Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[Nick-R]

So I am new to cladding a wooden hull in glass cloth.  I have used EzeKote and lightweight glass cloth. The hull had two coats of sanding sealer followed by two coats of EzeKote, rubbed down between each coat.  I thought I was diligent in making sure the cloth was flat with no creases when applying it but once dry, I find there are a couple of bubbles. 


What is the best solution to this - rub down and re coat with EzeCote?  Rub down and apply another layer of cloth?

[Circlip]

Bet you didn't use a credit/debit card as a squeegee on the cloth? If you have bubbles, when you rub down, you will have to pierce and remove them. They are plastic domes with air below them so that part of the 'skin' will have to be removed completely which will leave a 'well' which then needs filling to get back to level. After levelling, it's then your choice.


 Regards  Ian.

[Nick-R]

Bet you didn't use a credit/debit card as a squeegee on the cloth? If you have bubbles, when you rub down, you will have to pierce and remove them. They are plastic domes with air below them so that part of the 'skin' will have to be removed completely which will leave a 'well' which then needs filling to get back to level. After levelling, it's then your choice.


 Regards  Ian.

You are correct, I basically used a stiffish paint brush and stretched the cloth as I went.  Lesson learned is to ensure close examination of the hull with good lighting before it drys!  We live and learn!

[Circlip]

If it's a Balsa hull, you shudda used Tissue paper and Dope for skinning   


  Regards  Ian.

[Subculture]

I think thin glass cloth and epoxy is far better personally.

[SailorGreg]

Yes, you should remove any areas of cloth that aren't adhered to the hull.  If they are small (5p piece or thereabouts), just fill the space to level the hull surface.  If significantly bigger, lay in another piece of glass cloth and sand the edges flush when dry.

Ezecote doesn't respond well to the credit card squeegee technique, which is really aimed at epoxy coating.  Ezecote is too thin to be smoothed across the glass cloth but I suggest using a roller.  I use a roller for epoxy coating, as it gives an even distribution, presses the cloth into contact with the wood and is much more economical with the epoxy (which isn't cheap!) than the "pour it on and squeegee off" technique.  Ezecote is a lot cheaper, but you still want a nice even coating that saturates the cloth.  Rollers are the way to go IMHO.

Greg

[mrzippy]

Ahh Greg's just beaten me too it  - Yes foam mini rollers are the way to go ( usually razor sawed in half ) for applying resins to glass cloths etc -
the pressure one applies automatically squeegee's excess resin away and presses cloth against the hull giving a great 'flat' finish.

I cover large model glider fuselages by this method and able to cover an entire fuselage with one piece of cloth -
rollers forming cloth neatly around compound curves, works a treat.

Not sure about Ezecote - I experimented with Ronseal water based Floor Varnish, which I'm reliably informed is the same stuff,
found it didn't set with anywhere near as hard a surface as my usual epoxy, making it difficult to sand, rather like trying to sand the outside of a boiled sweet.
Paul.

[Stan]

The glass fiber work on the scout hull now finished. The next step after Blackpool will be to fix the decks then primer the hull and fill all inperfections a long job I think. The last picture show the hull finished the next step when the resin has fullt cured will be to sand down to a smooth finish apply grey primer and fill any imperfections

[Nick-R]

Thanks to all for responses.  It’s out with the sanding block tomorrow and take it from there!

[mrzippy]

Hi Nick, A thought re your Ezecote issue now winter has arrived ! - as Circlip correctly pointed out -
If you have bubbles, when you rub down, you will have to pierce and remove them.
They are plastic domes with air below them so that part of the 'skin' will have to be removed completely which will leave a 'well' which then needs filling to get back to level.

I'd suggest if your Ezecote has hardened off and adhered well to the hull, and the bulk of it is ok,
you simply fill small areas with a car body filler 'Bondo' which sets in a matter of minutes,
as opposed to re-Ezecoting etc taking an age to set in cold weather.
Paul.

[Nick-R]

So an update.  I initially used 60g cloth which I think was too heavy.  I spent a good part of today rubbing it down which took it back to the sealed wood in large areas - feathering to my satisfaction what was say 5p coin sized blister ended up with a 50p sized bare patch so I had large areas back to wood. Once happy I had got rid of all the defects, it got two further coats of EzeKote, sanded each time.  I then re-clad it with 35g cloth and that seems to have worked quite nicely!


As I write, still to trim the surplus cloth but it looks ok!


Thanks for all the helpful comments!


PS the model in question is an SLEC Perkasa.