Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Beginners start here...! => Topic started by: ttony47 on December 06, 2016, 03:04:16 pm
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Hello one and all , advice please should I water proof my hull before covering , so that should any water ingress in to the boat occur the wood will not react by warping .If so what can one use to do the job %%
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Hi Tony,
Welcome to Mayhem and model boat building.
Depending on the type of hull it is you have some choices.
1. If it is a Fibreglass hull is doesn't really need waterproofing but a lot of people give the insides a coat of paint to cover up all the epoxy, car body filler etc used in the building and make it look neater.
2.If it is a wooden hull, whether sheeted or planked, once you have done your hardware installation (Most things stick better to wood than varnish) Then you can give the whole inside a coat of varnish or paint to help protect the bare wood. Some model kits and plans recommend that the inside is skinned during the building process, with Fibreglass or tissue and then coated with GRP resin, Epoxy resin or Acrylic, This adds strength and waterproofs it.
In wooden plank on frame hulls, a layer of resin will help to fill any gaps and further bond the planks and frames together so this is to be recommended. This is usually done with a membrane of some sort like nylon, glass cloth or tissue embedded in it.
3. Plastic or foam hulls, These don't really need waterproofing as they are already waterproof. A coat of enamel paint can be used to cover up any messy installation issues. (Do not use Cellulose car paint or similar)
Hope this answers your question.
Ron.
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Hello Ron , thank you for your response ,the boat is a balsa hull to be covered with fiber glass up to deck level .My main concern is if water was to make its way inside the hull if the balsa wood inside is not protected the wood may warp so I may paint or spray a diluted/ thinned varnish for inner protection
Regards Tony