resin to fiber glass ratio

[oops!]

soooo....your fiberglassing your stringers...floor or transom....the work is allmost done...and you have a little resin left over in your tray or bucket.....

so you think just smear the rest on.....cant hurt...the more resin the better ...right.....

wrong.....

rule of thumb is.....saturate the glass totally...no more ...no less

not enough resin and the glass job will be weak and the glass strands will be prone to break.....

too much...and it becomes like peanut brittle

this is a pic of some left over resin in a small bucket that hardened

nice 1/4 inch thick perfect plate size

this is what happened when i applied pressure with just my bare hands

the thing shattered like peanut brittle.....

if glassed properly you can hit a section of two or three layers of thin glass with a hammer and it will barely dent it....fiberglass can be as strong as steel if it is done correctly.....

remember the rule of thumb....saturate the glass totally...no more..no less

happy boating
oops

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

Re: resin to fiber glass ratio

Awesome tip thats good to know seeing as im just about to redoo my transorm. Got any tips for that?

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: resin to fiber glass ratio

hay ooops , I know you said something about this before but wouldnt epoxy makesure you have a chemical bond ??? and I dont dought you are getting a chem, bond but there are a a few people out there that are doughting you , and if you need some one to go on your madien voige I am your man !!!! John

 

[oops!]

Re: resin to fiber glass ratio

Awesome tip thats good to know seeing as im just about to redoo my transorm. Got any tips for that?

hey fuzzy

welcome to i boats

with all i got goin on right now.......

i suggest you get a gun and shoot your self in the foot before you do any work on a boat............... just kidding....

if the craft is fiberglass....there is a few methods......this is the full replace ment way
after you get it out....use pre cut pressure treated plywood....dried for a month....
laminate two sheets togeather by fully wetting out the wood with resin on a slow kick.....let it sink into the wood.....especially the edges.....apply the fiberglass matt....then squish the two sheets togeather....screw em if you have to....(use screws for pressure treated wood

then..... when allmost dry.....wet out the inside of the transom and add glass.......fully wet out the side to touch the hull before hand...and let saturate into the wood....you need a slo kick for this....place cabosil...(peanut butter)...into the area under and around the transom....then put the transom in....let the peanut butter squish out.....do what ever you have to to get the transom to sqiush against the hull....clamps...drill holes (only where they were before)....do ...whatever you have to....suck it tight...

when its tight......start glassing the new transom in with a minimum 6 inch overlap on the hull......(scuff the old glass first...then clean with acetone)

put it all back togeather and go boating......

there ya go .....done in a day.......

cheers
oops

 

[oops!]

Re: resin to fiber glass ratio

john...buddie.......

comon up here....if the thing sinks...we'll both be floating in a lake full of ping pong balls....

there is a lot of confusion going on between a chemical bond and a mechanical bond.....

it works like this....

a mechanical bond happens..... when you apply fresh resin and glass over old dry glass......

a chemical bond happens .....when you apply fresh resin and glass over freshly kicked or still wet glass.....

in a fourty year old hull...there is no way to avoid a mechanical bond between the new glass and the old......doesnt matter if i use epoxy...vinylester or poly...no way to avoid 40 years of cure time

every time i over lap a layup to the hull .....the new glass is forming a mechanical bond with the hull......the glass that touches the new glass is forming a chemical bond.......even if i wait a day or two between lay ups and rough and scuff the area on the new glass....it can still form a chemical bond to the new lay up.....plus im using a really slow kick....its still lightly stickey after 24 hours.......so the 4 inch overlap is a mechanical bond....but the 30 sq foot layer is a chemical bond.

there is nothing wrong with a mechanical bond.....as long as you prep the surface correctly....after ruff and scuff...sweep the area and thourghly clean with acetone......

the mechanical bond is never as good as a chemical bond.........but if i glass a 2x4 to your corvette.....youll need a grinder to get it off!!

i just got off the boat again....another 6 hours of grinding and glassing...man its tough doin 30 and 40 sq foot sections with 28 oz cloth...and no air bubbles allowed!

i hope that helps clear up the mech bond stuff....

its 2 am here and i gotta do a run to vancouver at 6am and ill be back tommorow at 6 pm...if im back early enough i want to do another lay up tommorow night.
gotta getter done by may !

cheers bud
oops

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: resin to fiber glass ratio

Ok cool buddie, yea that does clear it up, and a new sport if we do sink, water ping pong !!!!!!! lol I dont see that happening with all the prep work your doing !!!!! and thats a good point about when epoxy or resining the transom in to the boat , think I will bolt it up !!! Ok drive safe !!!!! John