fiberglass

[timlsalem]

alright, more like it. Going to polyester resin and paint it.





KIA'S--MIA'S--POW'S--DAV'S--are what our freedom cost us

[glassice]

"have the strength I wanted " what do you need it to do . IF you camp like I do "If you dont need 2 wincns to get out" then glass over foam is better .IF your going to coat the wood I like to use lots of 3 in yellow foam rollers as they fall apart grab a new one then coat then use a good brush to finish off . Do what is hard to see, to work out the bugs out . ARE play on some junk wood and see if you like just a brush are the roller then bursh are just the roller

[DasBaldGuy]

OK folks - either I did something wrong or you guys are just analysing way too much. Here are some construction picts of the ladybug. What you are looking at is 5mm luan with fiberglass tape only on the seams and then then entire body sealed with polyester resin rolled on in two coats

Finally painted in ENAMEL exterior latex house paint - and it has held up in the Texas summer heat, been in freezing rain - and everything in between. Nothing has delaminated or separated - did not use CPES. I'm sure both of you have many years of fiberglass experience - way more than me ( slim to none) and you can probably give us numerous reason why this will not work - but there she is - explain the anomaly?

I plan to build my Tear very much like you did....I for one, do not think polyester resin is a problem, so I think you built your tear just perfectly!

I'll post photos of my build

[glassice]

DasBaldGuy Pol Will work great. The expy is just to show the wood . One of are trailers whent in to the ocean at golfito costa rica bobed around for 10 days . They puld it out clean it up new whell bearings and are steel using as a rentall .SO if you are planing to use for ice fishing glass over foam is good

[timlsalem]

I, too, think your tear turned out awesome. Had so much input on the subject I got confused on whether I could use resin with or without cloth. You prove cloth can be an option and not a requirement. Did you use cloth on the seams for strength or to fill in? I will have one seam on each side and plan to use elmers carpenters fill and then resin over the entire tear.






KIA'S--MIA'S--POW'S--DAV'S--are what our freedom cost us

[doug hodder]

For me...I think the real drawback to polyester is the working time. when it goes....it's real unforgiving and goes almost instantly, as opposed to an epoxy, which has a longer window to work with. By mixing smaller batches and rolling/ brushing it on I can get hours out of a brush, shorter on a roller. The drawback is a longer hard cure time. Just my opinion. Doug

[DasBaldGuy]

This thing for me is I can go into just about any store and buy poly resin and/or hardner but Epoxy is much harder to get (and 3 times the price).

I do agree about the cure time, I just did the entire underside of my floor with Poly Fibreglass Resin and it took 4 separate mixings of 8oz each....it was smooth to the touch in 15 minutes. ;-)

I may order some epoxy for the walls/roof but I have always had good luck with Poly.

[angib]

For me...I think the real drawback to polyester is the working time. when it goes....it's real unforgiving and goes almost instantly, as opposed to an epoxy, which has a longer window to work with.

This makes me think that you've started on epoxy and then tried polyester.

An experienced polyester user would make exactly the same complaints about epoxy. It's easy to adjust the cure time on polyester to be as long as you want, just by altering the hardener ratio - something not to try with epoxy, where you have to instead buy different speed hardeners.

It's even possible for old hands to take polyester that hasn't gone off, and apply a layer of hot mix (high hardener ratio) resin over the top which then 'kicks' the underlaying layers into curing.

It really is a case of what you're used to, and which horse is right for which course.

Andrew

[DasBaldGuy]

For me...I think the real drawback to polyester is the working time. when it goes....it's real unforgiving and goes almost instantly, as opposed to an epoxy, which has a longer window to work with.

This makes me think that you've started on epoxy and then tried polyester.

An experienced polyester user would make exactly the same complaints about epoxy. It's easy to adjust the cure time on polyester to be as long as you want, just by altering the hardener ratio - something not to try with epoxy, where you have to instead buy different speed hardeners.

It's even possible for old hands to take polyester that hasn't gone off, and apply a layer of hot mix (high hardener ratio) resin over the top which then 'kicks' the underlaying layers into curing.

It really is a case of what you're used to, and which horse is right for which course.

Andrew

I agree...that is a point that I didn't even think to make....I do use more or less hardener to get the desired set speeed....for instance on vertical surfaces I go pretty heavy on the hardener so as to minimize runs....and I have done the the trick where I go light on the hardner to super-saturate the cloth before applying a "hotter" mix on top of it....

Poly is great stuff to work with and I have always enjoyed the results.

For the price, Poly can't be beat.

[timlsalem]

Well, thank you for all the info about poly resin. It's given me confidence to go ahead and fiber my tear. When I get to that point in my build I'll consult yall for tips. I think I get the just of it though. Less hardner used=more time to apply. More hardner used=less time to apply. Second coat should have more hardner to quicken the first coats cure. Now I'm assuming this stuff can be applied with a roller made to be used for resin? One other question. Can poly resin be color tinted?





KIA'S--MIA'S--POW'S--DAV'S--are what our freedom cost us

[glassice]

Can poly resin be color tinted yes it can YOU WANT PANT ON TOP YOU WANT YOUR TEAR TO LAST OVER 50 YEARS ? NOT TO MUCH Less hardner . Roller's made to be used for resin ARE A RIP OFF . We use over 1500 gal a mo. buy the 3" yellow foam rollers there low cost when they fall a part ,pull off put new one on . ARE even cut up a 9" one. Get resin with NO wax will be easer to pant . If your not going to pant just wax with chep car wax after letting set for 4 are 5 days When doing the side try rooling the shell on it side add Talc IT is easer to sand than Cab-O-Sil and cost 1/5 as much you have to mix Talc with resin let set 1 hr then add harder . IF SOME THING HAPPEN THAT IT DOSE NOT SET OFF LEVE IN THE SUN the uv migh help kick it off

[glassice]

Not the Talc you use for kids thats more corn starch