Preview: How to Build a Wooden Boat – AROHA, Part 16 – Glassing, Priming, and Flipping the Hull

15 Responses So Far to “How to Build a Wooden Boat – AROHA, Part 16 – Glassing, Priming, and Flipping the Hull”

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  Steven Gordon says:

  Eric, you mentioned you use thickened epoxy to fill the weave of the fiberglass before final fairing. What thickener do you use for this? Great videos.

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    Nate Rooks says:

    Hi Steven – Russell Brown gives a great explanation of this step in his Mastering Epoxy series, Part 8: https://www.offcenterharbor.com/videos/mastering-epoxy-russell-brown-part-8-fill-coating/

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  alex lemon says:

  any updates on this build series? look forward to future installments.

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hope to have the next one out within a week, Alex.

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      andrew donald says:

      That’s good, it’s been a while!

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  Andy Hecker says:

  In the moldless composite aircraft world, we never put epoxy/microballoons under glass because it’s not structural. We use it to seal foam core because it’s stronger than foam, but it’s weaker than everything else.. How can you get away with putting a non-structural filler between the hull and the glass?

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    Miro Peternelj says:

    How do you fair the surfaces? What compound do you use for the purpose?

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  Dave Johnson says:

  I have rolled two smaller boats using a similar procedure. The difference being I used two heavy duty nylon straps designed for towing vehicles. The straps went around the boat and through the hook of a chain hoist and were tied off on the side of the boat close to the sheer log. Once the boat was lifted off the building jig, I removed all the frames which would have gotten in the way during roll over. Then with the boat lifted high enough to clear the ground during roll over I simply lifted one side of the boat so the straps would slid through the chain hoist hooks. This process was included in the photos featuring the build of my Somes Sound 12 1/2 sailboat in June 2015 Small Boats Monthly web site and also in the 2016 Small Boats publication by Wooden Boat.

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  James Thomas says:

  Beautiful. My buddy and I just glassed the hull of his cedar strip canoe. My research seemed to indicate that with 105/207 West you only have until before full cure at 10-15 hrs when you can do the fill coats without sanding.

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  BRETT HOWLETT says:

  Hey there, I notice that the edges of chine and stem look quite sharp, and everything I have read so far recommends rounding over edges being glassed then adding and shaping epoxy for a sharp edge. Especially aft chines. Would like your thoughts. Thx.

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    Andy Hecker says:

    The radius required depends on the weight of the glass and the fiber orientation. Glass won’t bend around a very sharp corner if half the fibers are 90 degrees to the edge (in other words – if one expects the fibers to make the sharp bend directly). Glass installed on a bias, though, where fibers cross the corner at a 45 degree angle, will make quite sharp turns. A piece of glass on a bias will form over three fingers – draped over the top and pulled down to make something that looks like a rocket nose cone. This old vid of Burt Rutan and Mike Melville from the early 1980s shows what glass can do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9GTYsNBiaE

    Happy New Year,
    Andy

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  Jean Marion says:

  Nice job keep up the good work

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  Harold Wheeler says:

  As always another GREAT video.

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  Philip Myer says:

  Great stuff Eric- thanks Steve for the longer episode.

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    Chris Methot says:

    I used a laser level to mark the waterline on my little 14’ lapstrake while it was on the strongback. I cut little parallel cuts into the crossing of the edge of each strake. When I flipped it back over to paint the bottom I could not get it as level as it had been. I used the little notches and the laser level to reestablish the waterline. I found you could use the laser level like a huge french curve (with the associated rules). 1. Always go through at least 3 points. 2. Always kiss, not cross, the next line.