When fiberglassing decks...

can you rip up the mat and piece it together when you're applying resin? I'm using sheets of 1.3oz cloth over 1/2" plywood, and putting the whole awkward sheet on and glassing it is kind of difficult. Can I rip some maybe 1 sq ft pieces and resin them on like tile as long as I'm quick?

 

Make a pattern of the exact shape in rosin paper or something first. Copy that to the mat and cut out the largest piece you can handle and lay that out using some weights to keep it in place. Add the resin once the mat is just the way you like it. Let that set up and grind a short taper (2") into the edge you'll be adding the next piece to. This will give you a little overlap. Then lay down the next piece neatly just like the first one.
One foot squares would yield an uneven job, requiring a lot of fairing afterwards.

Alan

 

I presume you are using epoxy, not polyester resin on plywood, especially for that light a cloth.
If not, I recomend it for longevity, as will a few other dudes in here.
If that is the case, epoxy takes a fair old time to 'go off' unless you are out in the sun, so really big runs are easy, since the cloth is so light.
But, you say something about matt - so maybe it isnt as straightforward as i am thinking though......