Air Pockets in Corners

What methods are out there to help eliminate air bubbles/pockets when laying up fiberglass in tight corners?
I pay meticulous attention to all corners when rolling and try to get my employees to do the same, but just can't beat it into their heads enough. Is there a putty or some type of compound that can be used before the layup process begins? I have head of using fiber putty but that there is still a chance of that breaking out. Any suggestions?

 

usually forming fillets with thickened resin works. allow it to gel slightly before laying up the cloth. i've seen most use cabosil some swear by milled fiber because the cabosil mixture is too 'brittle'. some use a mixture of both. west has a very good tutorial in their fiberglass handbook on this exact thing. in addition to the mixing sticks they recommend using (they have rounded ends fo this purpose) you can cut a fillet tool out of plastic. i've found that milk just tops make an excellent fillet tool.

the fillets are an absolute necessity for eliminating hard spots where a two panels meet at a perpendicular. whether using thickened resin fillets or some constructed from structural foam they need to be there to prevent cracking.

hope this answered your question.

 

It depends on what you are making and where the corners are. Fillets with putty etc work well. Glass only bends so much and the corner has to fill with something to take the place of air, resin will do it but leaves it weak and prone to chipping, etc. When rolling, rolling into the corner sometimes works to push the glass into the corner(as opposed to rolling away from the corner and pulling the glass away).

 

It amazes me that production companies like Bayliner allows air to get under the glass. I am currently working on a 93 Bayliner Classic. After exposing the stringers, the glass was totally delaminated from the stringer. There was more air than I've ever seen. Anyway thats my $0.02

 

I am mainly talking about corners and edges around storage compartments, livewells/baitwells, etc. All with recessed lids of course.
There isn't some type of putty or epoxy that can be used in this location that the glass and resin will bond to?

 

There are many products made for that purpose, just ask your current supplier what they carry. Don't over do it though, use as little putty as possiible because it's not as strong as glass.

 

Try Laying Single Strand (chop Strand) Around Corners After Brushing Resin,so It Sticks,then Follow With Laminate.it May Be Time Consuming As First,but It's Faster Than Filling With Gummie Gel.,sanding,and Polishing.

 

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These tools help immensely. I have NO bubbles in my glass. You just have to work it until it starts to set.

 

It can be fixed by planning ahead. If you are laminating over wood or foam, use a router to round the outside corners. The inside corner should be filled with a cove, which is cheaper, faster and easier than a fillet.

 

They work well and are fast. They will push the glass down and consolidate the laminate, leaving extra resin on top where it can be squeegeed off somewhere else or picked up with a 'dry' paint roller. They have to be maintained somewhat, the edges need to be smooth with no nicks, otherwise the nicks will grab fibers and pull, upsetting the laminates, so don't bang the edges on a table or something when cleaning. The Grooves need to be kept clean of resin, but eventually they will fill with hardened resin and for some reason will not work well then. Our solution was to light them on fire with a torch (only possible with aluminum rollers) and burn off all the resin, and then wire brush clean. Also take the screw off the end and clean the hardened resin off the shaft and out of the roller tube, then put some oil on when reassembling. A correct sized extra long drill (Home Depot) worked best for cleaning the roller tube.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

As for the bubbles in/on corners, first are proper radiuses and coves, and then with the bubble buster rollers you mainly roll into an inside corner and away from an outside corner. Sometimes you have to use a squeegee or another roller in your other hand to hold the laminate in place so the grooved bubble buster doesn't pull the glass around. You have to be careful when working on getting the glass to lay good in one corner that you are not pulling it out of another corner sometimes far away from where you are working.

 

If you desire a crisp corner, the traditional way is to but two narrow strips of mat into the corner. Do not, at this point, try to get any fiber to span the corner. It is common to paint the corners with resin when you first start molding. The styrene will evaporate and there will be some extra tack in the corners as a result. It is also not uncommon to mix some cabosil or equivalent into a cup of laminating resin and generously brushing it into the corners. This does the same thing as above but let’s you have some paste to move around. Don’t overdo it or big chunks break off on the customer, which pisses them off. I always found a chip brush with the bristles cut down to about 3/4 inch was good for popping bubbles and pushing fiber into corners.
Finally work on your patterns. Sometimes you just have to assemble the laminate in different pieces.
SHC