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Author Topic: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW  (Read 3446 times)

tomc89

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Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« on: January 30, 2017, 08:09:52 pm »

Hi all- wisdom required!  :-))
I'm coming close to finishing my hull for a 1/10 DUKW I've made out of plywood.
I'd like to fiberglass it now (new territory!) so I've had a good look round the forum for advice that may have already been given but i cant seem to find the answers i need.
Can anyone recommend what fiberglass matting to use (if matting is the right stuff!) and what epoxy anyone can recommend from experience.
Thanks in advance!
 
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Stan

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2017, 08:21:05 pm »

HI Are glassing the inside or outside? I made from ply at 1/16 scale never glassed mine and its still going strong p/m sent also.
Stan.
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SailorGreg

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2017, 10:57:24 am »

Hi Tom, I assume you are talking about glassing the outside of the hull for strength and protection.  If you have finished your DUKW with all the strakes and other details on the hull I would think twice about trying to glass it as it will be difficult to get the cloth to conform to all the nooks and crannies. However, if your hull still has flat sides and bottom then it will be pretty straightforward to glass it. I used materials from www.easycomposites.co.uk and am very happy with their products. I used 100 gm per sq metre cloth and did not thin the epoxy (which many recommend).  There are some pictures of the process on my Chris Craft build log (click on the link at the bottom of this message).  The Chris Craft was my first attempt at glassing a hull and it went more smoothly than I feared.  It gives you a hull that has a smooth finish for painting, pretty well guaranteed waterproof and it's very unlikely that you will get separation of the panels.


And in case you are confused about terminology, you do not want glass fibre mat, which is a random assembly of short fibres.  You want woven cloth, which you can smooth over your hull before applying the resin. Steer clear of the Halfords glass fibre repair kit!


Greg

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2017, 11:09:45 am »

ok a very interesting statement Sailor Gregg why do you say steer clear of the Halfords Kit as i have been using it for years and their tissue ....




Dave
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craggle

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2017, 01:23:18 pm »

I used to use the Halfords kits and thought they were fine then I tried Epoxy resin from www.easycomposites.co.uk and realised how good fibreglass resins can be.

It really is a different league, both parts are liquid which makes mixing much easier, both parts are clear, not pink tinted and you can get slow cure hardener which is a must if you have a big area like a hull to do. You can buy a pigment as well if you wish to make your resin a certain colour. I've used their resin on my lifeboat build with a white pigment, slow hardener and it's great to work with. Stays workable for at least an hour and cures overnight to a very clean, non sticky finish.

Their woven mat is very nice too. Very flexible so it flows into the corners well and stretches to go over bumps.

Craig.
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tomc89

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2017, 06:00:25 pm »

Thats right Greg, its just for the outside and there is no detail at the moment so the sides are all flat, as is the bottom pretty much. From the posts I've read a number of people do recommend www.easycomposites.co.uk but i was a little unsure what cloth and weight I was looking at so thank you for clarifying this!
Its good to hear your first attempt went well too so I'll be sure to take a look at your thread.
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Subculture

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2017, 06:07:17 pm »

Make sure you get a twill weave cloth- it drapes nicely.
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tomc89

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2017, 07:21:07 pm »

Thanks for all your advice I'm going to opt for the "Woven Glass 2/2 Twill 100g" with their "EL2 Epoxy Laminating Resin"
Just got a bit more to do to the hull before I begin now.
Having never done this before I was looking for a video tutorial as its always good to watch it in action as opposed just reading about how its done.
I stumbled across this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujk-wBQDUSk (all be it american so the terminology is a bit different).
Thought it was quite useful and gave me some added confidence. I noticed they've opted to thin the epoxy (i see you didnt do this Greg) but from the video it seems to apply quite easy once its thinned.
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SailorGreg

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Re: Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2017, 09:11:15 pm »


I think thinning epoxy is very much a personal choice.  I have used epoxy for a good few years and am used to it so thinning doesn't really suit me.  You get a quicker build up of the epoxy layer with unthinned but the thinned is easier to handle, it just goes on like water but you need more coats to fill the weave.   Your choice!



ok a very interesting statement Sailor Gregg why do you say steer clear of the Halfords Kit as i have been using it for years and their tissue ....

There are several reasons Dave, but like thinning they are all personal choices.  First, the resin is polyester not epoxy, so smells horrid (to me) and has a generally shorter working time.  The tissue or mat is held together with  binder so doesn't drape over a hull as easily as woven cloth and there rarely seems to be quite enough to finish the job!  And I've never been able to get as smooth a finish as with epoxy and cloth. But as I say, it's a personal thing. 


Greg
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