Gregory

: 1) On my: initial coat to laminate the glass to a piece of plywood I used a roller: and then squeegeed the excess out. On the second coat to fill the weave: should I have used the squeegee or merely rolled it on and foam brushed it: to eliminate bubbles?

I don’t use rollers, I use foam brushes. Apply the epoxy with a roller and/or foam brush then squeegee off the excess. Bubbles form when the wood outgases as the temperature rises or if epoxy is applied such that it lifts the glass.

: 2) After my second coat over the glass the weave was still not filled. Does: it normally take more than two coats to fill the weave or am I doing: something wrong?

It could take up to 4 coats of epoxy to fill the weave. As you apply more epoxy, the weave pattern will still be evident as the epoxy clings to both the strands and spaces of the cloth.

: 3) at the edges of the fiberglass strands seemed to detach and float on the: plywood surface after squeeging (instructions said use firm pressure). : this was quite messy and i would think it would be totally unacceptable : when building the boat. was I applying too much pressure on the squeegee?

When you glass your boat the cloth will be put on to cover the entire surface you are glassing with excess cloth extending beyond the surface. After filling the weave with epoxy the excess cloth will be cut away along the edges.

: 4) I have read the Epoxy Book that came with the kit but I still have many : questions about its use. Do the Pygmy instructions provide more detail?

I haven’t built a Pygmy boat, but I suspect the manual will answer many of your concerns. Other good books to read are “The Strip Built Sea Kayak “ by Nick Schade, and The New Kayak Shop by Chris Kulczycki. Both are available from Amazon.com

Bobby