flat Decking for dummies?

[Coxxy1019]

doesnt a gallon of epoxy run $60+?
even the middle? no matt?
i dont get what youre saying on the last bit. sorry man im just trying to learn from your lesson. i want to really understand what youre saying

When I cut the side walls off there was that strip left in the center. The original deck of the tray, by taking those sides off you lose a good bit of strength.



The piece that broke was the original bottom of the tray. I just glassed over the area of foam that was showing with a 2 inch overlap of the existing hull. Instead I should have glassed over the entire flatdeck as one solid new piece of fiberglass. The new fiberglass didn't seperate from the hull, the original piece of the hull broke because it was the weakest point.

 

[goatse]

ok i understand perfectly. do the large layers that cover the deck go below or above the layers that fill yhe bunk?(do the layers that also fill the center go first or last)

does the foam add support or just flotation? im asking because im trying to understand the structure. if i can mold the material without a solid foam backing(but no air between the fiberglass layers).

 

[Vumad]

Foam adds support depending on the amount of foam you use. 2lb is more flotation but easier to crush. 8lb is less flotation but more support.

I didn't understand the 1st part of your post there. Try to wrap the entire of the back of the ski with single sheets of glass the full size of the working area. It's a flat deck, so you can likely do the job in one piece however many layers thick. Cut the pieces as necessary to make any bends. Continuous fibers will be much stronger than overlapped pieces. (Obviously you will need to overlap layers, I'm talking about overlapping pieces that are of the same layer.)

 

[khaos]

x2 on what @Vumad said there should never be one without the other.

Wherever you overlap make sure you clean the existing surface with some acetone or denatured alky and take some sandpaper like an 80 grit and scuff it up first. Put some good scratches in it. You MUST give the new stuff something to bond to. This is usually called giving it 'some tooth'. I do a lot of glasswork trust what I am telling you.

ps if you do more than one layer be sure to use a little warm soapy water between layers. Even if it doesn't feel like it needs it.

pps the pink and blue foam from Lowes et al will not melt with epoxy resin but will liquify with polyester resin.

btw: I get all my materials from fiberglasssite.com

 

[Vumad]

x2 on what @Vumad said there should never be one without the other.

Wherever you overlap make sure you clean the existing surface with some acetone or denatured alky and take some sandpaper like an 80 grit and scuff it up first. Put some good scratches in it. You MUST give the new stuff something to bond to. This is usually called giving it 'some tooth'. I do a lot of glasswork trust what I am telling you.

ps if you do more than one layer be sure to use a little warm soapy water between layers. Even if it doesn't feel like it needs it.

pps the pink and blue foam from Lowes et al will not melt with epoxy resin but will liquify with polyester resin.

btw: I get all my materials from fiberglasssite.com

What do you mean by warm soapy water between layers? I assume you are meaning if you let a layer cure then add more layers after? I believe if it is allowed to cure, it should be sanded too before the next layers are added, take the gloss off at a minimum..

 

[khaos]

@Vumad Yes. I should have been more clear. The warm soapy is between CURED layers to remove any blush (waxy sticky residue) that rises. It doesn't hurt at all to put some tooth in if you are trying to stay thin.

 

[Coxxy1019]

ok i understand perfectly. do the large layers that cover the deck go below or above the layers that fill yhe bunk?(do the layers that also fill the center go first or last)

does the foam add support or just flotation? im asking because im trying to understand the structure. if i can mold the material without a solid foam backing(but no air between the fiberglass layers).

Like @Vumad said use one entire sheet of fiberglass to cover the entire flatdecked area. That center piece you see in my photos is the original hull.

When I repaired the crack I cut 4 pieces of fiberglass cloth big enough cover the entire deck and over hang atleast an inch all around. So once I mixed the resin I could do all 4 layers before the resin cured on the first layer. By putting one sheet down and adding resin then putting another on top and so on, it all drys as one solid piece which prevents the layers from seperating. Make sure you scuff the surface with 80 grit or rougher or all that hardwork of laying fiberglass and resin will peel right off like a sticker.

 

[goatse]

mission accomplished! yesterday at canyon lake texas...
she floats like a turd.

 

[khaos]

mission accomplished! yesterday at canyon lake texas...
she floats like a turd.

floats like a turd lmao!! Glad its done an you are back in the water.

 

[Coxxy1019]

Looks clean bro, just needs some turf now. This was mine before I had to repair it and put red and black diamond turf on it.

 

[khaos]

Wheres that final pic? (Nudge)