: I'm confused after reading the fiberglass instructions. Do I put on several
: coats of epoxy resin and let it dry BEFORE I put on my fiberglass?

: Thanks,

: Bev

Coating the wood with a single coat of resin before putting on the glass cloth is frequently suggested. The idea is that this seals the wood grain and later coats of resin will not soak in unevenly, possibly drawing some necessary resin away from the glass cloth.

Some builders can cope with this absorption and prefer to work faster by laying the dry cloth over the dry wood, and then pouring resin over it all. The resin soaks through the cloth, and into the wood underneath, all in one fell swoop. Those pros who use vaccuum bagging techniques probably would like this way, too, as the vaccuum sucks out air and moisture from the unsealed wood, minimizing bubbles.

A further variant which can be used is to rapidly apply a layer of resin to the boat, then cover it with the glass cloth while the resin is still wet. The advocates of this method believe that by forcing the glass over the resin there will be fewer airbubbles trapped in the weave of the fabric, and that the cloth will wet out, faster, better, easier, etc. This can be done on a bare wood boat, or on a boat that has already received a first coat of resin.

Personally, I've tried it both ways and prefer to seal the wood before putting on the glass cloth. A light, single coat of resin is sufficient, and you can use a squeegee to remove any that does not soak in to the wood.

Hope this helps

Paul G. Jacobson