Lots of questions from a newbie!

Should I use fiberglass cloth or chopped strand mat to do this job? I have found some really good videos and I think I can do this job. And which weight of the cloth would be recommended 4 or 6 oz? Or if using the mat, 1.5 or 2.0 oz?

 

Cloth! Mat is just adding weight and volume, cloth is adding some strength too. Both of course add abrasion resistance. 4oz should be sufficient to do that job.
Calculate about the same weight of resin / hardener mix per sq/ft to have a clue about the amount of goo you must purchase, and how much weight you´ll add! One pound of glass / Ep applied, remains to be 1 pound after curing! Assuming you use no thinners (which you definitely should´nt).

Regards
Richard

 

Right. Light cloth, like 4 oz.. Youl probably have to fill in some minor nicks. Do this with epoxy too, adding a filler like West #410 microlight or similar. Do this before glassing. Later, where overlapping cloth needs to be faired for paint, use microlight again. Then when nicely faired add a couple of coats of neat (straight) epoxy so the surface shows no weave with the light askance.

 

Ok help me out... what is fairing? When you say use epoxy to fill the nicks, I assume it is different from the epoxy resign I will be using for the glassing. Thanks for all the help. I will be asking many more questions. Wait until I get to the finished glass and start asking how to paint it!


Is this epoxy ok for glassing a boat.....
http://www.fiberglasssite.com/servlet/the-90/Epoxy-Resin-1.3-gallon/Detail

 

Fairing is the art of smoothing surfaces so that the boat has the correct general shape without any wasted surface area. That means any hollows or bumps not contributing to the design are eliminated. For beauty, for speed, and for efficiency, it is the job of the builder to achieve a fair hull.
He does this by adding filler material or removing high spots.
The filler of choice is almost always epoxy resin that's also used for laminating and an additive powder. The powder I suggested was West #410, which is easy to sand, feathers well, and holds well without slumping.

 

Cannot elaborate on the resin in your link, I do´nt know that. And I would recommend a well known Brand like West, System Three, Sp and the like.
The resin you use for fairing is the same as for the glass job, you just add some filler material. Alan was not very clear on that.

Regards
Richard

 

Thanks, if I am planning on painting and then clearcoating the boat after glassing, does it matter which epoxy resign I use?

 

NO it does´nt matter! But painting is a MUST on EP you know. Ep will degrade under UV rays, so, every surface you covered has to be painted. If you varnish (clearcoat) you are limited to the use of UV PROTECTING varnish, not Uv resistant!!!!
Use paint......... nearly any paint is compatible on any Epoxy.
And forget my recommendation on the brands! I just had forgotten for a moment what your project was! Get the cheapest Epoxy resin available! Every brand and every quality will do that job! But make sure it IS Epoxy! There is some crap on the US market named "Fiberglass Epoxy" or so, that is polyester resin! Poly (and almost all thinners) destroys your foam in seconds!
And a sidenote: as I mentioned very early here, do not go above 4oz cloth, do not apply too much resin, skimp on overlaps where ever possible (precut cloth to fit), bear in mind your hull does´nt like high curing temperatures which will occur if the layup is too beefy.

Regards
Richard

 

I said, "The filler of choice is almost always epoxy resin that's also used for laminating and an additive powder..."

 

Thanks Alan, I did read that. For a complete novice though that could have been not clear to be THE SAME resin HE used for laminating.
I did´nt mean to correct you.

Richard

 

Ok thanks for all the help..... I think I can do this job with all the advise you guys have given me. The idea I have is to use one sheet that will wrap to the inside of the boat on both sides. Then to glass the inside, I will just cut to fit. Then paint, then I think I am going to make some stablizers for it. WOW! $50 boat going to get $300 of extra work.

 

That will be a real challenge, you know!? The glass will not easily behave as you like it when it comes to multidirectional "bending".
But the "West" site shows how (and when) to cut overlaps and wrinkles.

 

Yeah I figure I will have to work the extra out. I was watching a video of how to do it with a toothbrush. Hope I can master the technique quickly.

 

What I meant, in any case, is that the epoxy resin used for glassing is also the basis for vitually every filler, putty, or waterproofing used on the boat.
Like Portland cement, which makes mortar, concrete, topping mix, and so forth, there is one base resin with which a multitude of additives are mixed to create every kind of gook.

 

I'm not sure you are getting "help" here. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

Sorry to say, the boat you have is pretty much a "throw away" item. In fact they used to be given away by a cigarette company.

Glassing/Fairing/Painting, with all the sanding required between coats (or the next coat will not stick) is going to be a big time and dollar expense, especially if you have never worked with glass before. In the end you will have a boat that has doubled in weight and will still be prone to having the core breakdown. It just isn't a good structural material to base a boat on.

Why not simply get the kids out sailing it as it is now, and see if they like it. If they take to the game you can upgrade next year to something that is better. If you look at Craigslist these days you will find better boats for not much more than the $300.00 you are thinking about sinking into this glorified picnic cooler.