What happen to regular fiberglass on water?

[Shafri]

Sorry i'm total newbie. Just want to ask if anybody experience with boat built by regular fiberglass resin/hardener+mat, not the specialized marine grade resin/fiberglass? How much long it will last?

[gonzo]

Boats from the 50"s are still floating

[anthony goodson]

As long as E glass was used they are.

[Shafri]

thanx for replies. so i guess regular fiberglass can be used to make boat as well. then why the "marine grade fiberglass heap". better performance? better strength? more decades of longevity?

[PAR]

Can you show us a product that is "regular 'glass" and another that is "marine 'glass"? I fail to see the issue or problem, other then possibly inexperience with 'glass products and their applications. In short, there are several different types of 'glass products, uni dia's, knitted fabrics, mats, veils, tapes, cloth, roving, combi mats, etc., but I still fair to see the issue with "non-marine" versus "marine" grades of 'glass materials. Can you post a link to these non-marine grades of fiberglass products please.

[Shafri]

i havent seen regular grade resin/glass be used in any info in the net, and i never built one, but i'm planning which i'm afraid the marine grade supply will be unavailable in my place. all i found in the net is suggesting marine grade...
http://www.glen-l.com/methods/how-to-fg.html
http://www.boatbuildercentral.com/
are the site names, suggesting epoxy and some other fancy name stuffs.

in my place, i only saw this type of glass which i usually used to build stuffs on land (not in water or marine application)...

where some (online) suggesting fabric type for boat. the resin and hardener in my place, i dont know what chemical name they are, they just called... resin and hardener.

[Shafri]

and other thing to mention. for on land application, i can vary the ratio between resin and hardener, it will effect the curing time and heat produced. more hardener = faster curing and extreme heat temperature. but if apply lesser hardener, it will cure slower, but still... it will cured and be usable. not like marine in the links above and other online info, you have to be specific on the ratio, otherwise you are not making a boat i guess?

[pistnbroke]

you have not distinguished between Polyester and Epoxy resin ??? Glen -L does not like Polyester as it does not stick to wood very well. You cannot/shouldnot mix the two.
If its a moulded boat then the Polyester has lasted many years....sold a 1965 a few weeks ago in great condition ( bought it for $750 sold it for $3000) one born .......

[Shafri]

Originally Posted by pistnbroke

you have not distinguished between Polyester and Epoxy resin ???

should i? before entering this forum?

well, this is what i have. from experience, it does not stick to wood very well, can easily peel off. so it should be polyester... if on earth there are only two type of fiberglass resin. the mat... thats the mat i'm talking about, in the black plastic bag. the resin has some deposit, since i've not fiberglassing for sometime. the hardener, its crystal clear in the smaller bottle with very little volume. hardly be seen in the picture.

i just wonder, if i use those materials alone, will my boat floats for several years? and with acceptable efficiency? (weight, strength, speed) i'm just a newbie asking here.

[gonzo]

Are you building a solid fiberglass laminate? If so, the polyester resin and mat will work fine. It is a low tech technique, but well proven.

[Shafri]

Originally Posted by gonzo

Are you building a solid fiberglass laminate? If so, the polyester resin and mat will work fine. It is a low tech technique, but well proven.

thats what i have in mind... solid body, and thats all i know the simplest way... so far. but for the skeleton (sorry i dont know the proper name), maybe it should be hollow? to keep the weight less i think. but i never study and never have the real proven plan for a fiberglass boat.

and i'm not building it like this month or next. i'm just planning, maybe it will be in the other year. so here is part of my preliminary study in building fiberglass boat, i try to gather as much as i can as i'm planning to build like 18 foot small cruiser like boat, so any mistake will result in tremendous waste of resources, especially the money

since i never found any marine grade supply in my area, so i'm asking the possibility of regular fiberglass, which is possible in term of supply for me, even though not cheap. any link to the boat's fiberglass supplier will be much appreciated too. thanx in advance.

[PAR]

The best thing you can do Shafri is two fold, first is educate yourself about the resin systems and various products used in general fiberglassing procedures and secondly follow the boat plans in regard to the structure and building technique.

A one off, solid and single skin, 'glass boat (which is what you're describing) is a not an easy thing for the novice, without a fair understanding of the processes, materials and techniques.

Who's plans are you going to use? Have you selected a design? Are the plans intended for the build method you'd like to use?

[Landlubber]

...you may need to start here....

http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/t0530e/t0530e00.HTM

this site has been used for many years in countries that do not generally have factory built fibreglass boats, very dated in its information, but also , actually just as modern as some boats are still factory built....have fun mate.

[Shafri]

Originally Posted by PAR

The best thing you can do Shafri is two fold, first is educate yourself about the resin systems and various products used in general fiberglassing procedures and secondly follow the boat plans in regard to the structure and building technique.

A one off, solid and single skin, 'glass boat (which is what you're describing) is a not an easy thing for the novice, without a fair understanding of the processes, materials and techniques.

Who's plans are you going to use? Have you selected a design? Are the plans intended for the build method you'd like to use?

well, i've made some progress, still far to go. each bit i learn, each bit of fear emerge in myself, its like i'm not going to make it, only the spirit keeps me going. i'm opening this thread is due to my concern that even if i already "know everything" in term of boat material and design, all this poly and epoxy stuffs. but if i cannot get the supply of proper material, then the knowledge gathered will not be able to be put into use.

i try to make minimal post here and hoping to get maximum replies. but maybe i'm wrong. PAR's reply indicating (from what i understand his word) that different boat plan/design will have different fiberglass construction steps? which i have to reveal my specific design to get specific method of construction?

or maybe should i buy a plan first? and then study from there? to be honest, and i'm not intending to offend anyone or any party, but i've been looking for plans, mostly in ebay (coz thats the easiest way i buy online/international), but the design i'm having in my mind, the closest plan available is on the high side of my budgetting plan, in other word... its damned expensive! for a real begineer like me.

or maybe, if the thing is not according to the plan, then i should try and error with building super small boat out of "ordinary fiberglass" that fit only me with my rowing pad. so even if there is major mistake, the cost lost will be minimal, isnt it?

[Shafri]

thanx Landlubber, you always make a good help.

edit: yea that site, i've been there and saved the data table. compared to wood, FRP is much promising. even though more than 2x the weight density of wood, but FRP can be made thinner i think coz the strength is as well more than double. but reading from another site, FRP has more benefits, most prominent to me is the durability. i already bookmarked that site, still more to learn in that very educative site.

and i have this in mind... a controversial method, which i have not found anything described in the net. i want to build the female mould without having to build the male first. sounds crazy maybe? any advice from who has made the attempt and failed will be much appreciated.