ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

[bigbad4cyl]

in some areas it would seem eaiser to use stainless steel staples to staple the fiberglass cloth to the stringer before wetting it out ,,and on the transom for holding woven roving/cloth on the wood precicly were you want it ,,,,can you do this then wet it out with epoxy and just leave the ss staples in ...

 

[Boomyal]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Sounds like a good idea on the surface but I wouldn't do it. First you wouldn't get uniform saturation thru the cloth. Second, you'll still want to roll the glass and the staples will cause the glass to bunch up. <br /><br />I found it best to thicken up some resin, apply it to the base and stretch the glass over the surface to be covered. Then appply your unthickened resin to the top of the glass as you roll it in.<br /><br />Whatever you do, you will have trouble going over the top of stringers. Some just run it up the side then apply a narrow strip to the top of it.

 

[BillP]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

I've done it many times...mostly on stringers. Transoms have never needed it. You can't tell the staples are there after the job is done. Uniform saturation has never been a problem. The only downside I've experienced is cloth relaxes when wet and can bunch up between staples like Boomyal says. Like already posted, do each side of the stringer and then the top with a different piece.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

When I did mine, I did not use any staples. I wetted the wood out first, then layed the mat, which stuck to the wetted wood, and partially wetted the mat. I then wetted the mat out, completing the process. It may seem like I took more steps to accomplish the same thing, but I felt that by wetting the wood out first I got better penetration, and would not have the wood leaching the resin out of the mat, causing it to be too dry. It worked out well enough. <br /><br />I also glassed up to the tops of the stringers, leaving the tops bare. When I was ready to lay the floor peices, I wetted out small strips of mat and layed them on the stringer tops, layed the floor peices, and screwed the floor down with stainless screws. That sealed everything up and created a good bond between the stringers and floor.

 

[Terry H]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

You can alawys staple one end on to the stringers and roll away from the staples...you don't need ss staples, they won't rust till they get wet, and since you are going to do a good layup it aint gonna happen. Chief

 

[G DANE]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

I've started using a little different technique:<br /><br />1 Prime the surface by brushing on resin with hardener. ( Exactly like you are used to )<br /><br />2 Place one or two layers of mat or cloth on a flat, plastic covered surface, like i exa. a piece of plywood with a plastic bag over, or similar.<br /><br />3 Wet the mat there with foam roller/resin<br /><br />4 Place the wet mat on the stringer or whatever and roll it again with resin, do two layers in one time, no problem, even upside down ( just made reinforcement under my front deck ) Just place the wet mat right after wetting thru, before the resin discolves the binder in the mat. Works great and lots faster.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Does the resin that you use to wet out the mat once it is laid where you want it have to come from the same batch as what you've laid the mat on? Can you roll out a little, lay the mat, and come back to wet out the mat later? Not like days later or anything, just long enough to let that first bit tack up to hold the mat still better...

 

[G DANE]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Everything is done with the same resin batch, before it sets. That way you get primary bond. Work as fast as you can. I managed to lay up a lot more with this method. If you work i. exa. on side of a stringer, it takes more time and is more messy to wet the mat there, thats why i started doing is this way. You can mix more resin as work proceeds just do it without breaks.

 

[BillP]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Originally posted by G DANE:<br /> I've started using a little different technique:<br /><br />1 Prime the surface by brushing on resin with hardener. ( Exactly like you are used to )<br /><br />2 Place one or two layers of mat or cloth on a flat, plastic covered surface, like i exa. a piece of plywood with a plastic bag over, or similar.<br /><br />3 Wet the mat there with foam roller/resin<br /><br />4 Place the wet mat on the stringer or whatever and roll it again with resin, do two layers in one time, no problem, even upside down ( just made reinforcement under my front deck ) Just place the wet mat right after wetting thru, before the resin discolves the binder in the mat. Works great and lots faster.

I do small sections that are hard to access (usually hull to deck joints and repair patches)that way but lifting pieces (30"/48" x 18") of saturated cloth/mat doesn't work too well. That size doesn't hang upside down in multiple layers easy either (glassing the bottom of a 35' sailboat is why I first started using staples -per Vaitses). If I use staples on stringers they are placed along the top of the stringer, then I lift the bottom of the cloth up and wet the wood, roll, etc. When using poly laminatin resin I wet the first and wait for it to tack off, then the "tack" holds the cloth. Much harder to do with epoxy because the tack doesn't last long. If you use polyester laminating resin the layup can be in different sessions without prep or problems.

 

[G DANE]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

I have to admit I only tried the method with poly, and it worked fine, but it depends of the thichness of the resin.

 

[HeadnSouth]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

I have to do a little cushion rework. Where do you get SS staples?

 

[MercMark]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Originally posted by HeadnSouth:<br /> I have to do a little cushion rework. Where do you get SS staples?

I got some at home depot. Arrow makes them for standard staple gun sizes. I didn't really need them for my transom. Didn't do stringers. I laid my cloth onto a bed of thickened epoxy, and it stays put when you saturate it.

 

[HeadnSouth]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

^^^Thanks, thought SSS would have been a tough find.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Sometimes in areas where the saturated glass won't lay satifactoraly you can cover it with a layer of polyethylene plastic sheeting (Visquene). You can push the bubbles out and the plastic sheeting keeps air from getting back in and helps keeps the glass saturated. Sort of an elcheapo vacuum bagging. You can pull it off afterwards, the resin doesn't stick well to it, or you can leave it on if nothing is going on top of it.

 

[BillP]

Re: ok to use stainless staples to staple fiberglass cloth

Monel staples are better for boat interiors. SS will still spec rust and monel won't.