Well I'm building a 17 54 baker drift boat. So far I've got a pallet of expensive ply wood and one scarf cut

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I've got a fiberglass question: If I am going to glass the bottom as well as the sides whats the order that works for most people? I was thinking do the bottom but leave the last two coats undone.  Then install the chines temporarily.  Take the chines off and finish the sides including paint.  Then install chines with life caulk or sika or 4200 and get that last bottom flow coats on.

Picked up my trailer today.

Also to add to my glass question, I was thinking I'd go ahead and get the bare hull really warm with a heater underneath and tarped off and get the epoxy warm in a warm water bath and put a neat coat of epoxy down.  Then take the heater out and let the wood cool and soak up the epoxy.  Will this be a bad idea to do then start my glass a few days later?

BY,

I'd leave the heater on at least a low setting to maintain at least 60 degrees for 6-8 hours to make sure the epoxy cures.  I am assuming the epoxy you are using needs 60 degrees to set up properly.  There are a few that will kick at lower temps.  If you are using a Kerosene heater, remember they add moisture to the air.  You don't want to do that in a confined area. An Electric heater is preferred.

Make sure the wood has stabilized at a warmer temp before you apply the epoxy.  If it continues to rise in temp after you apply the epoxy you may get  out gasing and bubbles forming in the epoxy as it cures.

Hope this helps,

Dorf

thanks dorf, temps are staying around the mid seventies right now and dipping into the 50s at night.  I spoke with Mike Baker and he reminded me that if I were to coat it now and then let it fully cure my glass would be mechanically bonded and not chemically bonded to the hull.  I think I'm going to babysit the epoxy and get all my glass done in a long drawn out process.  I'm trying to get this all done soon before the temp spikes and makes my life more difficult with faster drying times.  Right now conditions are perfect to take my time but not have to wait forever on the epoxy.  He also talked me through the whole process of chine installation and all that good stuff

I got my fiberglass in today and I've run a few tests to determine working time for each coat of epoxy. I do have a question though. 20 oz triaxial is thick stuff. I was planning on rolling on a coat of epoxy to the bare hull. Let it cure to the point of tackiness then roll out my glass over it and then pour epoxy on and work it into the glass. Is this what everyone else does? I called raka and they suggested to wet it out separately then place it onto the hull. I have the space and table size to do this. I was thinking I'd just roll the wet glass onto a pvc pipe then in roll it onto the hull. Any ideas? I'm just trying to not mess this up. Thanks

I did it several times the first way you proposed and it worked fine.

Rick N

Good enough for me Rick. The raka guy is the first suggestion I got for that method. Just want to have all my ducks in a row.

Also beside waiting on my glass I've been busy chasing these guys. 

3 lbs of top water bliss

BY,
By adding the glass & epoxy to the first coat tacky (1 1/2 hrs) you will acheive a chemical bond with the epoxy. If you let the first coat cure fully then sand it prior to the glass & epoxy you'll get mechanical bond . I'd follow Rick's advice.
Nice fish!
Dorf

I glassed the sides first, covering up the bottom ply edge and trimmed it flush the the bottom, then did the bottom trimming it flush with the sides, but leaving the last coats with the graphite till after the caps. Then I drilled through the glass on the sides as I mounted the chine caps, and put them on with bedding compound (and on the screws to for the caps) The caps wont bend and follow the bottom edge perfect, and if anything, let them hang ever so slightly below the bottom (vs. up above the bottom) then the last coats of epoxy can fill that little gap onto the bottom edge of the chine cap. Thats how I did mine at any rate, right or wrong!!

Nice fish.I would apply one coat of epoxy first let it soak in push it in with a scraper trowel whatever and  let that dry .Raka with slow hardener in a 65* shop will take awhile,24 hrs after its dry to the touch youll still have the chemical bond so theres a big time window there.This keeps the glass from wicking the goo from the plywood and trying to lift triax to re postion on sticky epoxy is not fun.

Using a FG roller after wet out is the important part, this gets the bubbles out.

Also warm your resin, this helps the wet out of the thicker glass.

You'll be mixing big batches so use wide shallow containers like pie plates etc  mix for 3 minutes and dump it all out right away.

Hell Yeah! Thanks everyone for the tips. Tungsten thats my main concern, letting the first coat dry enough to move the glass around but still get a chemical bond.  Im feeling pretty confident now, going to get this done saturday.  Going to be 74 degrees.

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