Chris Sunkin

You definitely want to avoid sharp angles- you need a filled radius. I always start with about a 2 to 3" lap, then go out by 3/4ths to 1' per side on the subsequent laps. If you start with one big lap, that's all the adhesion you get. Not saying I'm right, that's just how I do it.

Prep is everything. You have to get all the paint and gunk off before glassing. Do a good wash with acetone then prep-sol, then a final with MEK- light and quick. That will let the new resin bite the old layers better. BTW- MEK is bad for you- get solvent gloves & a respirator.

excalibur32

Are you referring to MEK or MEKP? Acetone after prepsol, use microballones, like west silica, mix and radius with a tongue depresser.

Panther

The idea behind balsa inbetween the bulkhead, the joint and the boat side is that balsa is somewhat of a softer wood. It "gives" a little and it's not as rigid of a joint. I'm not saying you want a flexible joint but given a slight bit of "Flex" the joint will longer and actually provide greater structural integrety.

Microballons and Cavasil are good but they are rigid and can crack easily.

Just my opinion and something I learned from someone who used to build Shadow Cats and now runs a fiberglass shop.

Chris Sunkin

MEK Methylethylketone. It will slightly soften the surface of the cured resin in the existing hull and let the new resin bite a bit better.

excalibur32

Balso is classified as a hardwood, wood is classified in compression of the fibers. Balsa=hardwood.

Chris Sunkin

Hardwood comes from deciduous and tropical trees and technically, angiosperms. Softwood comes from coniferous trees. Has nothing to do with weight, strength or density.

excalibur32

Damn, and I alway's thought Oak was classified as a hardwood, I think you can get that stuff in a faraway land called America, oh, maybe you could pick up a code book some day and look up modulas of elasticity. Real in depth about different woods how they are rated and the compressive strenghts associated and allowed. oh and Bell 47 helicopter blades were made of wood, what kind? could they be repaired if they had a damaged piece in the middle? Please enlighten me!

Chris Sunkin

Oak is deciduous and a hardwood. Balsa is a hardwood too. Certain varieties of white pine are substantially harder and less compressive than red oak yet they're still a softwood. Mesquite is another softwood that is harder than most hardwoods. As I wrote, the designation of hardwood or softwood has no bearing on the relative hardness or softness of the wood, nor any other physical property.

Panther

WTF are you guys talking about???

The terms 'softwood' or 'hardwood' have nothing to do with whether the wood is physically hard of soft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balsa

CN24