Boat Building Forum

Find advice on all aspects of building your own kayak, canoe or any lightweight boats

Mohair covers
By:Dan Caouette (CSFW)
Date: 11/9/2010, 9:32 am
In Response To: Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers (Palle Dam)

Obviously the West rollers work fine. I just don't like all the air foam rollers introduce into the resin.

I now use mostly mohair rollers. Yes, short nap. You want a thin film. Like Bill said, most mohair rollers will have a cardboard core that is covered with a phenolic resin. It will be reddish brown in color. Some have plastic cores. Generally they will say on the packaging that they are good for enamels, urethanes and epoxies. Paints that generally have the nastier solvents that would dissolve a foam roller or cardboard core.

How many to buy: 1 cover per application should be more than enough. Seriously. When you roll, you're always introducing more fresh epoxy into the bristles. Any epoxy from the first batch will have been dissolved by future batches. Try the freezer trick. You MAY be able to build the entire kayak with one or two 9" coves cut into thirds.

I prefer rollers for applying epoxy. I've only had good luck using squeegees on flat panels and on exteriors. On the interiors it was tough to get the resin up on the sides. It always just pooled along the keel adding weight. I also only use brushes in areas that I can't roll. It's very hard to apply an even coat with a brush. My laminations done with a brush always seemed to need more sanding. Thanks to Rob Macks for setting me down the roller path. I use less epoxy and spend less time sanding when I use a roller.

Best of luck,

Dan

: Thank you for your answers. As I understand most of you, I need a
: roller with a short nap.
: The rollers from West System might be an option. But I will
: probably have to order it online. They are available i Danish
: online shops. Actually it seems like West System is the only
: epoxy brand sold both in US and Europe.
: Mohair rollers was also mentioned. I can buy them locally. But I
: have never seen them mentioned on this forum before. Does others
: have experience with Mohair rollers?
: About compatibility with epoxy: Are there roller materials I should
: avoid? And does epoxy contain solvents?

: Will 1 roller per coat really be enough? I'm a little afraid that
: remains from the first batches will harden in the roller before
: I finish. Or will all of it be replaced with newer batches
: during the application?

: Palle Dam

Messages In This Thread

Epoxy: Epoxy rollers *PIC*
Palle Dam -- 11/4/2010, 11:43 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Palle Dam -- 11/8/2010, 9:39 pm
Mohair covers
Dan Caouette (CSFW) -- 11/9/2010, 9:32 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Bill Hamm -- 11/9/2010, 8:57 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Jim Ham -- 11/9/2010, 8:56 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Bill Hamm -- 11/9/2010, 9:38 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Ian Johnson -- 11/10/2010, 1:17 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Bill Hamm -- 11/6/2010, 9:23 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Jim Ham -- 11/4/2010, 11:39 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Malcolm Schweizer -- 11/4/2010, 4:36 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
vk1nf -- 11/4/2010, 3:21 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Pedro Almeida -- 11/6/2010, 4:06 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Bill Hamm -- 11/7/2010, 12:37 am
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Dan Caouette (CSFW) -- 11/4/2010, 2:27 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Mike Bielski -- 11/4/2010, 3:11 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Dan Caouette (CSFW) -- 11/4/2010, 3:20 pm
Re: Epoxy: Epoxy rollers
Rod Tait -- 11/4/2010, 12:56 pm