Epoxy plus rain....now what? HELP

[getthemack]

I've been building a skiff on top of my houseboat while cruising on the Tennessee River. Today I coated the inside of the hull with epoxy & 7oz glass cloth. about an hour after I laid on the last coat....IT POURED RAIN. The temp fell to about 45-50 degrees. I flipped the hull, but nothings drying....Have I shot my own foot???? Will it ever dry????

[Mike Duncan]

I've been building a skiff on top of my houseboat while cruising on the Tennessee River. Today I coated the inside of the hull with epoxy & 7oz glass cloth. about an hour after I laid on the last coat....IT POURED RAIN. The temp fell to about 45-50 degrees. I flipped the hull, but nothings drying....Have I shot my own foot???? Will it ever dry????

Has the temp come back up or is it still below 50? Epoxy takes a long time to cure in cold weather. Can you put some heat lamps or heaters under it while it's still upside down and cover it with tarps to trap the heat? That may well help the epoxy to kick and start curing. After it kicks, it will take a longer time to fully cure in cold weather.
Good Luck, Mike

[Canoez]

Get it under cover and get it warm. Don't try to wipe it as it will just make a mess. The temperature is probably the biggest problem. I don't know if you were going for a "bright" finish here or just taping seams, but moisture tends to affect the clarity of epoxy badly. (makes it milky-looking)

If you're still having curing issues (epoxy doesn't "dry") did you get your ratio of epoxy/hardener correct, did you mix thoroughly?

[getthemack]

Nope, still cold. I just checked, and it doesn't seem to be sagging anywhere...Heat lamps are out of the question tonight....we're about 20 mi from anywhere to get one....and precious little electric (110vac) to run one. At least it doesn't seem to be dripping on the cabin-top

[getthemack]

It's covering itself now. How about fuel fired heat?? Fire hazard?

[getthemack]

Get it under cover and get it warm. Don't try to wipe it as it will just make a mess. The temperature is probably the biggest problem. I don't know if you were going for a "bright" finish here or just taping seams, but moisture tends to affect the clarity of epoxy badly. (makes it milky-looking)

If you're still having curing issues (epoxy doesn't "dry") did you get your ratio of epoxy/hardener correct, did you mix thoroughly?

Yep, mix was okay. I didn't use a "cold weather" hardener though...weather was beautiful , 70's when I started

[Canoez]

Depending on the epoxy, there shouldn't be any solvents. (Penetrating epoxies can have solvents.) I'd still be cautious if I were you. Overheating epoxy is bad as well, you can break down the epoxy with heat and ruin its strength. Is it supposed to get that warm tomorrow? If so, You'll probably be OK.

[getthemack]

Yeah...about 65 according to the one radio channel I can get

[Mike Duncan]

Nope, still cold. I just checked, and it doesn't seem to be sagging anywhere...Heat lamps are out of the question tonight....we're about 20 mi from anywhere to get one....and precious little electric (110vac) to run one. At least it doesn't seem to be dripping on the cabin-top

Sounds like it has started to kick. If tomorrow is bright and sunny, that may heat up the hull enough to keep the cure going. You may want to do some research on the 'net about epoxy and cold weather cure times for the brand you are using. I would suggest giving it a lot of time to cure before you evaluate and decide how to remediate (you may not need to do anything). Direct sunlight causes epoxy to break down, so I don't recommend that that you flip the boat right side up so that the sun can shine directly on it while it's curing.

[getthemack]

I'll be painting her inside for U.V. protection, so clarity is irrelevant if it'll just cure

[getthemack]

Sounds like it has started to kick. If tomorrow is bright and sunny, that may heat up the hull enough to keep the cure going. You may want to do some research on the 'net about epoxy and cold weather cure times for the brand you are using. I would suggest giving it a lot of time to cure before you evaluate and decide how to remediate (you may not need to do anything). Direct sunlight causes epoxy to break down, so I don't recommend that that you flip the boat right side up so that the sun can shine directly on it while it's curing.

How about a black plastic tarp over her upside down bottom (that sounds a little kinky) to absorb some heat tomorrow?

[getthemack]

Thanks Guys...I guess there's nothing to do....I guess I'll hit the rack. Wireless service is spotty here on the river, but I'm tied off right now and have pretty good service, I'll look again in the morning. If anyone has any advice, I'd appreciate it.

Bob

[Canoez]

Black plastic tarp should work well like a greenhouse to warm things up. I wouldn't worry too much about a day of UV exposure trying to cure the epoxy. Typically, it takes quite a bit of UV exposure to break down and spar varnish/paint/coatings etc. should be applied to protect the epoxy from long-term UV damage.

[tomlarkin]

It may never cure. This happened to me last summer, and I had to scrape it all off. Here's my thread on the subject: http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=83539