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Spraying Again.......

Well had a break of a few weeks, now back on the job. So now have a Red Oxide boat rather than Yellow one……………… Although these next stages are a bit ‘ samey’, I have learnt a few things as it happens. For example, I had put three coats of the Halfords filler/primer on a couple of days before I had a break. Now when I left it all looked dry, well covered and ‘solid’. When I came back to it some weeks later the longer drying period had shown up some gaps. Well not gaps actually but ‘mouths’ where tissue I had overlapped had pulled apart slightly. interesting, easily fixed with some 240 grit sanding, showing that the drying period is longer than it would appear. At least for filler/primer which is a much thicker substance than just spray paint. With the sanding, I had not appreciated the difference between the grades say from 240 upwards (or is it downwards) as my experience was with doorframes and floorboards. For the stage I am at, 240 and 400 seem very effective and leave a good surface. What I did find was how important dust becomes……………… The sandpaper rides on it (the powdery dust) and so becomes much less effective and I found brushing with a thin 2 inch brush worked well, using the vacuum cleaner to clear up later. I did try blowing it off with the heat gun but that put the dust up in the air too much. it is my intention to try ‘wet and dry’ approach for later coats and looking for a better answer when it comes to finishing coats. Another interesting discovery was coverage per rattle can. It may be my ‘beginner’ technique, but it seems to take a lot of paint. On this size of boat hull, 44inches (112cm) by 14 inches (36 cm), it took a 500ml rattle can of yellow filler/primer for three coats. For two coats of the red primer it took the whole of a 300ml can. Also discovered, using these ‘rattle cans’ for the first time, that the primer on its own comes out differently to the filler primer. This unsettled me for a minute or so but appreciate may be due to the different density so will be aware next time. Another issue that became obvious was…………..I must improve my ‘masking off’ ! So that is it so far. Next stage is - going to buy a couple more cans for the finishing coats, do a bath test, mark the white line point, more sanding down and then start applying the finishing coats. Any helpful comments will be much appreciated. NPJ

6 years ago by NPJ

Blog

Now Coating and Matting

On to Coating and Matting. (as well as sanding!) Now have at least finished all the stripping. Then did the ‘bright light in the hull bit’ to look for areas that needed patching. The major problem area was in the bow and that did not receive the light as it is a totally blanked off compartment. However, it was obvious from the outside anyway so, could I assume it was the only leak? Decided to put a fine matt over the whole hull, not deck, just to be sure of best chance of success. I can imagine what will be said here if it still leaks after all this! I had ordered some supplies ready for the next stage and drew up a plan view of the boat to help think through layout of electrics and other items. Made my usual mistakes about size. Some fittings purchased too small………However, never too large now that’s interesting. Some materials purchased too large. Now have a life’s worth of Resin……(when does it ‘go off’ by?) Also have a lounge floors worth of tissue matting! Also Sandpaper. Now there is a mine field. So now I know a bit more about that and which way the numbers work! When I forgot to put the mask on, I had some of the crispest 'bogies' in years.............. No images posted! On the plus side, although I never wanted to get into this stripping sanding, filling sanding, sealing sanding, matting sanding, painting sanding, painting, sanding bit……………. I now feel I started out with someone’s boat I had bought and now it has become “my boat” for real! I am at the stage now where I have put some filler in and applied the first coat of Eze-Kote from DeLuxe Materials To use Eze-kote read stuff from RNinMunich on this blog or the’ leaking boat’ thread. Washes out of the brushes very easily. There is such as this ..... Youtube link - watch?v=yP05qv3QtUk RNinMunich or Colin H. and the like have bits of extra comment and experience that is always very helpful. BTW, after that finer sanding before first coat, I did the dust down and vacuuming bit but it still felt a bit ‘chalky’ so I gave it a wipe with Methylated Spirits. Now I realise that has water in it, so if anything goes wrong it could be blamed on that................. Having left the first coat to dry I started to cut out the light matt to apply after the next sanding. The matting I have is called Glassfibre Surface Tissue EGlass from FibreGlass Direct. A part of Tricel Composites (NI) Limited. Available internationally in lengths from a metre upwards, it is quite fine in weave so we shall see what happens. I have left quite a wide margin at the moment but may reduce that when I have tried using it! This is another first for me so plenty of room for mistakes............... Will need to cover with the matt in stages as I cannot get around all the boat without changing its position. Going for the bottom of the vessel and stern board first as I figure they are going to be easier than some of the other bits. Then will leave that to cure before moving the boat. Really worried about the joins/overlaps and how well I will cope with those, not to mention the curved bit! Started to look at electrics and layout for a bit of a change. I will post again when I have had the first battles with the matting! TTFN. NPJ

6 years ago by NPJ

Forum

Leaking Boat!

Try covering the outside of the (dry) hull with kitchen or and then fill the leaking compartment with water from the inside. With luck you will get a damp patch developing on the paper that will give you a pretty good idea of where the hole is. Ian

6 years ago by IanD

Forum

glass cloth or tissue?

I bet you had a good time. My Dad always wanted to go back to italy as he had a good time there in the War. There are likely to be 65 year old gingers running all over Naples! Thank God I didn't get the ginger gene! I went to town to get some and came away with stuff that reminds me of Izal arse paper. Remember that stuff. Great if you had an itchy bum, but useless at wiping things. Then we went in anther big shop and they had cotton waste sheets as clean up rags. Perfect! Dozens of big cotton rags for a quid! So they will be epoxy soaked and slapped on the hull. They're amazingly strong too. Might then lay up the Izal arsewipe on top. it'll look like do as you like day at Kids R Us! But paint is a wonderful thing. Martin

7 years ago by Westquay

Forum

nordkap trawler

Hi Colin Merry Christmas to you too. I will get some pics of Malcs model interior in the near future and post details online. I usually cover my hulls in fibre cloth and resin but and sanding sealer will also seal the hull. More to follow Dave

7 years ago by Dave M

Response

Resin and Glass Cloth

HI Ian, I got mine on eBay £13 and free p&p. Eze-dope is not the same, that's for using over on planes. And you don't need to worry about clean up (even fingers) just soap and water and its gone. Colin.

11 years ago by Colin H

Forum

Use of Glues on Boats.

HI gregoryk9 Very common problem with wooden boats. Not confined to cyano glues but to most types of glue where wood to wood joints are made and subsequently exposed to the elements. My Billing Mercantic was a plank on frame built with cascamite over 30 years ago. The problem lies in the wood. This being a natural product absorbs water and subsequently in a hot environment (the attic say) loses water. This causes expansion and contraction and over time the wood will split adjacent to the glue join. A solution is to cover the whole hull in tissue and fiberglass resin. Once set you can smooth the finish with wet & dry sand paper and paint. if you want to show the wood on the outside of the hull you need to run just the resin round the insides of the hull. You can cut and use tissue if you wish, this will give a stronger finish. Many advocate using resin inside and out but this will add to the weight and is not always possible. Araldite will certainly do the job but the hull will leak at some time if you do not completely seal the wood. Good luck with the rebuild Dave

15 years ago by Dave M