Boats/wood/epoxy FAQ

[Boatmik]

Hi All,

I have put together an FAQ compiled from the long, overly technical and dull replies I have made over the years on different forums (a couple have appeared here), in magazines and in plan packs.

It may prove useful to someone.

It is at
Boats/Wood/Epoxy FAQ (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~storerm/Faq/faqindex.html)

Best Regards
Michael Storer

[Wood Butcher]

Thanks Michael, I've been reading the articles and they have answered a lot of the questions I've had about boat building. It has proved very, very useful to this one :D:D

[scottyk]

Good stuff Mik, I agree with almost everything.
I use Everdure, because I thought it was the go. What you are saying about the moisture getting in to the wood any way is news to me. My thoughts are that if I coat the entire interior with three coats of WEST or similar then the wieght gained from this may be alot more than 5-6 coats of Everdure wet on wet even if it gains little over time. All this said I usually give it a coat of gloss polyurathane for a nice finish, I dont know if epoxy can look as good?
Any way, aprt from my above winge! All good info mate
Scotty

[Boatmik]

Good stuff Mik, I agree with almost everything.

snip

I dont know if epoxy can look as good?
Any way, aprt from my above winge! All good info mate
Scotty

Cheers Scotty.

My feeling about the FAQ is that it has two aspects.

That it can provide someone starting out with epoxy (and perhaps boatbuilding) with a means of "getting up to speed". A bit of an overview of "epoxy thinking"

The second one is for others to respond with their experience so that we all (including me of course) can also learn a thing or three as I often do from your posts - and following the progress of your boatbuilding.

My feeling about surface finish is that whatever the surface is - if you get it flat (non bumpy) before the final coat of varnish or paint the result will be excellent.

98% of any surface finish depends on all the sanding you have done up to that point. Materials choice is secondary.

Materials choice is much more about psyche than anything else. My choice of material may be different from yours, but that doesn't make mine better.

The important thing I think is to be flexible - if someone is waiting for the perfect method, the perfect location, the perfect design or the perfect materials - they will never get round to building anything.

Which is also fine, by the way - so long as they are enjoying their potterings and not getting frustrated with the non-compliance of the universe.

Cheers
MIK

[Boatmik]

Good stuff Mik, I agree with almost everything.

All this said I usually give it a coat of gloss polyurathane for a nice finish, I dont know if epoxy can look as good?

Any way, aprt from my above winge! All good info mate
Scotty
Hi Scotty,

I got a chance to do some epoxying with the Puddleduck project that Midge and I have been doing

Puddle Duck Pages (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=28107)

As you say, for an excellent finish you really do have to use a varnish - also to protect the epoxy (or everdure if it has been used) from UV breakdown - they go cloudy then turn to powder.

The deterioration takes a while - but it is best to avoid it in the first place.

Anyway - you can get the finished surface very close to perfect with epoxy.

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~storerm/Faq/foilsglossy.jpg

It still needs a light sand and then a coat of polyurethane or two.

In the past I have managed to get perfect surfaces in epoxy - but on this occasion it had been raining and cold for three days running.

Still - not tooooo bad.

MIK