Infusion Plan

The topsides has been sprayed with sprayable fairing compound. The exact product name from Awlgrip is "sprayable fairing compound" I used "microsurfacer" from international paints... same thing different brand. It goes on with a 1mm film thickness, so you have to get it pretty good using the fairing battens and bog, then you can finish the last 1mm with this stuff.

The pot life of my epoxy is about 1 hour. So i have about 45mins to work with the fairing bog i mix up. This time could be extneded with longer pot life resin. The trick when mixing up large batches, is to mix it up then get it ALL on the boat pronto so it cant heat up in a large mass in the container. Once its roughly spread around, you can then take your time screeding it off and using the battens etc to get the desired fill your looking for. Otherwise, just mix up smaller batches depending on what your doing.

Ive noticed that alot of resins are just too quick to use for fairing... you dont get enough time to get things right... i found west system WAY too quick for ANYTHING, even with the slow hardner - i think its designed for really cold climates???

 

That's the stuff Jorge, I find sandpaper on a longboard frustrating because it dulls so quickly, this stuff never dulls. Let us know what you find. Im going to be looking for some soon too.

Steve.

 

Steve, their site sure doesn't tell you where to get it!! Found some from China )) I have to dig deeper.

 

Im using the West System!!! No Wonder!!!

I am trying to have the boat ready for paint by Saturday, been putting long hours sanding and touching up, so sick of fairing but I think it will be okay since I am using Gator Glide paint on the bottom which is rolled on, the finsih is stippled, it should not reflect imperfections as much as a glossy finish.

The rest of the boat is getting monstaliner on sides and kiwi grip on deck. This is purely a work boat type setup )) and I need to get it done already LOL!

 

congrats Jorge from start to finish been a good project. Peter S

 

Thanks Peter and Thanks for all your help too. This forum made that boat possible!

 

Didn't make my deadline to paint, found a few more imperfections and decided to go over the whole boat again. Looks much better now, no highbuild used.

Here is a tool I used to fair the compound curves of the tunnel. It was a constrained area, this really works well in small areas. It's just a piece of plastic sold for use as a painters guide, less than $2 at Hardware stores.

I could fold and unfold it to keep with the tunnel lines. Too flexible to use for large areas though.

 

Excellent. < $2

Smooth is more important than perfect!

 

Smooth is all I'v got it seems, just discovered I have a little deadrise in the transom area, the tunnel must of shifted durring an infusion ... So now I have a not so flat flat-bottom-boat! It's not a lot, about 1/4 in across the center line and then it flatens out??? WTF!!

I found it by laying the flat bar across the tunnel, I will post a pic in a bit and maybe somebody can tell me how this will affect the planing ability of boat!

... Can't imagine how I managed that but another strong argument for infusing with a mold.

In the end this project will have cost me $13,000 and I have been thouroghly educated, the experience has been worth it no matter how the boat turns out ))

Next one will be a much different story!

 

Here is what it looks like ... maybe it won't pound as bad

 

The Fairing got the better of me, last two weeks working on the boat after work wore me out. I kept finding little pinholes, or the radius on an edge bothered me, finally said enough of this fairing crap and put down the primer.

Primer is a water bourne 2 part coating that preceeds the final coat of slick Gator Glide but I gotta say, I have never seen anything so slick, it feels like my boat is made of metal.

Painted on with a roller, the stipple is supposed to remain according to air boaters. This should work great when I am poling across a shallow grass flat and the tops of the grass is dragging on the boat ))

I managed two and a half coats before the paint started to kick but I was told I only need two. The finish coat (lightt grey) go's on in 4 very thin coats. When it wears through, the orange coat will become visible and it's an easy job to roll on another coat!! That's what I like most about this paint, ease of maintaining!

The paint does not drip at all, has a very low odor and it just feels tough !!! ))

Paint is still drying in these pics

 

This is what the final paint job will look like, military olive drab ))

 

Congats Jorge, yes, at some point you just have to get it all in one color. One thing you find with fairing is that when you are up close and personal with the thing for hors/days/weeks you are very aware of every little imperfection but once you get it into paint they all fade into oblivion as you move on to fittout.

Steve.

 

Thanks, I hope to never have to fair again!!!

Not only is it time consuming and amazingly frustrating, unhealthy and dirty, it also gives me a weak layer between my paint and laminate!!

 

Great updates. Now I am nervous about my layup in 'parts' idea. I think I will have to do it that way since I do not have enough shop to lay that much out and then get it out!

It's only money right? <weak nervous laugh>