20' Whitehall, Runs,Drips and errors (pics)

[Tom Hoffman]

Well, I thought I was putting on my last filler coat of epoxy, I got interupted in the middle by small family emergency, and had to run to the hosp. for some stiches in one of the grandkids. All ok. But in the interim, the expoxy that I had been applying ran down the boat (darn gravity) and left curtin marks on the sides and bottom.

I have started sanding, how far down do you need to absolutely go in order to have them be hidden by the next (and last) coat of epoxy? I have sanded the hull down with 80 grit on a ROS and have fairly well blened all the imperfections in, but hesitate to take it all the way down to a super smooth finsh, will the next coat fill and level in the minor imperfections, or will they show through and mess up the last coat.

In the pictures, the boat looks good, up close no.

Here is the link: http://community.webshots.com/user/slvrgost

[Ian McColgin]

Keep sanding. Blemishes in undercoats are like ruts in a dirt road. They get bigger.

There are two faster ways to get it down.

You could use a "fartblock" - that glassy foam that really stinks but abrades epoxy finastkind.

More pleasant, assuming you know how to sharpen and use, is the cabinet scraper.

[Bob Perkins]

Use a sharp scraper to remove drips - especially if the epoxy is only a day old. It gets harder the longer you wait.

Sanding will smooth over the lumps - Scraping will rid you of them.

Good luck,
Bob

[StevenBauer]

And if they don't scrape easily use a heat gun to soften them up. Don't sand epoxy, especially partially cured epoxy. :eek:

Steven

[Todd Bradshaw]

Filler coats don't need to be perfect. Epoxy resin was never designed to go on as a perfectly smooth surface and is a lousy material to try and achieve one with unless you mechanically smooth it out once it's all on the hull and properly cured. You can have drips and runs all over the boat and as long as you're using the same resin, applied properly, and you let it cure before sanding or scraping there shouldn't be any witness lines when you finally level and smooth the hull. Sanding newly applied resin before all the filler coats are on, however, can be pretty risky. You run the risk of bruising the glass and making little whitish fractured areas which will never go away. Filler coats are just that. They fill the weave of the cloth and should be applied until you have enough thickness that you can take the hull down smooth as a baby's butt without hitting glass-cloth. Even if the hull is totally covered with drips and sags, it shouldn't take much more than an afternoon's work to fair it all out once you're done filling and it will look just fine. It's not so much a question of what you put on the hull as it is a question of what you leave on the hull.

[Keith Wilson]

Lordy, use a scraper! It'll be a lot easier and quicker,and the epoxy you take off will be little shavings that end up on the floor instead of fine dust that ends up in your lungs. Scrapers are also cheap, cheaper than sandpaper in even the medium term. If you don't know how to sharpen a scraper, look here. (http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/I-3416.html)

[Dave Gray]

I can attest to the scraper/heat gun method. Very effective, very fast.

[George Roberts]

I agree with Todd.

Sanding partly cured epoxy is never a good idea.

[kc8pql]

A friend who was building a strip planked Whitehall gave me one of these.
Sandshark (http://azbrowax.com/catalog_98/files-rasps/NICHOLSON/SANDSHARK.htm)

He said it was the best thing he'd found for cleaning up epoxy bumps and drips. I tossed it in a drawer and didn't give it and more thought. A month or so ago, after gluing up a big birdsmouth spar, I had 400' of epoxy squeeze out to clean up and remembered the thing. I gave it a try and it worked great. It cuts the epoxy very fast but doesn't roughen the spruce any more then 80 grit would and had very little clogging on three day old resin. Worth a try.

[Thorne]

Sandshark looks nice but has been discontinued by Nickolson -

http://woodworkers.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=952 -690 (http://woodworkers.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=952-690)

Oh well, maybe a competing product is available? I've seen scrapers like this, even own a really basic one but can't remember the brand.

PS - the community.webshots.com site has some NASTY popups that my blocker can't block -- you might want to consider using another free photo hosting service. Lovely pics of a lovely boat!

[ 09-09-2005, 09:33 PM: Message edited by: Thorne ]

[Tom Hoffman]

Thank you all for your help. Looks like I am going to have to master the scraper. I watch the guy on Wood Works on DIY channel, he makes it looks soooooo easy. Must have lots of practice.

Again, Thank you.......

[Farmer Diddley]

Instead of using a "regular" scraper (i.e. the kind you see the guy on Wood Works use), build yourself a few of the John Brooks style.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/pb42fbe7a2d2b8bc14924dc579d3601e3/f705374c.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/pd2707c3656c859e69959d79b47149971/f705344a.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/p70c7b3cbaef6426d119f8c658a7aa03c/f7053103.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/p2a825958bb51bd18a59101341a4178bc/f7052f06.jpg

They use Red Devil "single-edge scraper blades" that you can find at hardware or paint stores, or here. (http://www.reddevil.com/productDetail.cfm?id=3061RT&c=&cat=) You sharpen them with a file (no need to burnish these particular scraper blades)... These things are GREAT at cleaning up cured or semi-cured epoxy. I've made 3 of them (1", 1-1/2", and 2-1/2" wide blades). Good luck.

[SparkG]

Couple of questions there Tom if you don't mind...
What wood are you stripping with?
Did you scarph to get those long pieces?
Are the strips 1/4" x 3/4"?
What kind of glue you using?

Thanks!

[ 09-15-2005, 10:37 PM: Message edited by: SparkG ]

[clifonef]

Instead of using a "regular" scraper (i.e. the kind you see the guy on Wood Works use), build yourself a few of the John Brooks style.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/pb42fbe7a2d2b8bc14924dc579d3601e3/f705374c.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/pd2707c3656c859e69959d79b47149971/f705344a.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/p70c7b3cbaef6426d119f8c658a7aa03c/f7053103.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid139/p2a825958bb51bd18a59101341a4178bc/f7052f06.jpg

They use Red Devil "single-edge scraper blades" that you can find at hardware or paint stores, or here. (http://www.reddevil.com/productDetail.cfm?id=3061RT&c=&cat=) You sharpen them with a file (no need to burnish these particular scraper blades)... These things are GREAT at cleaning up cured or semi-cured epoxy. I've made 3 of them (1", 1-1/2", and 2-1/2" wide blades). Good luck.

I have done a rather thorough search of my neighborhood hardware stores as well as the web, and it appears that Red Devil is not making the 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 inch models any more. Does anyone have a supply source for these blades?

[Ocean Spray]

Couldn't open the pics! Seemed like it took forever to load and then nothing but a yellow screen.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

Boat looks great, use a cabinet scraper... :)

[outofthenorm]

Tom, just wanted to say nice job on the boat, great shop, and an excellent moaning chair. Life is good, even when the epoxy runs .:D - Norm

[clifonef]

Paint scraper blades - I just finished a rather extended correspondence with Red Devil, and they do make all three blade widths. The 1, 1 1/2, and 2 1/2" single edge blades are part numbers 3061, 3062 and 3063 respectively.

My confusion arose when illustrations and drawings either showed double edge blades or plan views, which did not differentiate between single and double edge blades.