On Wed, 17 May 2006 19:30:09 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

I've got a 1" seam covered with fiberglass tape/epoxy. Spec surf ski.

I'd prefer to avoid painting it so that I can inspect it for cracking easily.

Somebody suggested aluminized reflective tape as being the best UV barrier, but
that seems a little too unaesthetic to me.

I just tried plastic electrical tape and am having reservations. I can see
light/dark areas through it... so I'm guessing UV will pass as easily or more
easily than visible light.

I thought of colored duct tape briefly, but it seems like the adhesive residue
would partially defeat the ease-of-inspection.

OTOH, this doesn't have to be forever. The boat in question is definitely on
it's last legs - major separations of the hull/deck bond.... mainly I just want
to nurse it along until I have the bucks to buy a new one.

Anybody have some observations about the tape route?

Am I obsessing over nothing? Can somebody ballpark the failure time/mode of the
epoxy resin in terms of hours of UV exposure? My mylar windsurfing sails
start to get failure-prone after about 300 hours of UV exposure in the
mid-Atlantic - and there's no way this thing is going to get 300 hours before
being junked.

If tape isn't going to work out, will any old black enamel paint do the trick?
--
PeteCresswell

Spar varnish will protect the epoxy and let you keep an eye on it.

Drew Dalgleish wrote:

On Wed, 17 May 2006 19:30:09 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:



I've got a 1" seam covered with fiberglass tape/epoxy. Spec surf ski.

I'd prefer to avoid painting it so that I can inspect it for cracking easily.

Somebody suggested aluminized reflective tape as being the best UV barrier, but
that seems a little too unaesthetic to me.

I just tried plastic electrical tape and am having reservations. I can see
light/dark areas through it... so I'm guessing UV will pass as easily or more
easily than visible light.

I thought of colored duct tape briefly, but it seems like the adhesive residue
would partially defeat the ease-of-inspection.

OTOH, this doesn't have to be forever. The boat in question is definitely on
it's last legs - major separations of the hull/deck bond.... mainly I just want
to nurse it along until I have the bucks to buy a new one.

Anybody have some observations about the tape route?

Am I obsessing over nothing? Can somebody ballpark the failure time/mode of the
epoxy resin in terms of hours of UV exposure? My mylar windsurfing sails
start to get failure-prone after about 300 hours of UV exposure in the
mid-Atlantic - and there's no way this thing is going to get 300 hours before
being junked.

If tape isn't going to work out, will any old black enamel paint do the trick?
--
----PeteCresswell


---------------------------------
The epoxy will certainly yellow and loss its gloss with UV exposure. But
if you don't mind the amber color that will result, the epoxy will still
last many years...

there are also clear uv blockers you can put over the epoxy to keep it
clear.....


paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers
----