For my current project - a Stevenson's Weekender - I'm very close to being
able to put on the sides. To avoid crawling around inside the boat coating
and painting, I'm wondering about doing that before I put the sides on.
I'll mask off where the glue joints will be during a trial fit. The sides
will be 1/4" luan coated with polyester resin (no fiberglass on the inside).
I'll fiberglass the outside after assembly.

My concern is whether the resin will be able to take the bending after it
sets up, or will it crack? Has anyone else tried to do things this way? I
don't really want to crawl around inside the cabin breathing in fumes trying
to do the coating.

--
Andrew Butchart

How about this ...IF the resin does crack, consider that noticing it (likely
in a hidden spot) and fixing it later will be a bigger pain later than the
original crawling around and coating/painting during the build, when the
boat's in it's final shape. I'm not sure I'd personally want to wonder if
there was a water-absorbing crack through the epoxy somewhere where I
couldn't see it after building. That may be OK with you, for example, if
your boat is not kept in the water and always has dry storage ...an
occasional trailer sailor for example.

That said, many people will fiberglass the wood ahead of time. Wood that
remains unbent can be glassed any time and is often glassed ahead of time,
e.g. framing or gussets etcetera. Glassing the outside of wood that will be
bent, the side of the wood on the outside of a bend, is generally not
recommended because it stiffens up the wood and makes it much harder to
bend. But glassing the interior face, the inside radius, is just fine. I
did this on all the side panels for my current project and it is MUCH easier
than glassing after the fact. I do final epoxy coating after the boat is
assembled however. It's not that hard to do the crawling around and
coating. ...Just part of the job.

Have fun!

Brian D



"Andrew Butchart" wrote in message
. ..
For my current project - a Stevenson's Weekender - I'm very close to being
able to put on the sides. To avoid crawling around inside the boat
coating
and painting, I'm wondering about doing that before I put the sides on.
I'll mask off where the glue joints will be during a trial fit. The sides
will be 1/4" luan coated with polyester resin (no fiberglass on the
inside).
I'll fiberglass the outside after assembly.

My concern is whether the resin will be able to take the bending after it
sets up, or will it crack? Has anyone else tried to do things this way?
I
don't really want to crawl around inside the cabin breathing in fumes
trying
to do the coating.

--
Andrew Butchart

Andy,

My personal preference is to use EPOXY, rather then the poly. While it does
cost more {actually not so bad when you buy in quantity . . . and not at
your local 'marine store'. 3-gallon 'kits' of RAKA cost about $100, with
shipping}, your concern becomes a 'non-issue'.

From your description, this will be a 'one-time' build and you have a lot of
intentions for the boat. Most builders & designers say that the actual hull
ply is the smallest portion of the total cost, and one shouldn't skimp on
it. You have already decided to save money with your choice of 'substrate',
now think of balancing the equation. The sheathing & resin is the actual
INTERFACE between you and the 'deep blue'. I do have experience with Lauan
as a substrate . . . and the customer's hull was still solid as rock after a
rough 7-years. {exterior sheathed, interior only painted}

While I don't detect any odor from cured epoxy, there is only a mild one
when it is being mixed. For ease of application, in the beginning as well as
later assembly stages, I 'paint' the entire sheet with an initial coat of
epoxy. I may even thin it a bit for increased absorption. Then parts are
lofted, or laid out from templates, and the sheets cut. After trimming to
final size, the edges are sealed with epoxy.

I happen to like a 'hot' 5-to-1 formulation hardener. What I like about the
RAKA Brand is that the 'kits' are based on 'quart volumes' . . . I can order
2 gallons of Resin and 4 quarts of Hardener - a couple of the 'fast' 5-to-1,
one of the 'slow' 2-to 1, and one of the others available. This allows me to
'custom mix' a batch depending on the particular project, what I expect the
material to do, and the environmental conditions. I find POLY to be
'brittle'. The 5-1 epoxy formulations are 'hard' compared to the 2-1 and 3-1
mixes. THOSE tend to be more 'flexible - which would directly apply to your
concern {although as I stated, to me it is a non-issue}.

Do some research, then do what ever YOU are most comfortable with. Just make
sure you have PHYSICAL ACCESS to every compartment. Screw lids, tops, sides,
etc., on but don't glue them shut. That way they can be occasionally
inspected, ventilated, and repaired or repainted.

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

"Andrew Butchart" wrote in message
. ..
SNIP - a Stevenson's Weekender -
SNIP - The sides will be 1/4" luan coated with polyester resin (no
fiberglass on the inside).
I'll fiberglass the outside after assembly.

My concern is whether the resin will be able to take the bending after it
sets up, or will it crack?

SNIP -
--
Andrew Butchart

If you're using lauan and polyester resin, you haven't been listening.
I see bowling in your future.


"Andrew Butchart" wrote in message
. ..
For my current project - a Stevenson's Weekender - I'm very close to being
able to put on the sides. To avoid crawling around inside the boat
coating
and painting, I'm wondering about doing that before I put the sides on.
I'll mask off where the glue joints will be during a trial fit. The sides
will be 1/4" luan coated with polyester resin (no fiberglass on the
inside).
I'll fiberglass the outside after assembly.

My concern is whether the resin will be able to take the bending after it
sets up, or will it crack? Has anyone else tried to do things this way?
I
don't really want to crawl around inside the cabin breathing in fumes
trying
to do the coating.

--
Andrew Butchart

Jim Conlin wrote:
If you're using lauan and polyester resin, you haven't been listening.
I see bowling in your future.




That's right!

You should be using aluminum and a MIG setup. What!?! You can't afford
that?!? Well, I guess you have no business building boats, then! You're
only permitted to build a boat if you have the wherewithal to use
nothing but the finest and most expensive of materials. That's why we
all drive European luxury cars and never THINK of buying a box of store
brand cereal.

LOOK. We all know that okume/epoxy (or whatever) is a better choice than
luan/poly. There's ALWAYS a better option than the way you're doing it.
It's about what you yourself are satisfied with, along with what you can
afford.

I drive a 23-year-old toyota, I buy food with the same name as the store
I buy it in, and I build small boats out of whatever's cheapest.

Also, I do not bowl. I'm too busy messing about in my (apparently)
non-waterworthy vessels. Which have yet to fall apart, leak, sink, or rot.

YMMV,

Chuck

Unlike boats, when a car fails, you can usually get out and walk.

"Chalatso" wrote in message
...
Jim Conlin wrote:
If you're using lauan and polyester resin, you haven't been listening.
I see bowling in your future.




That's right!

You should be using aluminum and a MIG setup. What!?! You can't afford
that?!? Well, I guess you have no business building boats, then! You're
only permitted to build a boat if you have the wherewithal to use
nothing but the finest and most expensive of materials. That's why we
all drive European luxury cars and never THINK of buying a box of store
brand cereal.

LOOK. We all know that okume/epoxy (or whatever) is a better choice than
luan/poly. There's ALWAYS a better option than the way you're doing it.
It's about what you yourself are satisfied with, along with what you can
afford.

I drive a 23-year-old toyota, I buy food with the same name as the store
I buy it in, and I build small boats out of whatever's cheapest.

Also, I do not bowl. I'm too busy messing about in my (apparently)
non-waterworthy vessels. Which have yet to fall apart, leak, sink, or rot.

YMMV,

Chuck

Jim Conlin wrote:
Unlike boats, when a car fails, you can usually get out and walk.


Sufficient and properly distributed floatation goes a long way toward
easing my mind. That, and several years as a lifeguard, should save me
if my canoe sinks out from under me in the three-foot-deep backwater
where I fish for bass.

Yes, if I were building boats for use in more difficult/dangerous waters
than the Ohio River and its tributaries, I would definitely invest in
better materials. I can completely understand and appreciate the point
you're making, and it is a valid one.

Chuck

"Andrew Butchart" wrote in message
. ..
For my current project - a Stevenson's Weekender - I'm very close to being
able to put on the sides. To avoid crawling around inside the boat
coating
and painting, I'm wondering about doing that before I put the sides on.
I'll mask off where the glue joints will be during a trial fit. The sides
will be 1/4" luan coated with polyester resin (no fiberglass on the
inside).
I'll fiberglass the outside after assembly.

My concern is whether the resin will be able to take the bending after it
sets up, or will it crack? Has anyone else tried to do things this way?
I
don't really want to crawl around inside the cabin breathing in fumes
trying
to do the coating.

DON'T!!!

Polyster will fall off. It does not stick to wood well, the slightest stress
will separate it from the wood. Use epoxy.
I once made a mistake to join two pieces of wood with poly/glass. It dit not
hold, I could peel it off clean. You will NEVER be able to peel off
epoxy/glass without tearing wood fibres.

Meindert

Meindert Sprang wrote:

DON'T!!!

Polyster will fall off. It does not stick to wood well, the slightest stress
will separate it from the wood. Use epoxy.
I once made a mistake to join two pieces of wood with poly/glass. It dit not
hold, I could peel it off clean. You will NEVER be able to peel off
epoxy/glass without tearing wood fibres.

Meindert

Thank you everyone for your input. I will probably ignore the advise
to throw away my remaining resin and spend 3 times as much for epoxy
and run the chances of developing an alergic reaction. PLEASE - the
whole polyester vs epoxy controversy has been done to death. I know -
I've been part of it on this forum for years. I had hoped that this
thread wouldn't re-ignite it but it seems that it has. I went into the
project fully aware of the impact of my materials choices.

I will however plan on putting the panels in place before coating them
- reducing the chances of resin failure.

Andrew Butchart

Andy,

I'm sorry if 'we' wasted your time. Especially if you already knew the
answer !!

The entire discourse could have either been avoided, or taken a different
tack, if you had mentioned this fact . . . up front.

As an engineer {and a C.P.A. - 'Certified Pain in the Ass' per my wife} my
first thought, when someone ASKS ME a question, is that they want an
accurate & correct answer. It has taken me YEARS to realize that they
actually DON'T. Therefore I have adopted the 'policy' of . . . 'If you don't
like the answer . . . DON'T ASK the question !!'

Regards & Good Luck,
Ron Magen
Backyard Boatshop

wrote in message

Thank you everyone for your input. I will probably ignore the advise . .
..
SNIP
I went into the project fully aware of the impact of my materials choices.
SNIP
Andrew Butchart