Boat Building Forum

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

Re: I'm Back!
By:John Abercrombie
Date: 3/18/2012, 4:06 am
In Response To: I'm Back! (louisd75)

: Final question (finally!): I'm working in an unheated garage and
: the info I have on the epoxy hardener states a 60* minimum
: working temperature. It also recommends having lots of
: ventilation. Is the minimum working temperature the minimum temp
: at which it will cure, or will the epoxy be too thick to work
: with below that temp? I was thinking about applying the epoxy
: with the garage open and then closing the door and using a
: radiant heater pointed at the work to aid curing while I hide
: out in the house. Is this a bad idea? Is there a better way of
: doing this?

I've had better luck starting with the boat and epoxy warm, and then letting it cool off as it cures.
Warm epoxy is less viscous and 'wets out' glass better.
Starting warm and cooling later seems to minimize the number of bubbles caused by air coming out of the wood.
You can warm up the epoxy with a heater in a closet/cupboard or large box.
With warmed epoxy, you do need to get it spread out on the boat promptly after mixing, or it will set up in the mixing container in a fairly spectacular way (lotsa heat).

You can make a 'tent' inside your garage with clear polyethylene (vapor barrier) to reduce the volume that you need to warm.
Radiant heaters work well to heat up the boat before applying epoxy, but I wouldn't use them after application.
I'm also in the PNW area and don't have much trouble glassing in my (unheated but attached) garage through most of the 'winter'.

Messages In This Thread

Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:19 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:25 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:30 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:34 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:39 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:43 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/12/2011, 12:51 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bryan Hansel -- 12/12/2011, 1:18 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Etienne Muller -- 12/12/2011, 4:42 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Brian Nystrom -- 12/12/2011, 7:12 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bill Hamm -- 12/13/2011, 4:45 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Brian Nystrom -- 12/13/2011, 12:26 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bill Hamm -- 12/14/2011, 2:32 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Robert N Pruden -- 12/12/2011, 4:45 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Eric Mattison -- 12/13/2011, 2:20 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *NM*
Brian Nystrom -- 12/12/2011, 7:11 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
John Messinger -- 12/12/2011, 8:21 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bill Hamm -- 12/13/2011, 4:48 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
les cheeseman -- 12/14/2011, 11:50 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bill Hamm -- 12/15/2011, 2:55 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
John VanBuren -- 12/12/2011, 4:40 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Robert N Pruden -- 12/12/2011, 10:51 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bill Hamm -- 12/13/2011, 4:50 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/13/2011, 11:23 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/13/2011, 11:32 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/13/2011, 11:52 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
robert l -- 3/18/2012, 8:03 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat *PIC*
louisd75 -- 12/13/2011, 11:49 pm
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
louisd75 -- 12/14/2011, 12:01 am
Re: Other: Please help me revive a boat
Bill Hamm -- 12/14/2011, 2:38 am
I'm Back!
louisd75 -- 3/17/2012, 6:20 pm
Re: I'm Back!
Charlie -- 3/17/2012, 7:57 pm
Re: I'm Back!
Bill Hamm -- 3/18/2012, 1:49 am
Re: I'm Back!
Etienne Muller -- 3/18/2012, 6:01 am
Re: I'm Back!
John Abercrombie -- 3/18/2012, 4:06 am