Prefinishing interior ply panels

I recently completed building the Mill Creek 13. The manual mentioned coating the undersides of the decks with epoxy prior to installation but not letting it cure as this would make the decks to stiff to install. 

Now I have just seen the shop photos of the new CLC boat Pocketship where during construction the interior of the hull panels are epoxy coated and finished prior to stiching the hull together.

My question is: how much does this prefinishing effect being able to bend the ply?

Millcreek


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RE: Prefinishing interior ply panels

It depends on how long you let it cure. Part of the problem is that you need to let it cure enough that the epoxy is sandable (assuming that you'll be sanding it), but not enough so that it stiffens the panel too much to bend.

If you're not going to sand the panel, all you need to do is wait until it's no longer tacky, then install it. It'll still be flexible enough to do even extreme bends. That's what I did with my Wood Duck 12's deck, except with the added fillip that I glassed the underside of the deck with 4 oz cloth. I was still able to get it to take the bend required to fit the hull.

If the bend is non-existent to mild then you can let the epoxy cure to full hardness, sand it and then install the panel.

Laszlo

 

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