how much epoxy?

dex76

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
33
hi again :) ,well since i had a tear in my keel i decided to just go ahead and rip the floors out of my 78 starcraft and will be replacing them soon, so my question is how do you calculate how much epoxy it will take to coat the floors? mine are roughly 68" wide x 16 feet and how many coats do you apply to the wood? thanx in advance ;)
 

fbnewbie

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 3, 2005
Messages
31
Re: how much epoxy?

I would add 1 layer w/fibergalss cloth (6mm), Then fill the rest of the fiberglass weave with a coat then add a 3rd and final coat. Next prime and paint. Epoxy w/o fiberglass is said to be brittle (especially over long/flexing surfaces like a deck).


so 3 coats of epoxy and 1 layer fiberglass. IF you want to seal it against the hull then you will need to fillet the deck edges and add 4inch fiberglass tape to fix the deck to the hull.
 

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
28,105
Re: how much epoxy?

Dex76, For replacement of the floor, you may usually use Polyester resin. I would figure on one gallon, and enough light duty cloth for two layers, overlapping seams.
 

rebuilt

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
276
Re: how much epoxy?

:):)How much time do you want to invest in the thought process of deciding which way is best for you? This is a one time deal for me, so the more planning I do, the less re-doing I do. I would like to recommend a good book that covers this pretty well, in plain english, not techno jargon. It's only 98 pages long and has given me a wealth of info. The 'net is a great tool, no doubt, and I love this site. But a book, centered specifically around this much misunderstood and overcomplicated (by us) topic has given me what I feel I need to do it, and do it right the first time. Yeah, I played with 'glass as a kid, doing assembly work at a motor home plant in So. Cal. So I do have a working knowledge of the basics. But it ain't rocket science. (Even an early '70's party animal did it, namely me)
The name of the book is Fiberglass Repair Polyester or Epoxy. By David and Zora Aiken. ISBN-13: # 978-0-87033-567-9 My copy was published in '05 so it does cover more modern techniques like thickening agents, (silica, micro-ballons, and chopped strand or milled 'glass). A good read. You can spend hours chasing down threads, which I've done, and enjoyed it. Or you can get a good book, that you can reference any time you want. Take it out to the project with you. I've got another one that I'm going to read next. It's called, The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual, By Allan H. Vaitses. It's not overly technical either. IM Not So HO, it's far better to spend my time studying my next challenge, than to jump in there, cocky and uneducated, and build something I will be stuck with tearing out at some point in the future. Yeah, I know this is wordy, but I absolutely believe in education before the fact. Hindsight is 20-20.
 

dex76

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
33
Re: how much epoxy?

thnx guys, looks like ill have another week to think/readup about it as the welder who's fixing the keel tear in me boat has rescheduled for another week :(
 

rebuilt

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
276
Re: how much epoxy?

Hi Dex, there's just too many variables to take into account to give a one size fits all solution. I see your new here. Welcome. A senior hand here even suggested a DVD from Nexflix as a resource to be posted in a sticky. Not a bad idea. This topic gets batted 'round and 'round. I like my books. Don't have to turn 'em in, put 'em down when I want to, just dog ear the page. KR
 

dex76

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
33
Re: how much epoxy?

i ordered the book you had mentioned got it for 8$ at amazon
 
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