As you can see in the picture, I didn't fit my strips as good as I should have near the stems. :embarassed
I'm thinking a fillet would be a good way to fill the gaps and to add some strength to the area.
Does this sound like a good idea?
Any tips for making a good fillet?
Thanks,
Beavers
[IMG:640:480]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/ ... 200002.jpg[/img]
Fillets
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Glen Smith
- Posts: 3719
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
- Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada
A fillet could add some strength to that area and make it look better if done right. West System sells fillers to add to epoxy for making fillets. I stir the powder into my mixed epoxy then transfer it all into a plastic sandwich bag. Then I snip off one corner of the bag and squeeze the mixture out of the bag and into the area I want to fillet. A stick with a rounded end or a gloved finger can be used to smooth out the mixture. Keep an eye on it for a while so it doesn't all end up in the bottom of the boat.
Tape off the crack you want to fill. The epoxy can stain and discolor the surrounding wood. Tape the inside so the filler doesn't run out.
Mixing the filler to match your wood is a touchy subject. You can use fine, screened sawdust from the same boat and it will turn several shades darker in epoxy. I use sawdust, microballoons and fumed silica to get a close match.
Use the plastic bag trick to inject the mixture into the cracks. Fill completely, let cure , remove the tapes and sand.
Mixing the filler to match your wood is a touchy subject. You can use fine, screened sawdust from the same boat and it will turn several shades darker in epoxy. I use sawdust, microballoons and fumed silica to get a close match.
Use the plastic bag trick to inject the mixture into the cracks. Fill completely, let cure , remove the tapes and sand.
someday I'll fly, someday I'll soar
Beavers,
You might also consider placing a 4 to 6" wide bias cut strip of 6 oz glass over the filet for additional strength. You can do this before the filet has hardened - wet out the glass (lay it on a piece of saran wrap and brush on epoxy until the cloth is no longer visible), then transfer the strip to the area and work it into place with your hands. My filets always turn out a bit rough, so sanding is necessary. However covering the wet filet with glass eliminates the sanding and the final product will be much smoother. You can even lay the glass for the inside hull on top of the strip after it cures (again no need to sand).
This of course is all theory. Your stem area looks very narrow and it might be difficult to do this. But if you can put a filet in an area, I think you should be able to lay in some glass too.
One last comment. Use the fast setting hardner on the filet to speed up the set (and prevent sag).
Good luck
You might also consider placing a 4 to 6" wide bias cut strip of 6 oz glass over the filet for additional strength. You can do this before the filet has hardened - wet out the glass (lay it on a piece of saran wrap and brush on epoxy until the cloth is no longer visible), then transfer the strip to the area and work it into place with your hands. My filets always turn out a bit rough, so sanding is necessary. However covering the wet filet with glass eliminates the sanding and the final product will be much smoother. You can even lay the glass for the inside hull on top of the strip after it cures (again no need to sand).
This of course is all theory. Your stem area looks very narrow and it might be difficult to do this. But if you can put a filet in an area, I think you should be able to lay in some glass too.
One last comment. Use the fast setting hardner on the filet to speed up the set (and prevent sag).
Good luck
Thanks for the help guys! 
The epoxy in a bag trick worked great. I laid a bead of epoxy and used a stiff bristled brush to smooth things out.
[IMG:480:640]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/ ... 220006.jpg[/img]
The epoxy in a bag trick worked great. I laid a bead of epoxy and used a stiff bristled brush to smooth things out.
[IMG:480:640]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/ ... 220006.jpg[/img]
