: Now my new problem is self inflicted. I used a heat gun to help level out the
: epoxy while putting on the second filler coat of epoxy on the newly
: fiberglassed hull. To much heat!!!! Some wrinkles formed that won' go
: away. Is there any possible way to repair this? Or do I just have to live
: with it? It is only a visual problem but it's bugging me. Lesson learned -
: don't use a heat gun. The only reason I used it was because it was only
: about 58 degrees and the epoxy was going on too thick evan though I heated
: the epoxy with a space heater first.

Hi Mike,

I use a heat gun to thin the resin and help wetting the cloth all the time with out any problems. I also have cooler temperatures to deal with here [Ontario, Canada].

When you use a heat gun, aim it at a shallow angle in the direction that you are working to pre-heat as you go. You want a warmed area - not a hot spot. From 58 deg room temp to the 70 degree working temp of the resin is only 12 deg difference - dosen't take long with a heat gun to warm the surface to that temperature. You must have used a great deal of heat to cause wrinkles in the cloth when you were applying a filler coat!

Working at cooler temperatures is a bit of a pain but there is the advantage that when you remove the heat the resin thickens up and does not tent to form drips. "Pot life" is longer as well. I keep the resin in the house all the time - temperature is more consistant.

I suspect that the cloth might have been a bit "loose" on the hull. I am particular about brushing the cloth to form to the hull. The cloth that I use does not drape easily.

The wrinkles can be removed easily with a carbide bladed paint scraper. Sanding will abrade a large area and filling will add too much weight.

Don't give up on heat guns - they do have their place.

Hope this helps.

Hank