Transom/Tabbing help

[tigers131]

Hi folks!

Need a little help here. Im in the process of redoing my transom and ran into a problem while taping the seams. For some reason I cannot get the biaxial tape to lay down correctly and hopefully someone has a solution I got the bottom seam to lay down just fine. I tried different ways and its just not working at all, first time I ran a thick bead of fillet along the sides of the core left and right then tried to lay the glass over that but that didnt work, so i had to pull that wet glass back off and smoothed out the fillet I made. The second time I used a router with a 3/8" roundover bit and rounded the edges, this worked alot better but i still have a few air pockets from the glass not laying over the edges, Heres a few pics of what I have done so far.







You can kinda see some of the air pockets on the left and right sides of the transom. How to go about fixing the air pockets? Do I not worry about it and add my second layer of tape? Whats the best way to get this stuff to lay down correctly cuss this is frustrating and cant afford to be throwing good tape away due to it not laying down correctly. that white stuff on the bottom seam is just dust if anyone notices that, kinda looks like the glass is not layed So, that is my dilemma and really need some quick input on this issue, any help/advice would be great and thanks for reading.

Tigers131

 

[tigers131]

Re: Transom/Tabbing help

Anyone?

 

[Robert D]

Re: Transom/Tabbing help

If the tape is still wet, pull it off now.

Round out the edges a bit more, and use CSM (Chopped strand mat) for the first layer. Then alternate with some woven roving, csm, woven roving. Using epoxy? Babysit it for an hour or so untill you're sure it's sruck down good. Polyester resin? Then by now that tape is stuck on. Sand down good, removing any area's obviously not stuck well. Then start with the csm, Don't forget that each layer needs to overlap and be larger in coverage than the layer under it.

 

[Robert D]

Re: Transom/Tabbing help

One more note....use a paint tray, and saturate/soak the csm in it for a couple minutes. Use disposable gloves, pick it up and place it. Messy, but works well. Make sure that plywood has a 'primer' layer of resin on, and allowed to soak in and cure first. If you put it on dry wood, the wood will pull resin from the glass....not good.

 

[oops!]

Re: Transom/Tabbing help

your problem is the 1708.......it does not like to go round corners.....

the bi-ax ...(unless the corners are perfect ). will allways get air because of the uneven edges........

proof of this, is when you glass it, you get it right in one spot and start on another and the first spot goes to heck!

a multliple wet on wet csm will thicken the glassed area enough to possibly make the 1708 take the dual turns. however a better way is to run the grain of the biax legnth ways.......it will make multiple strips.....and the outside corner will be a #@$%^$#...(try routering that to a rounded edge)..but you wont be grinding any more.

cheers
oops

 

[tigers131]

Re: Transom/Tabbing help

Thanks for the replies. Unfortuanatley i dont have any csm available to use, i bought a whole roll of bix tape. I am using epoxy not poly. Do i need to completely sand away the glass that i layed or just sand enough to get rid of the air pockets and then lay on top of that? When i got home from work today, i sanded the edge from top to bottom on the right side and the transom, might just take my grinder and round the edges more. Im really not sure how to fix this, so any other help would be great, give details if you could please.
thanks

 

[tigers131]

Re: Transom/Tabbing help

Well, doing some more work on the boat today, while i was sanding the fg from the left and right sides of the transom, i noticed some tiny air pockets in the bottom seam, so i grinded away the fg and there is air pockets in the fillet that i made grrrrrrrr! I am going to grind away the fg on the bottom seam and fill all the air pockets that i found in the fillet, pretty much need to start over i guess (very frustrating). im going to grind most of the seams that i layed, fill in all the air pockets, round the transom core a bit more and see if the biax will lay better. Ok back to sanding/grinding.

Thanks