Fiberglassing a Strip Built Kayak

[jfan4reva]

Like the alternate pump technique of measuring epoxy. Even if you lose count, it still comes out right. Never would have thought of that.

[NomadRip]

Great videos! Nice Animal Lunchbox at 7:53 :-D

[ajcollins0221]

do you have to seal the wood with epoxy befor you fiber glass it

[Darthbelal]

the bow and stern edges, do you use strips of fiberglass to cover them? You show how to do the large flat edges, but leave out how to glass the bow and stern......

[duttypanty100]

where do you get that matting??

[IXAnarchistXI]

noob question do u paint before of after fiberglass

[guillemot12]

@IXAnarchistXI No paint will be used. The boat will be left "bright" or clear and varnished for the final protective coating.

[FlyBoy77]

Is there a reason that you would not use a ratio pump for the epoxy? Aircraft spruce sells some nice ones. Beautiful boats btw.

[guillemot12]

@FlyBoy77 I just have not saved up the money for the nice ratio pump yet. The ketch-style pumps work OK.

[stilloutoffocus]

wonderful vid! let me start by saying that i have fallen into the trap of assuming that most glass videos on here are done by amatures but you are obviously an accomplished professional! ive never seen glass wet out so nicely. the MAS epoxy looks to be a bit thinner in your vid that the west system im used to, have you tried any other brands and do you just like MAS better? also does the lamp behind the jugs seem to shorten your pot life?

[guillemot12]

@stilloutoffocus I've not used West epoxy much. I know it is good, but I'm used to MAS. I believe the West System 207 hardener is quite low viscosity for good wetout. The lamp probably does lower the pot life, but MAS has a longer pot life and longer cure time than West. The lamp serves to lower the viscosity which means I can work faster, so it balances out well.

[SHL9]

What are the ideal temperatures and humidity levels for this work? Thanks for posting this.

[guillemot12]

@SHL9 about 70° F and quite dry is probably the best. Epoxy will cure at lower temperatures but the cure time gets long. Use a faster epoxy if needed. Humidity can cause amine blush and potential fogging if too wet.

[scolamb]

Do you have to glass the kayak, or are there different ways to seal them? I do enjoy the videos.

[guillemot12]

@scolamb the fiberglass serves as reinforcement for the wood. It is not there so much to seal the boat. The fiberglass is then bonded to the wood with the epoxy resin. This serves to seal the boat. Other fabrics could be used, but reinforcement is needed. Other resins could be used, but epoxy is about as good as it gets

[worstdogever87]

how much epoxy did you use?

[guillemot12]

@worstdogever87 For this process, less than 1 quart, for the whole boat, start-to-finish about 1.5 gallons.

[JustWonderingHowToDo]

Is there only one layer of fiberglass and one layer of carbon used for the entire boat, or are their multiple layers?

[guillemot12]

@JustWonderingHowToDo I end up with 2 layers of glass on the outside on this boat before I am done. One layer of CF on the inside.

[Coik85]

Did you need to prepare the kayak before glassing it? Great video!

[guillemot12]

@Coik85 It has been faired and sanded to a smooth surface before fiberglassing

[mmcbox]

nice video, ty! sry my english is very bad.I from Brazil.U job is very very cool.

[bdodge83]

Thank you for such a good video. I have been looking for this process done well and explained in a video for some time. Thank you

[kayakscum]

Thanks for a great video on the process. I have been wondering about that for a while now. Also thanks for using a 'fluff' container. I had that as a child growing up on the east coast. It doesn't exist in the west. I really want a fluffer-nutter now.

[b21mandeepsingh]

great video..i'm new to fiberglassing and starting to build small parts for my car,would you be kind enough to let me know how to dilute or thin the resin?do i use the acetone?

[ARCEYE78]

great video!! and beautiful job,im going to be using a smilar technique but on a smaller scale on an RC A10 warthog jet but how did you finish the front and rear edges? :)

[latryx75]

Thank you very much for this video! I'll do it the same way! Got some restoration plans for next week on my boat hull.....

[TheDarkone1111]

hmm ... interesting video ... i dunno anything about kayaks, so i got a few questions ... what is that white cloth called ? , and what was that cutting tool called, that you trimmed that white cloth with ... oh, and what kind of respirator (mask) do you need to mess with that epoxy ?

[guillemot12]

The white cloth is fiberglass. The cutting tool is the EC Cutter Electric Cordless Scissors. Working with epoxy and other resins you should wear an organic vapor respirator.

[guillemot12]

@morrisonmeister: I use the same epoxy used to wet out the glass. I add a very small amount of coloidal silica to help keep down fish-eyes.