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Filling the slits between panels
A few of the horizontal panels on my LT Peapod did not quite join near the bow and stern. I filled the thin gaps with woodfloured epoxy and then covered with interior and exterior coats of epoxy (+ fiberglass for the lower ones). Nontheless I now notice ligth coming through some of the slits (1/16" to 1/8" at the widest near the upper bow, much thinner elsewhere), as some did not get enough or any filling.
Question:
Will applying woodfloured epoxy ON TOP of the epoxy coat do anything? My concern is not visual as most will be covered by paint, but rather with any structural/strength issues.
Thank you in advance for any wisdom on this.
Jose
2 replies:
RE: Filling the slits between panels
Thank you Laszlo, this is great help. Happily also less work and less mess!
RE: Filling the slits between panels
» Submitted by Laszlo - Thu, 4/15/21 » 6:22 PM
Jose,
Structurally, woodflour & epoxy isn't all that great. It's a good glue and filleting material, it's also good for filling holes but compared to wood it's pretty brittle.
If you want to strengthen those gaps, you'll be much better off putting a sheet of glass cloth over them. The existing woodflour filler gives you good compression strength and the glass will give you good tensile, shear and torsion strength. They'll combine to make a true composite patch.
That said, narrow gaps are not going to hurt anything as long as the planks are securely anchored to the frame and each other. I've had many "skylights" in my S&G boats over the years and they never came apart. As long as they're watertight you can pretty much ignore them.
But it you're the belt and suspenders type, cover them with glass cloth, not more putty.
Have fun,
Laszlo