Method for cleanly trimming excess fiber-glass

I am showing only the final step of this process. It begins with masking off the area to be 'glassed. I did it with two layers of tape, one wide layer followed by a narrow more flexible layer to allow for a smoother curve. You will want at least two inches of masked off area to allow for drips and the ragged edge of the fiber-glass to lay on.

Once the area is masked off, sand the previous layer of 'glass and do what ever other prep work is required. Then, when laying the 'glass, make sure to have the edge fall in the middle of the tape. Apply the resin and squeegee it off as normal, but before it cures completely, use a sharp knife to cut through the layer right at the boundary of the tape. You can then use the tape to help pull off the excess. This provides a nice neat edge for the fiber-glass that you could then feather with sand-paper if you desired, or just leave as is with another coat or two of epoxy to fill the weave.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• kayak
• sea kayak
• wooden boat
• strip-built
• cedar strip
• fiber-glass
• epoxy
• resin