If it weren't for the scars on the plywood from the scarf joints, I'd be tempted to finish this bright.
The glass laid down very easily. The only spot that gave me even the slightest bit of trouble was one of the stern transom corners. I am trying putting a piece of wax paper over it to hold it down while it cures:
Hopefully that takes care of things. If not, I'll have to figure something out.
The day went pretty much according to plan. I got up early this morning and started digging in. I mixed a bunch of triple-batches of epoxy (I lost count how many) as I went, using the "slow" hardener. I used a plastic scraper/spreader to work the epoxy into the glass. It was a pleasant surprise how well the glass stayed in place. I had virtually no trouble with bunching or wrinkling or bubbles or any of that. It went right on.
And it used a BUNCH of epoxy. Took something just short of a half-gallon of resin to get the first coat down. Took me about two hours to get it coated. That would realistically get cut in half if I had had a helper mixing batches as I went. It pretty much takes as long to mix a batch as it took to put it on.
Then I went to the office. I figured the slow hardener would give me plenty of time (particularly since the temps here today are in the low 40's) before it tacked over and was ready for the second coat.
After work, it was perfect: Just the right "cure" level. Still tacky, mostly.
So I set about putting another coat on, this one designed to fill in the weave. Since the biggest pain from this morning was measuring out the resin (it gets thick in these cooler temps, and the squirt pumps are SLOW) I had the idea of just using the measuring marks on my cups. I get them at a pro auto-body supply place:
And they come pre-marked with measuring lines for just about any proportion of two or three part mix you could need:
I opened a fresh jug of resin, and just poured it in up to the required line. I still used the pump for the hardener...it pumps easier than the resin and only needs half as much.
The second coat required way less mix than the first. I didn't keep track, but I'd guess it was less than 1/3 what the first took. I used a small foam roller I bought at the hardware store today. Went on very nice. I can't say the weave is completely gone, but its close.
For the second coat, I used "fast" hardener. My plan is to get back out there later tonight and get one more coat on, this time thickened with micro-balloons for a fairing compound. At that point, I'll be done until it fully cures. I'll go over it with the longboard and see how smooth it comes out. Then I'll mix up some more thickened epoxy and feather in the joints around the corners. I want them to completely disappear.
All in all, a great day. I was a little worried about this part of the project. Lou talks a lot about hating to put on glass, and I have to agree it was a sticky mess of a job. But overall, it wasn't too difficult and the result seems very pleasing. I'm very eager to see how this turns out after everything is cured.
No comments:
Post a Comment