Q&A – Saving time by precoating plywood sheets with epoxy.

If ply sheets are precoated it saves lots of time. It is easier to coat areas on the flat Gravity works with you to keep the coated surface level so there can be no runs. It is easier to get an even distribution of epoxy on the surface There is much less chance of missing [...]
December 1, 2007 0

Q&A – Fibreglassing method 3 – Method for large areas

Fiberglassing larger areas is done differently from small. Large areas require that the glass be draped dry over the surface then the epoxy is applied over the glass and worked through the surface. The example here is glassing a centreboard but the principle is the same for much bigger areas like the bottoms, sides and [...]
December 1, 2007 0

Q&A – Fibreglassing method 2 – Double bias tape for curved surfaces

Where a seam has to be glassed and it is difficult to make the glass sit flat because of a complex curve then a double bias tape is used. It is also useful for complex 3D curves like the tips of centreboards and rudders. Commercial double bias tapes can be bought but you can make [...]
December 1, 2007 1

Q&A – Fibreglassing method 1 – small areas

This is the normal method for fibreglassing small areas – typically using fibreglass tape to hull seams. Here I document the process of coating the hull and glasstaping the chines in one hit. Integration of different steps in this way is one of the major efficiencies of modern epoxy boatbuilding. However if simply glass taping [...]
December 1, 2007 0

Q&A – Are 1 to 1 (1:1) epoxy mixes OK for boatbuilding?

Most quality boatbuilding epoxy manufacturers have a structural boatbuilding product. They normally are “high solids” boatbuilding epoxies that have uneven resin to hardener ratios (2:1, 3:1, 4:1 or 5:1) which you have to add powder to make a glue or filleting mix The same companies often produce pregelled products that are mixed in a 1:1 [...]
November 30, 2007 0

Q&A Are Screws and Fasteners Required in Epoxy/Wood construction?

One of the great leaps forward available to us when using epoxy is being able to eliminate fastenings (screws,nails, bolts etc) from the structure. Many builders now only use fasteners to temporarily hold things together while the glue sets up.The temporary fasteners are removed and can be re-used many times. Eliminating fastenings also speeds up [...]
November 30, 2007 2

Q&A – Fast boat repairs with no fasteners.

Hole in Boat and More Fasteners in traditional construction are the ONLY way to go – whether metal or trunnel. But once moving over to glued construction there are certain advantages in eliminating the fasteners as far as possible. We’ve made a bit of a career of it over the last 20 years or so [...]
November 28, 2007 1

Q&A Teak Decks and Sikaflex

There are two tricks to sikaflexing between strips. Use the Sika Primer – it improves the bond strength to the timber for a permanent job. You can get away without it often, but it changes the situation from a fairly strong bond to a hugely strong bond (you’ll know this if you have ever removed [...]
November 28, 2007 0

Q&A Epoxy Preservatives that “Soak into” the wood. CPES, Everdure

  “Soaking” Epoxies – not so good Generally the thinners based products were a precursor to the full high solids epoxy catastrophe (and I mean that in the most positive sense). The most common in Oz is the dear old Epicraft Everdure which we all used to seal the insides and underdecks and often under [...]
November 28, 2007 0

Q&A Preventing Rot – The Good, the Bad and the Fugly

This was as a response to the idea that one should chuck a handful of salt into interior areas of a boat to prevent rot. Not a good idea. The problem is that salt sucks moisture. So it will remain almost perpetually moist. Then on a warm day the moisture will evaporate. At night the [...]
November 28, 2007 0

Q&A Epoxy Resin vs Polyester Resin for Wood

Should one fibreglass using epoxy or polyester resin over wood.  In this case it was to join the plywood panels of a stitch and glue boat. First, Woven fabric will give a smoother finish than chopped strand matt and is much stronger for the same weight.  It also requires less filling of the weave to [...]
November 28, 2007 0

Kirribilli – historic 5.5 metre yacht starts restoration.

Duckflat have started work on Kirribilli for a consortium of owners. Keel is off – boat is upside down – hull is half stripped and half splined – starboard side. I’m assisting with the technical side. If the end result is as nice as the work Duck Flat and I did on our last keelboat [...]
May 23, 2007 3

Wooden Boat Building – 10 day Autumn Class

Duck Flat Wooden Boats in conjunction with Michael Storer Wooden Boat Plans will be running a 10 day boat building Autumn School. April 16 to 26th at Goolwa on the Murray River – Adelaide Australia. http://www.storerboatplans.com/Boatbuildingclass.html This image is from the class in October last year. For people who have never built anything before through [...]
January 27, 2007 0

Using Fibreglass and Epoxy – the fiberglassing method

Howdy, I have just updated my FAQ with some “How To” sections on different methods of using fiberglass. Storerboatplans FAQ It covers the different methods for small areas and large areas and also a method for getting glass to lie flat over complex curved surfaces. There are good photos for some of the sections to [...]
January 2, 2007 0

Back from the Duck Flat Summer School

I was asked by the people at Duck Flat Wooden Boats whether I would be interested in teaching at their Spring School. It is their first one for a few years and has the purpose of “getting people excited about boatbuilding”. I must admit that was pretty well how it went. 12 different projects and [...]
November 1, 2006 0