Hull lamination

[Kevin]

Jerome,

I've done both. I had tons of bubbles in my initial frame taping because I used a "saline tape" which didn't want to lay flat on the hull bottom curves. This type of tape has a lock thread on one edge which makes it want to go straight. There isn't much that's straight on a i550 so that tape was a real pain in my side. I recommend biaxial tape for that purpose now because it will conform to the curves and puts all the fibers going across the joint. Anyway, I cut out lots of bubbles, filled them with silica filler because they were inside corners and then glassed over them. Make sure you have a 2"-3" overlap onto the surrounding area so that you get a good mechanical bond between the 2 layers of glass. Fair them out and move on.

Cheers, Kevin.

[jerome]

Just laminated over those few bubbles. Looks fine. Plus I used my secret weapon to make that lamination extra nice. But I am not willing to disclose my secret......Ok then, just a hint > starts with Peel.... and finish with Ply ! No worries really, I am back on track.
2 other good news > 1=bought a can of white Kiwi Grip and transformed it into a customed grey at the paint shop. I am ahead of myself but cant wait to have that boat in the water. I need just a bit more patience.....
2=The ban on Blogspot here in Turkey has been lifted, so I ll update my blog more regularly.

[Tim]

Has anyone laminated a hull using vacuum bagging I havent seen it referred to?

[Chad]

Nah, nothing really to be gained bagging a single layer of thin cloth. The cloth hull sheathing is there primarily for dent and abrasion resistance, so you want some thickness and being a little resin rich doesn't hurt that.

IF you wanted to use much thicker glass or two layers of fabric and stay at the same overall sheathing weight as the folks that are using one layer, and if you were really good at laminating and bagging large surfaces, maybe you could get some benefit. Two layers of cloth with a low resin ratio that weighs the same as a single layer of cloth with a high resin ratio is more "efficient", just very difficult to achieve.

[jray]

I know people have used vacuum bagging for smaller pieces. No one that I'm aware of has used it on the hull. Perhaps when some start building foam core hulls?

[M&S]

Ah, yes , the darn bubbles.

If the bubbles are 1/4" x 1" I would be tempted myself to carefully cut the bubble with a knife and remove the unattached sections. A tool that is controllable and can work well to flatten a small local area of curred pox and cloth is an eight inch long half-round double cut metal file. Necessary too is a "file cleaning card" to clean the gullets of the file when they load. Ask at the hardware store.
When you are satisfied with the clean up do a fill with cab o sil and fair it.

If the bubbles are large then I would feather the edges about 1" all around and relay the cloth.
Ain't filling and fairing fun? fairing a boat is like meditation, it does take work and attention to detail.
TR

[Marino]

Would it be an over kill of putting fiber glass cloth on the inside of the hull panels as well. Making the hull more stiff and stronger or is the extra weight not needed.
On the exterior of the hull I will put on 10 oz fiber glass cloth.

[Chad]

It's not needed, it's not an efficient structure (wood is too heavy for use as a pure core), but it is a good way to protect the interior wood from both abrasion and moisture. Depending on your stringer layout, it can help your panels stay stiff which is good, and it can help your boat make weight without punitive corrector weights (both classes). Regardless of stringer layout, I'd consider it at least in all the bottom areas, especially where gear might be stored.

[admin]

really great timing for that question, Marino....I haver been thinking of doing the same thing. Most definitely the floor. Thanks for the response, Chad.

[micah202]

..I'd definitely agree with Chad on all points,,,, but if nothing else ,to glass the interior floor will ensure that the surface is properly sealed!