Is it sound to use chop strand sheet cut to 10cm wide to use instead of
fibreglass tape in a 12 ft Dinghy - will be powered by 2.5 hp outboard or
electric trolling motor, i have used this on a canoe which is holding up
well after 2 years of use???
i was planning to cover the whole interior with the stuff anyway.
Dave Lush
Australia

You'd be fine with that, but why? The glass tape would go on lighter and
smoother IMHO. I'm betting you already own the stuff ...but for $30 in
tape, you'd have far more than you need and it'd be easier to finish nicely.
How heavy is your chopped-strand sheet (oz/yd)?

Brian


"David" wrote in message
...
Is it sound to use chop strand sheet cut to 10cm wide to use instead of
fibreglass tape in a 12 ft Dinghy - will be powered by 2.5 hp outboard or
electric trolling motor, i have used this on a canoe which is holding up
well after 2 years of use???
i was planning to cover the whole interior with the stuff anyway.
Dave Lush
Australia

Yep agree it would be lighter but I like the rough finish as the bottom of a
boat can be slippery indeed was intending to use it from the side seams and
put it all over the bottom if the dinghy (inside that is), no dont own any
chop on hand and have not a clue on the weight, just that it is a bugger to
wet out as you need more resin to soak in.
lushy
"Brian D" wrote in message
. ..
You'd be fine with that, but why? The glass tape would go on lighter and
smoother IMHO. I'm betting you already own the stuff ...but for $30 in
tape, you'd have far more than you need and it'd be easier to finish
nicely. How heavy is your chopped-strand sheet (oz/yd)?

Brian


"David" wrote in message
...
Is it sound to use chop strand sheet cut to 10cm wide to use instead of
fibreglass tape in a 12 ft Dinghy - will be powered by 2.5 hp outboard or
electric trolling motor, i have used this on a canoe which is holding up
well after 2 years of use???
i was planning to cover the whole interior with the stuff anyway.
Dave Lush
Australia

On Fri, 16 Jun 2006 22:36:31 GMT, "David"
wrote:

it is a bugger to
wet out as you need more resin to soak in.

Yes, and all of that extra resin will add a lot of unnecessary weight.
If you just want a non skid surface there are better ways of doing it.

The only reason that I said it's OK to use is because the boat is so small
and light, and the horsepower that you'll use is so low. Chopped mat is
made from omnidirectional fibers, only a smaller percentage of which are in
a direction that will help you. For any boat requiring more strength, I'd
recommend the usual 9-oz fiberglass tape (etc etc as the boat gets bigger,
faster, more powerful, or heavier). But in your case, I would think you'll
be fine using anything you want short of leaving the seams unglassed at all.
That's just my opinion. Take it for what you paid for it.

Brian


"David" wrote in message
...
Yep agree it would be lighter but I like the rough finish as the bottom of
a boat can be slippery indeed was intending to use it from the side seams
and put it all over the bottom if the dinghy (inside that is), no dont own
any chop on hand and have not a clue on the weight, just that it is a
bugger to wet out as you need more resin to soak in.
lushy
"Brian D" wrote in message
. ..
You'd be fine with that, but why? The glass tape would go on lighter and
smoother IMHO. I'm betting you already own the stuff ...but for $30 in
tape, you'd have far more than you need and it'd be easier to finish
nicely. How heavy is your chopped-strand sheet (oz/yd)?

Brian


"David" wrote in message
...
Is it sound to use chop strand sheet cut to 10cm wide to use instead of
fibreglass tape in a 12 ft Dinghy - will be powered by 2.5 hp outboard
or electric trolling motor, i have used this on a canoe which is holding
up well after 2 years of use???
i was planning to cover the whole interior with the stuff anyway.
Dave Lush
Australia

Thanks for the info guys and yes it is only a small craft and the finish is
not that bad at all.
Lushy
"Brian D" wrote in message
...

The only reason that I said it's OK to use is because the boat is so small
and light, and the horsepower that you'll use is so low. Chopped mat is
made from omnidirectional fibers, only a smaller percentage of which are
in a direction that will help you. For any boat requiring more strength,
I'd recommend the usual 9-oz fiberglass tape (etc etc as the boat gets
bigger, faster, more powerful, or heavier). But in your case, I would
think you'll be fine using anything you want short of leaving the seams
unglassed at all. That's just my opinion. Take it for what you paid for
it.

Brian


"David" wrote in message
...
Yep agree it would be lighter but I like the rough finish as the bottom
of a boat can be slippery indeed was intending to use it from the side
seams and put it all over the bottom if the dinghy (inside that is), no
dont own any chop on hand and have not a clue on the weight, just that it
is a bugger to wet out as you need more resin to soak in.
lushy
"Brian D" wrote in message
. ..
You'd be fine with that, but why? The glass tape would go on lighter
and smoother IMHO. I'm betting you already own the stuff ...but for $30
in tape, you'd have far more than you need and it'd be easier to finish
nicely. How heavy is your chopped-strand sheet (oz/yd)?

Brian


"David" wrote in message
...
Is it sound to use chop strand sheet cut to 10cm wide to use instead of
fibreglass tape in a 12 ft Dinghy - will be powered by 2.5 hp outboard
or electric trolling motor, i have used this on a canoe which is
holding up well after 2 years of use???
i was planning to cover the whole interior with the stuff anyway.
Dave Lush
Australia

"David" wrote in message
...
Is it sound to use chop strand sheet cut to 10cm wide to use instead of
fibreglass tape in a 12 ft Dinghy - will be powered by 2.5 hp outboard or
electric trolling motor, i have used this on a canoe which is holding up
well after 2 years of use???
i was planning to cover the whole interior with the stuff anyway.

If this is chopped strand sheet to be used with polyester: do not use it.

First: it can only be used with polyester because the strands are coated and
"glued" together with some subtance to improve bonding to polyester but it
prevents bonding with epoxy.

Second: you cannot glue this stranded sheet to wood with polyester. You can
peel it off very easily. And the whole idea of stitch and glue it that you
glue the wood together with glass tape and epoxy.

Meindert