goopypuck recommendation?

[ChuckG]

re: my past post about trouble with clench-nailing.
So now the boat is turned over, and I have a bunch of clench-nail divits and little uglies to fill before I paint out the inside of the boat with primer.
I'm looking for a recommendation of a cheap, non-noxious, easy-to-use sanding filler. In the past, on the exterior of old fishboat hulls, I have used something like Fix-All, a powder that is mixed with water to fill and level subfloors before laying linoleum, or even just portland cement.
But I'd lke to do something a little... finer? for this job. I'm going to paint the inside of the hull and floorboards, but the seats, knees, and breasthook will be varnished.

Any ideas? The FAQ didnn't have anything under "goopypuck."

cg

[gary porter]

cg, Fisheries Supply 1900 N Northlake Way.
They have all kinds of fairing compounds and such.
Interlux has one, System Three there has a new one also which is also in Seattle. Most all are two part but not hard to work with. 3M does make a spot filler that comes in one tube called Acryl-Green Spot Putty,, never used it but should work. Just go to the store and I'm sure you'll find something you like.
Gary

[Nicholas Carey]

I see you're in Seattle...

Interlux Surfacing Putty

http://www.yachtpaint.com/Images/15_6367.jpg

is good for filling minor dings above the waterline. It's available locally from Fishery Supply and West Marine, I believe.

Below the waterline (you can use it above the waterline as well), mix up some epoxy (Right now I'd probably use the fast hardner, because of the temperature, but in general, I'd use the slow hardner to get as much working time as possible.)

Thicken the with glass or phenolic microballoons to the consistency of peanut butter or a little stiffer: you want the putty sufficiently stiff that it won't sag or run.

Microballoons (aka 'glass bubbles') are tiny, microscopic hollow spheres of glass. Mixed into epoxy, they make a light, easily sandable fairing compound. Note that this is not a structural putty: The balloons are hollow and crush easily. That's why they're used for fairing compounds.

It looks like you're from Seattle. You can get both the epoxy and microballoons (glass and phenolic) from Fiberlay (http://www.fiberlay.com/) on Market Street in Ballard: tel. 206/782-0660, M-F 8am-4:30pm (I think they're open Saturday AM, but things might have changed).

I believe glass microballoons run about $17 per gallon at Fiberlay; phenolic somewhat higher. Epoxy…well, it costs what it costs.

Also Fishery Supply and West Marine both stock epoxy and microballoons (West System 407 Low-Density or 410 Microlight.) I believe their prices are a bit higher than Fiberlay's.

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by gary porter:
[fairing compounds…]System Three there has a new one also which is also in Seattle.So they do…QuikFair (http://www.systemthree.com/p_quikfair.asp), also available at [url=http://www.fiberlay.com/]Fiberlay[url].

[ChuckG]

hmmm... thanks for the responses.

I've zip experience with microballoons; you say they will make the epoxy easy to sand? I've tried sawdust mixed into an epoxy goop, and it winds up pretty hard. I suppose the kind of epoxy matters, I was using Evercoat, I think it was.

The Interlux sanding putty might work, but it's $16-$20 a pint - ouch. I'm a pine tar, turps, and linseed oil kind of guy (although I just paid too much for a quart of pine tar, too :( )

What would Pete Culler have used?

[paul oman]

Mix ready to use home spackle with cheap marine type epoxy.
Spackle fillers makes it easy to sand, epoxy 'seals' the fillers and makes it waterproof. Result is a light weight, very smooth, epoxy based, sandable filler....

paul

[Paul Scheuer]

Where/ when was the clench-nail-trouble thread ? How much damage did you do ? Maybe we should talk about technique.

[warthog5]

Don't use Acryl-Green Spot Putty the stuff shrinks bad. That is stuff they used on cars back in the 60's-70's. I wouldn't put it on anything you care about.

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by ChuckG:
I've zip experience with microballoons; you say they will make the epoxy easy to sand? I've tried sawdust mixed into an epoxy goop, and it winds up pretty hard.Yup. That is does. The filler is key.
I suppose the kind of epoxy matters, I was using Evercoat, I think it was.I'm not sure that what brand of epoxy you use is as crictical as the filler. I'm not sure I'd use an epoxy with the consistency, of say, tar; but as long as you use a decent epoxy like West System or System 3, etc., you should get good results.

If you give the putty the right consistency (just thick enough…but no thicker) and use the right kind of knife (flexible) to lay it down, the amount of sanding needed should be fairly minimal.

[ChuckG]

So, what I'm hearing is to use epoxy, filled out with either balloons or spackle. I'll fiddle around with it a bit and report results/observations, I've got all winter.

The clench nailing thread actually made it into the FAQ under fastneners (click here (http://media5.hypernet.com/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008092)). My technique improved somewhat as I went along, but there's some damage what needs fixed.

The next boat will have a piano finish, however... :rolleyes:

Thanks, everybody

Chuck

[Paul Scheuer]

next boat will have a piano finish Good plan.

I noticed a comment in the earlier thread about getting a good stool to correctly position yourself for the work. If the boat is small enough, a means for raising the work up to the best working position might make the results more like what you get on the bench. The other thing I think I read was to clamp the pieces before attempting to clench. I don't think the clenching operation will draw up the parts.

(I've never seen a clench nailed piano ;) ).

[formerlyknownasprince]

We (wife Diane, son Peter and myself) are just finishing off the clench nailing of 8 replacment ribs, each about 10 feet long, 4 sistered ribs about 4 feet long and four replacement planks in Grantala. No clenching irons here - we are using club hammers, a machined log splitter and a 6mm pin punch. The smallest nails we are using are 3" long with the largest (for the stringers) being 6" long. This is definitely an energy intensive process!

I dream of a clenching job where the finish would be on show!

Di is looking forward to returning to work - she is a maths teacher, for a holiday after two weeks of this sort of work.

Ian