Inside Fiberglass Problem- Bubbling+wrinkles

paul · Post by **paul** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:57 pm

As the title suggests, my am the unfortunate recipient of bubbles and wrinkles, the two nemesis's of the canoe crowd.

I have put hours into prepping for this nite of wetting out the interior of my Freedom 17 to find 4 or 5 defined wrinkles and 12 or more bubbles underneath the cloth by the time i was done.

The project was prepped well but once underway quickly got the better of me, and i was forced to choose between keeping the wet edge or stopping and trying to fix the wrinkles. In addition to my haste i had introduced bubbles into the epoxy and cloth.

I have read and re read all the fixes for the bubbles and think i am ok with the methodology.

The question i have is has anyone removed the fiberglass and started over.

Can anyone describe the process, difficulty and the time frame required to pull this off.

My hull can be fixed, but i think starting over will give me another chance to stare this one in the eye.

Paul

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:05 pm

If the epoxy was applied just tonight, you should still be able to pull it out if you act quickly. If it has set hard, you can use a hot-air gun and a putty knife to heat and pry off your cloth but you must wear adequate breathing protection meaning a face mask with charcoal cartridges.

paul · Post by **paul** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:11 pm

Very quick reponse.

Some facts:
The cloth was applied 28 hours ago at the time i write this.

Some questions:
What are the implications for the surface below the cloth?

How much time do you guess this will take?

Will the cloth come off as a mono sheet?

Paul

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:20 pm

Actually I forgot to mention something in the method. You also need a pair of pliers to pull on the cloth. Try to find a pulling angle that won't create any wood tearout. You start by warming up and area until it has softened enough to allow you to start pulling on the cloth then you slowly heat ahead and pull slowly on the cloth. If it wants to create tearout in some areas, heat a bit more and try using the putty knife to lift it away from the wood. Once you have zeroed in on the proper heat and pulling speed it should go well. I have never had to personally use this method but I believe most people have done the job in about one hour.

Good luck.

Once the cloth is removed, allow any remaining epoxy harden for several days (3 to 7) then handsand with 120 grit, clean up and you are ready for re-glassing.

paul · Post by **paul** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:06 am

To add a pertinent question to this thread, for myself and others

How much would 50 hours after application be for pushing the threshold of a clean removal?

Glen Smith · Post by **Glen Smith** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:15 am

I suppose it wouldn't cause any problems since there are some builders who have decided to pull the glass off their boat after a few seasons of paddling. Their original glass job had defects in it but they decided to live with it until the outer hull had enough scratces to merit re-finishing and they decided it would be a good time to reglass the boat rather than just revarnish.