fiberglass
Well.... its done. I glassed the canoe yesterday.
WARNING TO FIRST TIME BOAT BUILDERS ABOUT FIBERGLASS LAYUP: Do not leave your canoe! One of many big mistakes I made during 'glassing was to think that you can take a break in between coats. You might think that you can go have a breakfast or watch a movie before that next coat, but don't you dare! You can grab a Pop Tart or have your husband/wife run to McDonalds for you and then you sit there and babysit that baby all day long. Because if you don't, while you are sitting in a cafe feeling all warm and happy in your heart about how shiny your canoe looks, sipping your 3rd cup of coffee and musing about the coming spring... that epoxy resin is still on the move, slowly but steadily rearranging itself under the weave of the cloth, pooling, running, dripping. And when you come home? You cry a little.
I'm going to sharpen my cabinet scraper now.
I've added the pictures from yesterday's lay up in the web album here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/olson.dawne ... 3862035266
WARNING TO FIRST TIME BOAT BUILDERS ABOUT FIBERGLASS LAYUP: Do not leave your canoe! One of many big mistakes I made during 'glassing was to think that you can take a break in between coats. You might think that you can go have a breakfast or watch a movie before that next coat, but don't you dare! You can grab a Pop Tart or have your husband/wife run to McDonalds for you and then you sit there and babysit that baby all day long. Because if you don't, while you are sitting in a cafe feeling all warm and happy in your heart about how shiny your canoe looks, sipping your 3rd cup of coffee and musing about the coming spring... that epoxy resin is still on the move, slowly but steadily rearranging itself under the weave of the cloth, pooling, running, dripping. And when you come home? You cry a little.
I'm going to sharpen my cabinet scraper now.
I've added the pictures from yesterday's lay up in the web album here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/olson.dawne ... 3862035266
Last edited by doe4rae on Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Dawne Olson
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
Just wondering....
The runs I was so stressed about seemed to scrape off very easily with the cabinet scraper. I was just wondering if I should sand the hull with 120 grit and add another layer of epoxy or should I just wait now until it the epoxy resin is fully cured and then sand it for varnishing without adding any additional epoxy. I think another coat of epoxy might smooth things out after scraping the runs off but I know I would have to sand now for a mechanical bond. (It has been almost 24 hours since my 3rd coat). However, if I wait to sand as I would before varnishing then maybe that will smooth things out enough without any additional coats of epoxy. Any ideas how to handle this?
Dawne Olson
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
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Dawne
I have been keeping track of your progress during your build. You have done a beautiful job and I can assure you that those "imperfections" will mostly disappear during the finishing.You will find like most of us that only you will see those imperfections, everyone else will see a beautiful boat.
Cyril
I have been keeping track of your progress during your build. You have done a beautiful job and I can assure you that those "imperfections" will mostly disappear during the finishing.You will find like most of us that only you will see those imperfections, everyone else will see a beautiful boat.
Cyril
Thanks for the encouragement...
I'm so glad this forum is here. The people are SO kind and generous with their experience and support. I hate to be such a girl about it, but I really couldn't mask my disapointment after the glassing was over. I know its not terrible but it seemed "perfect" to my mind before I did the fiberglass. Every step that I had taken so much time and care to get "just right" seemed marred. I actually even missed the natural beauty of the wood and kind of resented the high gloss "plastic" covering it, even if it was flawless in places.
I found out after I scraped some of the runs off, that there really were NOT that many but then I was disapointed about the hull being scratched up so I went ahead and sanded with 80 grit, then with the fairing boards at 120 til there was not much shine left anywhere and applied two more coats of epoxy. (I really did take quite a bit off with the sanding.. down to the glass in some places.) That 4th coat went on like a dream and... while I'd like to say it was perfect.. there were still runs in those last two coats. What I do feel confident about now though, is that I KNOW that when its time to sand and prep the surface for varnish that 1.) I CAN achieve a close to flawless surface again and 2.) I will have better coverage so that I can sand more aggressively without getting down to the glass again.
So I removed the canoe from the mold last night and got to see the inside of my boat for the first time! Pretty excited about that. I knew, because I had read so many others experiences of lifting it off the molds, that it would be light. It still was incredible though, to feel how extremely light and flimsy the hull feels. I imagined stepping into and feeling my foot go right through the bottom of the boat. urgh!! I trust that it will feel more durable after glassing the inside and trimming it. Everyone says it does.
So again.. thank you ALL for the contributions you have made so far to my building effort!
I found out after I scraped some of the runs off, that there really were NOT that many but then I was disapointed about the hull being scratched up so I went ahead and sanded with 80 grit, then with the fairing boards at 120 til there was not much shine left anywhere and applied two more coats of epoxy. (I really did take quite a bit off with the sanding.. down to the glass in some places.) That 4th coat went on like a dream and... while I'd like to say it was perfect.. there were still runs in those last two coats. What I do feel confident about now though, is that I KNOW that when its time to sand and prep the surface for varnish that 1.) I CAN achieve a close to flawless surface again and 2.) I will have better coverage so that I can sand more aggressively without getting down to the glass again.
So I removed the canoe from the mold last night and got to see the inside of my boat for the first time! Pretty excited about that. I knew, because I had read so many others experiences of lifting it off the molds, that it would be light. It still was incredible though, to feel how extremely light and flimsy the hull feels. I imagined stepping into and feeling my foot go right through the bottom of the boat. urgh!! I trust that it will feel more durable after glassing the inside and trimming it. Everyone says it does.
So again.. thank you ALL for the contributions you have made so far to my building effort!
Dawne Olson
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
Temperature and tools
Hi Jim... I had the shop at about 65 degrees when I started... which is as warm as I could get it with two space heaters. It is typically about 55 degrees down there when only the furnace for the house is running. I tried the rollers with no success. A shame too, since I ordered 12 of them. I just could not get the same speed of application and even on the 3rd coat (I tried again) and it was a foaming mess and pieces of roller started to come off. I think the temperature maybe was part of the reason that I couldn't keep the epoxy from moving around. I walked around and around and around that canoe for 3 hours after every coat trying to monitor for runs and they still would show up the next morning all along the sheer line. As mentioned before, I think I got it cleaned up pretty well but it was a pain. I've been reading a lot more since then on different tricks and preventative measures, so hopefully the inside coat will go on a little better. I am going to insist on having the furnace upstairs set about 5 degrees warmer too. Maybe that will help.
Concerning the middle form in the canoe... How does that work? I (of course, not knowing any better, took them all out.) I mean how do you keep it in place? I thought of putting a temporary thwart at the max width (33") at the gunnels in the center. Would this serve the same function? I am mostly sanding by hand because the shape is too curved on the inside for the orbital sander to fit well (not dig into the surface) on the inside. I wrapped sandpaper around an old plastic pill bottle and its doing the job, slowly but surely.
Concerning the middle form in the canoe... How does that work? I (of course, not knowing any better, took them all out.) I mean how do you keep it in place? I thought of putting a temporary thwart at the max width (33") at the gunnels in the center. Would this serve the same function? I am mostly sanding by hand because the shape is too curved on the inside for the orbital sander to fit well (not dig into the surface) on the inside. I wrapped sandpaper around an old plastic pill bottle and its doing the job, slowly but surely.
Dawne Olson
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
"The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread" ~DH Lawrence
Dawne, I used a temporary thwart when sanding the inside, it was just a piece of
board with two clamps on the inside of the sheer to keep the gunwales pushed out...
The center form sounds like a good idea, maybe a few clamps is all that is needed to
hold it in place, you'll probably notice your canoe getting stronger and more ridgid when
it goes from "green" cure to full cure over the period of several days. (maybe)
board with two clamps on the inside of the sheer to keep the gunwales pushed out...
The center form sounds like a good idea, maybe a few clamps is all that is needed to
hold it in place, you'll probably notice your canoe getting stronger and more ridgid when
it goes from "green" cure to full cure over the period of several days. (maybe)
Hi Dawn
At the very least put a stick across the shearline. I always leave the middle form in, supported by a ratchet strap to hold the hull against the form.
Sand each half til you get to the center, then remove the center form and finish sanding. This is to keep the hull true to shape !
The warmer the better as temperature really effects curing time as well as viscosity !
I'm surprised the rollers did'nt work for you
.
Another trick is to warm the epoxy before you mix it ! It will make it roll on better in the cold !
Usually I wait til Summer when the temps are 80 or above. But I know also the anxiety of waiting !!!
Sherm is right about the curing of the epoxy! Especially at low temp ! It will stiffin in time.
Good Luck !
Jim
At the very least put a stick across the shearline. I always leave the middle form in, supported by a ratchet strap to hold the hull against the form.
Sand each half til you get to the center, then remove the center form and finish sanding. This is to keep the hull true to shape !
The warmer the better as temperature really effects curing time as well as viscosity !
I'm surprised the rollers did'nt work for you
.
Another trick is to warm the epoxy before you mix it ! It will make it roll on better in the cold !
Usually I wait til Summer when the temps are 80 or above. But I know also the anxiety of waiting !!!
Sherm is right about the curing of the epoxy! Especially at low temp ! It will stiffin in time.
Good Luck !
Jim
Keep your paddle wet and your seat dry!