> Paul,

> I took your advice and the repair came out great. So good that I thought I
> would be disappointed w/ the looks of the rest of the boat. So, I removed
> (scraped, chisled, sanded) all of the epoxy (poly?), and fiberglass (95%
> sofar) off the hull and am going to redo from scratch.

Um, most of the advice said to leave this for a while. Guess you got a bit over enthused by how easy it is to put on the fiberglass. That's understandable.

> Since I hav'nt done
> this before I guess I'm going to have to find a book while I order the
> glass and epoxy so I can understand the finer steps of glassing.

Yup, books are a good idea. Nick has a book on building strip kayaks (you can order it from his homepage), and I can recommend another by Gil Gilpatrick. Gilpatrick's book is an excellent text on building canoes, with lots of good pictures and suggestions on glassing these types of smallcraft. You can get these from Amazon.com. Also, look at Canoecraft, by Ted Mores (Mohrs? I can't remember the spelling).

West Systems has some brochures with instructions on using their products. If you are using West System products, these are the final word on the matter. Check with your supplier for a list of titles available. There are also resources on the net in woodworking and wooden boat restoration areas.

You used West system materials and liked the result. If you had used MAS or Raka, or some other brand you would probably have liked those results, too. HOWEVER, I'd suggest that YOU stick with West System. It is good stuff, and you have had a positive experience with it. Stick with what has worked for you.

> I used West system w/ 207 hardner for the repair. It worked great. Any
> comments on a particular brand a I'm going to have to buy
> some(gallon?)?.

Since West Systems resin worked well for you, stick with it. There are other brands, but for this one job, it is not worth it for you to experiment with another product. Difference in price is not going to be a big issue. Your fiberglass fabric will be the bigger part of the price.

> It Looked as if there were three layers of glass on the
> bottom w/ one on the sides, and the ends were taped. I dont know what
> weight glass was used. I havn't sanded yet,what should I fill a couple of
> small voids (low spots) from removing the epoxy?

Sounds like the thing was built like a tank. The single thickness overall was probably structural, or there to provide waterproofing. The additional thicknesses on the bottom were probably for scratch resistance.

If you get to removig any glas from the inside you can see if they repeated the multiple layers, or if they used mostly a sigle layer.

4 ounce and 6 ounce cloth are commony used for these applications. You would get the same thickness with 2 layers of 6-ounce, or 3 layers of 4-ounce cloth on the bottom. George would suggest the use more layers of thin cloth as being more resistant to abuse. Others suggest a single layer of a heavier cloth with local applications of a second layer. Historically, both approaches have worked. I'd suggest you use whichever method you used for the patch. Again, stick with what worked for you.

If you go with using several layers of thinner material, look for 2 or 3 ounce fabrics and use 2 or three layers. 3 layers of 2-ounce should be the same weight as a single layer of 6 ounce, and suitable for covering the entire outside of the boat. Two layers of the 2-ounce material would be roughly the same as a single layer of 4-ounce material. Some favor thicker cloth, some builders go for lighter weight. This is going to be a decision you should make on your own. Lots of opinions here on his subject

Do not remove the fiberglass from the outside and the inside at the same time, or there may not be enough strength left in what is left of the boat to hold the pieces of the hull together. Do one side (in or out) first. Then work on the other side.

Be careful if you have to remove glass that is holding structural parts together. Areas that are taped might have the tape on there to keep the parts in place. Or, the tape might might be for scratch resistance. Hard to say without looking at the boat which is the case. If you use a sharp scissors you can cut strips from the yard goods and not need to buy addtional fiberglass tape. If you cut the strips at an angle to the weave of the cloth (on a bias) it will stretch around the curved parts on the hull much better than woven tape, so you'll not only save a few bucks, but you'll have a better job, too.

> I havn't sanded yet,what should I fill a couple of small voids (low spots) from removing the epoxy?

Small voids can be filled with a mixture of sawdust and resin. Since you are not sure of the history of the original construction, you probably should not use dust from sanding this hull as a filler material. finds another source of fine, clean sawdust. You can also thicken the resin by adding a commercial filler material like micro-balloons, shredded (chopped) glass fibers or similar stuff. Finally, you can mix an ounce or 2 of resin and let it start to set. Once it starts to thicken you can just use that--no additional filler is needed. Work fast at that point, and figure you'll have to sand off any excess.

Best of luck with this. You are now getting into a much bigger job than just a simple patch.

Paul Jacobson