How to fill small gaps...

I am sure this is rookie question.

I just finished assembling my bow stem, 5 rib, and transom. After everything dried it appears there is a very small gap. The gap is about a 1/16 wide and maybe 3/16 of an inch deep. It is in between my plywood and the very bottom of the bow stem. Probably because my epoxy was not thickened enough. I used west system epoxy to join the plywood to the stem. I am planning on glassing the bottom of the boat and up the sides to the top of the batten.

How should I fill this gap?

Any suggestions on what to use...thin epoxy....thickened epoxy...3M 5200 or EZ Fillet?

Is there anything I should do to prep the gap?

Views: 226

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on March 4, 2009 at 9:45am
Clean the area with thinner and give it a rough up with some 40 grit sandpaper if you can fit that into the space. Then use thickened epoxy or EZ fillet. Putty knife it into the space and leave outside edges a little bit proud and messy. As it drys or sags a little you want to make sure the hole is completely filled. After it is dry you sand the area to a fair shape.

Use a piece of scrap plywood or thin board to test for fairness. It is very easy to over sand this area when you just eyeball it. To do this you simply lay down a thin board that will bend along the side of the boat where the chine will go and make sure that it bends to the shape of the boat yet does not round over too much on at the stem. If you round over too far it doesn't screw up the job, it just means that you will have to do another fillet job at that joint similar to the one you are doing now.
Permalink Reply by sanderson on March 4, 2009 at 11:43am
i find that a zip lock bag full of thickened epoxy works really good for filling the small gaps. just mix it up put it in the bag and cut a small bit of the corner of the bag and use it to squeeze out the epoxy in to the hole or gap.
Permalink Reply by Dave Z on March 4, 2009 at 5:53pm
You beat me to it. Think "cake decorator" with the ziploc baggie!
Permalink Reply by AJ DeRosa on March 4, 2009 at 6:00pm
A syringe with a #10 needle, the kind they use to draw blood works great for injecting straight epoxy. Suck it up into the syringe then after wiping the end put on the needle. Great control and you can push it down into voids. With thickened mixes you need to pull the plunger out and load from the rear.
Permalink Reply by Jason Knight on March 5, 2009 at 5:11am
I found a package of glue syringes on sale at the woodworking store... couple bucks for 6 syringes... load thickened epoxy from the rear, toss it when you are done.
Permalink Reply by E. Landis on March 6, 2009 at 12:16pm
Thanks for all of the replies! Very helpful. I cleaned it up as directed. Then injected it with a syringe. Turned out great. If things keep turning out well this thing may actually float.

E. Landis

RSS

© 2024   Created by Randy Dersham.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service