glass over fillet

[paul anderson]

i have just thrown the keel for the second hull on my t26.remembering the awkward sanding required to lay the 6 inch tape down on the first hull i was looking for a way to avoid it second time round. what i did was before the epoxy fillet had cured and was still soft i added the the tape to it and brushed it down with a brush of unthickened epoxy.i owe this technique to rory mcdougal who used it while building cookie. less sanding = good.

cheers paul

[Russell and Janet Puryear]

I did the same thing on both of my hulls. Works well and gives a better bond to the epoxy in the fillet

[Ralf]

Paul,

I work the same way and it has all the benefits already described here: less sanding, better bond between glass and fillet, saves time and saves the kind of work which I hate most: SANDING. It also gives a perfect finish and looks much better. Unfortunately I found out about this method only when I was doing the keel of the 2nd hull. Better late than never, I guess.

Ralf

[Rogerio Martin]

I do like this. You need care with brush for no bubbles and unmold the fillet down the tape.

[Ann and Neville Clement]

I just put this kind of fillet and glass tape on the little dinghy (12 feet) that Nev is building.  It is easiest if you wait until the fillet is just getting  a bit cured to the point where it feels like leather.  Then it will get the chemical bond you want but it will not be disturbed by laying the glass tape on top.  Justbrush it with unthickened epoxy, lay the tape, and brush with more unthickened epoxy until the tape is clear.  Sometimes it is helpful to put a dab of  filleting mix in a corner or other place where the tape has trouble forming itself to a sharper bend.  I often put the little dab of filleting mix left over after making the fillet into the freezer  for an hour or two to delay it setting so it can be available when laying the tape.  After laying the tape, any more left over  filleting mix can be put into screw holes or wherever it is useful.

[paul anderson]

great tips ann.

[Axel]

I have always wetted out my tape first on a sheet of plastic and then laid it onto the fillet. That way you ensure complete penetration of the glass with resin and you can then just lay the tape on and smooth it with fingers. If you do it when the fillet is still soft-ish you can ensure no sharp angles or voids under the tape as well by moulding it a little.

[Rory McDougall]

I agree with Axel,

best to wet out the tape first as you get perfect wet-out of the cloth and is less messy than trying to brush dripping resin onto vertical or overhanging joints to be glassed. I find that an offcut of plywood with a bin bag taped round it works well for an easy disposable laminating surface to wet out the cloth tape.

The other thing I've found by moving back to chilly UK again after so many years in the sun is that I always have a heat gun at hand when I do my glassing here. I use it to heat up the resin in the pot and also to lightly heat the resin as I apply it to the resin & glass cloth as I wet it out. It gives an almost instant wet out of the cloth. Once the glass tape is on the job I also use the heat gun to wave around again as it helps to keep the resin thin and runny and i find that most air bubbles come out extra easy just with stippling with the paint brush - no need for glass roller that can mis-shapen the soft epoxy fillet.

An old hair dryer works just as well - although probably best to buy the wife a new one first!!!!

 

If you have glass that you want to sand back smooth again later, I always wait until the glass is tacky then apply another coat of resin with microballoons. This completely fills the weave of the glass and means you sand less of the cloth away at the end and it is far easier to sand also.

 

Although probably not recommended....................I sanded Cookies cabin & decks after glassing with just 60 grit paper by hand then painted 2 coats of 2 part polyurethane. No fussy sanding, no undercoats etc. gave me a great (3foot finish) and lasted in the tropics for 10 years!! Moral of the story - get it on and go sailing!!!!! (Different if you are after a showboat!!)

Cheers, Rory

[Russell and Janet Puryear]

Get it on and go sailing is a good philosophy.  I'm working with that one.  The problem I run into constantly is the first Wharram my wife saw was David's (Boatsmith) Aruba.  I do fall a tiny bit short of that degree of worksmanship!

[kim whitmyre]

Don't forget David has the benefit of a whole crew, don't forget to remind her of that!

[kim whitmyre]

Although I don't quite know what to make of Bertrand! ;~)

[Lee Dilkes]

Buy a big roll of cling wrap lay it over any lamination you want to sand and bingo no clogging of sand paper.

Wet on wet/tacky is always good especially glass over thickened stuff.