> Question 1: I want to take a paster of Paris plug off of an existing
> fiberglass seat. What should I use to prevent a bond or staining from
> occuring?

> Question 2: I was thinking of running a three-inch wide band of graphite
> impregnated epoxy along the deck/side panel seam of my Patuxent to act as
> a rub rail. Any thoughts?

Almost any oil or wax will keep the plaster from sticking to the fiberglas. Got any Pam, or other spray cooking oil in the kitchen? If you can flex the fiberglas a little bit you might not even need any release agent. The plaster won't flex, and it makes a very poor bond to smoothly surfaced fiberglass.

The opposite is not true, though. Epoxy resin will make a great bond with plaster unless your plug is well waxed.

You can clean your original model with water, and the plaster should not stain anything.

You can also cover the original with a plastic bag, which will keep it clean and free of plasterdust. The plaster will not stick to the plastic bag. Grease, oil or wax applied to the plaster will keep your resin from soaking into it when you lay up the new part.

As for the rub rails: make them of wood. You don't even need to finish them with varnish or anything else if you don't want to, but a coat or two of varnish might make them look nice. A few screws will hold them, and you can plan to replace them or sacrifice them every year or two, so don't epoxy them in place.

A band of black fiberglass would appear out of place on a wood boat. Or at least that is my opinion.

Just a few thoughts

Paul G. Jacobson