   I then roll the material up on a cardboard tube to prevent new creases.  Major improvement with no touch-up required afterwards and the surface does not need to be sanded for the next coat.   

RE: Newbie issue

   Roger, I'm curious about the types of surfaces you're successfully using Peel-Ply on. In the CLC shop tips section, it says that the technique works well on flat surfaces (they use a hatch panel as a suitable surface) but not so good on the curved surfaces. Are you finding that Peel-Ply is working on the hull panels or other curving surfaces? Thanks. 

RE: Newbie issue

   The CLC shop tips section is 100% correct for compound curves.  So curves in 2 dimensions.   By way of example a saddle shape would be a compound curve.  Deck surfaces that curve both bow to stern and port to starboard would also be a compound curve.  For such cases the peel ply would pucker and the underlying epoxy would have large ripples or ridges of epoxy or worse that would need fairingor major rework. Simply -trying to use peel ply on compound curves would be a dogs breakfast mess.    In my use case, I am applying peel ply on flat Okoume plywood so strakes, bulkheads, transoms and seating surfaces directly after the first coat.  After smoothing with a plastic squeegee(sp?) this yields a dead flat surface without epoxy bubbles without hillocks or bumps that requires no sanding for the 2nd coat.  My target for the PMD is to do 2 epoxy coats for all the pieces prior to stitching it together.   

Personally I see no reason why peel ply would not work well for a simple curve such as a tube shape where the curve is only changing in one dimension, or a hatch cover with a curve only in one direction say port to starboard, but this is all new to me.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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