Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips > GRP & Epoxy

Fibreglass/ epoxy recommedations for 1/10 DUKW

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tomc89:
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!
 

Stan:
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.

SailorGreg:
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

Stavros:
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

craggle:
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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