Any posts on using Dynel?

[ddeaton]

Have there been any posts on using Dynel for a topside canvas substitute? I need to cover over plywood with existing epoxy.
Thanks,
Danny

[formerlyknownasprince]

bucketloads of them - scroll down for the WB FAQ thread for a start

[WoodenBNut]

Hey Danny,
If you get good at it, come on down to Cleves, Ohio (short distance from you) and help me cover a 35' Chris Craft plywood deck with dynel & epoxy!!! Yes, there is a load of information on the forums on this subject - just do a search. Seriously, let me know when you are going to do your work as I sure would like to see how you do it and will give you a hand doing if (if you want me to). And maybe a few hands holding the dynel in palce will be of benefit. I will be doing my deck this fall as soon as cooler weather prevails.

[ddeaton]

Sounds good, email me and we can hook up. I am going to order the material today, as one of the mail order catalogs has it on sale now. I plan to install it this fall also.
Danny

[WoodenBNut]

I ordered 4oz Dynel and West Systems Epoxy from Jamestown Distributors back in January of this year. I think they have another sale on the stuff going on now. Also bought some squeeges, injectors and West System rollers. I want to make the deck non-skid, but would like to not have all of it non-skid - i.e. - it will have blocks of non-skid.
Here is some general notes I colleced regarding covering decks with Dynel/Fiberglass/epoxy:
Decks
Remove all trim/moldings/fittings. Remove old canvas & paint deck covering with heat gun/scraper
Remove canvas contact cement residue from deck with appropriate. Solvent(Goo Gone or Citrus stripper)
Sand decks with 60 grit with random orbital
Replace any plywood decking that is too far gone (dry rot/too puncky to be structurally sound)
Treat all deck plywood, etc. with CPES brushed/rolled on.
Roll on 1 layer of West Systems unthinned Epoxy. Cover with 4 oz dynel fabric or
4 oz fiberglass cloth. *Dynel fabric is better (stronger & not irritating) while epoxy is still wet.
Then (for non-skid areas), roll/squeegee on a 50% thinned (with alcohol) of West System epoxy. ** you have to
thin the epoxy in order for the dynel weave to show through for non-skid effect. *you may have to do several
coats of the thinned epoxy to the non skid area. **also – you do not have to wait for the 1st coat of unthinned
epoxy to completely cure before applying the thinned epoxy over the dynel fabric.
***** If you want areas of smooth epoxy deck with other areas of non-skid, you can mask/tape the area edges of
non-skid and then apply (roll/squeegee) on thickened epoxy (with micro balloons) to the areas that you want
smooth. *The micro balloons filler are to make it easier to sand. You can develop some nice smooth/non skid
deck patterns this way. *** This is also an excellent way of covering up seams in the dynel so that they do not
show through.
Dynel fabric maybe harder to use/position than fiberglass cloth and Dynel takes more resin to cover its
weave and does not show clear/transparent in resin as fiberglass cloth does. However, if you wish to have a
complete non-slip deck that looks like canvas, you could use Dynel and just not fill the weave completely
with resin.
Roll on another layer of Epoxy over cloth. Let cure. Roll on additional layers until smooth & cloth doesn’t show.
Sand with approp. Grit for area with random orbital.
**Important: You will still need to bed/caulk between the cabin to deck joint and deck to rub rail joint with
bedding compound/caulk and re-install the ¼ round/moldings to hold the bedding compound/caulk. As the
epoxy/fiberglass will probably crack in this joint and water intrusion could occur. *You could possibly leave
off the bedding/caulk and ¼ round / trim and see if you do get cracks in the epoxy at this joint. Then if you
do get cracks in this joint, you could then bed/caulk and install the ¼ round & trim later.
Anti-Slip Deck:
(1) Mask off areas that you want anti slip spots(Really masking off areas you don’t want Anti-
Slip). Then apply an epoxy adhesive to the antislip area (i.e. – Epoxy Products epoxy adhesive 621). Then
sprinkle on ground rubber(epoxy products) to wet adhesive. Let adhesive set up. Then vacuum off excess
remove excess rubber grit and paint with LPU. OR
(2) Cut Dynel fabric to shape and sizes where you want a non slip surface on the smooth deck (deck that
already has the expoy smooth final coat. Position the Dynel fabric and mask off areas around fabric so
as to not get the epoxy overcoat on it that you will roll/squeegee on. Squeegee on a lite coating of epoxy
over the Dynal anti-slip areas so as to cover the Dynel but leave the rough weave showing. Once cured,
remove masking and paint deck & non-slip areas with LPU paint. *Be careful not to fill the non-slip weave
areas.
**** Important: any masking tape used to mask off expoy areas MUST be 3M green painter’s masking
tape, as other masking tapes will be dissolved by the epoxy resin.
Paint decks with LPU Primer followed by top coats of LPU paint. *Add non-slip areas where approp.
Epoxy Produtcs, Inc. www.epoxyproducts.com (http://www.epoxyproducts.com) 1.5gal of no blush resin $67. (includes part A & B)

Fiberglass Coating, Inc www.fgci.com (http://www.fgci.com) stnd epoxy resin A $30 gal / $129 5gal pail – Act B $30gal/$129 pail
* Not blush free penetrating epoxy: resin A gal $30 / act B gal $30
super epoxy adhesive: resin A pt $7.50 / act B pt $7.50
qt $11.00 / qt $11.00
West System Epoxy
105 Resin 4.5gal $213.12
205 Hardner(Fast) min recommended temp 40 F mix ratio 5:1 resin to hardner .94 gal $96.90
206 Hardner Slow) “ “ 60 F “ “ “ “
Removing amine blush: wash off blush with water & scotch brite pads. You can add additional layers of epoxy
resin and glass without worrying about blush removal if you recoat before 72 hours (before the previous layer is
cured. *Also remove blush before you paint epoxy. *you might also add ammonia to soapy water to wash off
the blush.
I'll email you too.
Thanks