Which weight of fibreglass cloth?

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

Hi All

From your experience which weight of cloth would you use to finish the outside of the hull on a 1 metre long boat?

I am unsure whether to use 25g or 49g or if indeed there are any other weights.

I will be using finishing epoxy with it if that helps with the question?

I think that I understand that the thicker the weave the harder it will be to get a very smooth finish, but I am very patient and speed is not an issue

Thanks Mark

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

A newbie unsure of things again

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

Ah – I've just read this again and I think I should have mentioned that it has a wooden hull

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

You will find the lighter cloth is easier to work around curves and takes less resin to build up a finish. It,s the weight chosen by most aircraft modellers for wings etc.

Dave M

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

Thanks Dave

25g was my prefered choice but I have never used it before. In the past I have only ever built boats with fibre hulls so this is my first wooden hull. I want to make sure that its watertight and I also want it to last the test of time

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Mark

Thin cloth and resin is used as the basis of a paint finish, not as a strenghtening or waterproofing method.. You will almost certainly sand through it as you attempt to get a smooth finish to the resin. Rather add the heavier weight of cloth to the inside of the hull if that's the main reason for using fibreglass.
There is a useful article on using epoxy and cloth for wing skinning here, under Aeromodelling > Wing Skinning.doc **LINK**

Dave M

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

Ah! – Now that has given me some food for thought

I assumed that by giving the hull a covering of cloth and resin I would acheive not only a good water barrier but also give the hull a bit of resistance to knocks and a surface to paint from too

I guess using this method if I do break through the cloth the only waterproofing will be the actual paint? Or do you put anything else on before this process.

Thanks for the link I found it very helpful

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Mark. Eze-cote Acrylic resin and the finest glass cloth gives a fab finish. One side at a time can be done in one hit, and after several coats of resin later and a bit of very easy sanding, you will have a nice smooth surface. Do this on a warm day and it will only take the one day to complete.

With eze-cote you will not need to snad forever or very hard, and so there is not much likelyhood of breaking through the fibreglass. This will not be as thick a coating as using epoxy, so the underneath needs to be a tad smoother.

Just as an alternative.

Ashley

[Mark TommyParticipant @marktommy83416]

Thanks Ashley thats great information – I'll look into that as it sounds like a good product

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