Gluing vertical pieces

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by crosscut, Mar 2, 2008.

  1. crosscut
    Joined: Feb 2008
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    crosscut Junior Member

    Please excuse my ignorance, but I am about to plank my flat bottom skiff. I will be using 1/4 and 3/8 Okuema. I plan to use Mas epoxy to screw and glue the plywood to the chine logs, chine shears, stem, and transom. I am worried that by the time I apply the epoxy to all the areas, the epoxy will have run down on the areas where I have started. Is that likely to happen? Is there anyway I can avoid it? Would a Gorilla type glue be a better choice. Thanks for any help
     
  2. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Crosscut, the general procedure is to wetout the areas, that you will being doing in the immediate gluing session with unthickened epoxy. Then mix up a batch of thickened epoxy and apply it to as much of the "landing" areas as you dare attempt in one shot. Apply the panel(s), screw them down, then clean up ooze out (which is always desirable).

    If concerned about epoxy running down to areas you don't want, then tape them off.

    Work small batches (you can always add more) until you get a feel for how large an area you can manage before the goo starts to kick. If your thickened epoxy is of the correct consistency, it shouldn't run out very far, if at all. Ooze out is necessary, to insure the joints aren't adhesive starved. You'll spend hours chasing down runs, drips and ooze out, but it's much easier to do this then wait until it cures and have to grind off the hardened goo, especially without damaging the surface below it.
     
  3. crosscut
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    crosscut Junior Member

    Thanks for your response Par, you are truly a patient individual. I think part of my problem is I feel I have to play beat the clock with the epoxy. Taking what you said, I think I have a good plan now. I would still like to hear your opinion of one part Gorilla type glues on boat construction. Thanks again
     
  4. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Epoxy work can seem like a game show with a race against time, but it's not if you're prepared. Your actual "have goo in hand" time isn't very long, when compared to the prep and post goo in hand time (clean up). There's no need to rush. If you are, you've got too fast a mixture for the conditions or are working too large of batches.

    I do dry runs for everything, before resin hits the bottom of a pot. This permits me to have clamps and other tools waiting, in the location they need to be, so I don't have to open a drawer with goo on my hands, looking for a screwdriver bit to fit the fasteners I'm using (for example). This is where I see most novices having difficulty, not enough preparation.

    You've sanded and sculpted your brains out, for many hours, spend some time with the "epoxy run" setup. Literally walk through the run, stacking laminations, having clamps at the ready, is the jig dogged down good, literally every movement you'll make during the epoxy session. This is the way you find flaws in your procedures and can prevent them before the goo hits the fan.

    I don't like nor trust Gorilla glues, though many reports of success have been made. It doesn't have the physical attributes to replace epoxy, it costs more and my tests and limited uses haven't shown promise.
     
  5. Landlubber
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    Landlubber Senior Member

    cross cut,

    One other thing to add, after you have mixed the epoxy in the mixing container, get it spread out on the job asap, it will take at least twice as long to go off then as it is not generating a lot of mass heat.

    Brushed out on the job as PAR has explained, really eliminates the "rush hour" feeling, and reality.
     
  6. crosscut
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    crosscut Junior Member

    Par and Landlubber, Thanks for your replies. I will be building a scarfing jig tomorrow and then it is on to the planking.
     
  7. Pericles
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    Pericles Senior Member

  8. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Advertising, promotion consideration and other "suggested" uses just haven't added up in my tests. If you want to glue a broken chair leg back to it's supports, then it's fine, but I wouldn't rely on it keeping Neptune's will at bay.
     
  9. crosscut
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    crosscut Junior Member

    Thanks for your help, the glue up is going fine. I wet all the matching areas with straight epoxy and coated the planking side with thickened epoxy. The rundown was minimal and the squeeze out seemed appropriate. Thanks again
     
  10. the1much
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    the1much hippie dreams

    tape "wax paper" under your work,,,and remember that it will run till gravity stops,,hehe,,so put enough down for it run ;),,,,i think this will work for epoxy,,,i do it for poly. and vinyl, resins.
     
  11. crosscut
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    crosscut Junior Member

    Rats. I just read in some West System literature that fir should be sanded within 48 hours of an epoxy glue up. I didn't do that, the fir I used for the chine logs and sheer clamps still had their original patina. How badly did I mess up? Will the boat spring apart in the middle of a lake?
     
  12. the1much
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    the1much hippie dreams

    it might not spring apart (might) hehe,,,should be o.k.,,,but it really dont bong to the ply good if you dont grind first,,,but its not jus fir,,,,i think you should do it to all wood you glass to
     
  13. Pericles
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    Pericles Senior Member

    Sanding is a council of perfection to remove any contaminants before using the adhesive. Try and lever off the timber. If it's bonded, no worries, so tape and fillet as planned. I reckon you won't be able to budge the wood. :D :D

    Pericles
     
  14. crosscut
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    crosscut Junior Member

    Thanks for the replies. I was planking the sides with 1/4 Okaume to fir chines. I did use bronze screws instead of the galvanized nails as recommended in the plans. I hope that might compensate for the oversight.
     

  15. the1much
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    the1much hippie dreams

    awwww....Per.,,,we could of made him worry for at LEAST a day hehe ;)
    and sorry,,i have no idea where my head was when i said,,"but it really dont bong to the ply" hehe i think i meant BOND ;)
     
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