Fiberglassing when it's cold

[redneckvulcanrider]

Ok quick question for the experts how cold is to cold for laying up fiberglass? our temps here are now getting up into the high 50s and mid 60s during the day and low 40s at night. I actually do most of my work as the sun goes down and through the night. I'm useing U.S. composite 435 layup resin. Wanting to get back to work on it after starring at it all winter.

 

[Woodonglass]

60'ish!! But... you can "Trick" the resin a bit with Halogen Lamps or Heat Lamps. For instance, If you place a tarp over the boat and put 3-4 2000 watt halogen lamps inside for an hour you'll be amazed how much you can raise and maintain the temp. Once the substrate and resin is at about 60 degrees you can mix it and apply it. Then you only have to maintain that temp for about an hour or two. After that, as long as it doesn't get down in the Teen's over night, the resin will cure just fine.

 

[gm280]

WOG is correct. I did a lot of 60ish degree polyestering (not a word) myself. And everything cured perfectly.

 

[redneckvulcanrider]

Thanks guys il have to let it warm up a bit more no heat lamps or halogen for me neighbors would have a fit and call police. She calls them at a drop of a hat basement flooded and was puting in new sump pump last fall and she called the police because I was makeing to mutch noise in my basement and her house is 50 yards a away and she allways sick and have migraines lol she is a migrain

 

[slimdaddy45]

Thanks guys il have to let it warm up a bit more no heat lamps or halogen for me neighbors would have a fit and call police. She calls them at a drop of a hat basement flooded and was puting in new sump pump last fall and she called the police because I was makeing to mutch noise in my basement and her house is 50 yards a away and she allways sick and have migraines lol she is a migrain

I had neighbors like that once glad I was renting at the time so I moved to the country problem solved

 

[redneckvulcanrider]

We purchased the house from inlaws to restore it. My wife's childhood home and my boat restore has been on the back burner because of it. Plan on finishing boat and having it in water this year though even if I have to tie up and gag my neighbor (not really but thought has crossed my mind lol). Going to be in the 70s this comeing week just have to fight off the rain. Boat is out side no garage.

 

[pauloman]

using Basic No Blush winter cure I have built stitch and glue boats in temps in the upper 30s in my unheated garage in NH during the winter. Work until your hands freeze

 

[redneckvulcanrider]

What's no blush winter cure?

 

[fhhuber]

Its a resin/hardener mix designed to resist absorbing moisture despite cold .

Water in the resin (humidity) will cause it to be cloudy and not as strong.

You hear more about the effect with paint, particularly automotive (and aircraft) lacquers. You can have black paint come out looking white if there is excess moisture when you spray and it can't escape before the paint dries. They make a wide assortment of reducer/retarders for automotive paints to allow them to be sprayed at just about any temperature and humidity.

 

[ondarvr]

What's no blush winter cure?

He is talking about epoxy, Pual does drive-bys every now and then, but rarely comes back to answer the questions about his suggestions.

Many resins, polyester or epoxy, will get hard at low temps, but getting hard and curing correctly are two very different things. When heated at a later date they will continue to cure, but the initial cure is the most important. So to achieve the best physical properties with either resin it should be used above 60F.

Epoxy will slowly cure at the lower temps, and since it's stronger than polyester, even when not thoroughly cured it can be strong enough to do the job. The issue with epoxy is that on a vertical surface it tends to drain out of the glass, this means you may need to fiddle with it until it cures to a point where it will stay in place by itself.

If you use lights you won't need to leave them on for long, the resin will cure quickly, just don't overheat the laminate, people tend to put the lights too close and cook the area.

 

[kcassells]

FH,
You may want to consider building a tarp system over the boat. Lights won't be bright, keeps the heat in and you can work on rain/cold days.
Just a thought.

 

[kcassells]

How bout some pics?

 

[Woodonglass]

Uhmmm, Yeah, I'm kinda confused. In post#2. I recommended tarping the boat and using lamps. If it's tarped I'm not understanding how that neighbor lady is gunna have anything to complain about. Even if you're outside at the very most there's gunna be a soft blue hue with the lights on and as stated that's only gunna be for about 2 hours till the resin kicks after that you can turn em off. You Only have to have the resin and substrate @ 60 degrees while it's doing the initial cure. After that you just don't want it to get down into the TEENS or colder for a LONG time. If you can get 2 hours of 60 degree temps, You can lay Polyester laminates. That's the amount of time you need

 

[redneckvulcanrider]

It has just a cheap polyester blue tarp over it that I realy can't get under but I am thinking about building a tent frame out of old roll rods from dump trailers then useing old tarps fussed together to cover the frame.
My neighbor thinks that me turning on a shop vac in the middle of the day to clean out car is to mutch noise. Just assuming it would give her something else to call police and complain about.
There was pics in old thread I had going last year under 1978 17' Wilson marine hydro sport combo

 

[kcassells]

This isn't too hard and works for me;

 

[kcassells]

Oh yea...BTW...Tell your neighbor to simply stick it and sue HER for harassment. lol

 

[Woodonglass]

Yeah, 20 bucks worth of PVC pipe and fittings and you can make a NICE frame for a tented enclosure. I agree, A note in her door explaining she can and will be sued for harrassment might go a LONG way in stopping the phone calls to the police and then if she does call them and they do show up and they discover you haven't done anything wrong they should pay her a visit and tell her to cease and desist. You could then have a friend call and give her a scare with a pending lawsuit!!!!

 

[redneckvulcanrider]

I will come up with some redneck ingginuity to get a tarp system up as my plan is to get her done and in the water this year hopping my trailer gets done too the sandblaster has had it and the paint for 2 years.
The problem with the threats of a lawsuit is that the city has an ordinance against excessive noise with out a permit but it doesn't say times or what is considered excessive . She thinks she's the president of the homeowners association (witch we don't have one) and the police are actually sick of her calls and complaints I do some custom gun work for a couple of the officers and talked to them about it yesterday at a shoot they said go ahead screw her lol

 

[redneckvulcanrider]

The other thing is has anyone ever used 2 liter soda bottles as flotation under there floor instead of foam and what would the math be to figure out how many you would need

 

[JASinIL2006]

Not sure I'd want to risk my life and that of my passengers on soda bottles in the event of an accident... Also, given their shape, there would be a lot of wasted space around them that wouldn't contribute to bouyancy. What about sheets of blue or pink foam insulation?