Glassed butt joint woops

[bluegrasslover]

I'm using the glassed butt joint technique for my sides and bottom. I did the sides last night but I only did one side. Since this is the first time I've ever done any fiber glassing I wasn't about to attempt doing both sides at once like I had read is the best way to go. I also read that you have to be extremely careful when you flip it if you only do one side. Well, I wasn't quite careful enough on one of them, it cracked. Will it be ok if I go back and put a wider piece on top of the side that cracked or is a lost cause? I'm using 4oz fabric and will be covering all of the outside and at the very least, the bottom and up the sides 4" on the inside.

BTW, I was really happy with my first attempt at using fiber glass. The biggest problem I had was the fabric fraying on the edges. I'm not using tape, I'm using cut pieces.

 

[crkdltr]

I'm using the glassed butt joint technique for my sides and bottom. I did the sides last night but I only did one side. Since this is the first time I've ever done any fiber glassing I wasn't about to attempt doing both sides at once like I had read is the best way to go. I also read that you have to be extremely careful when you flip it if you only do one side. Well, I wasn't quite careful enough on one of them, it cracked. Will it be ok if I go back and put a wider piece on top of the side that cracked or is a lost cause? I'm using 4oz fabric and will be covering all of the outside and at the very least, the bottom and up the sides 4" on the inside.

BTW, I was really happy with my first attempt at using fiber glass. The biggest problem I had was the fabric fraying on the edges. I'm not using tape, I'm using cut pieces.

I understand your frustration with the fraying. I've not found anyway to keep that from happening so I have some odd looking areas of my pirogue where the cloth fingers out. If you wanted to take more time you could tape off an area where the frays end and the unfrayed area begins and add additional resin material to "build up" that area. Once it starts to cure you can remove the tape and as it cures you could sand down the high spot. This way if you decide to paint you won't see the fingers through the paint.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Perhaps you can take a picture of the crack you're talking about and show us. Did the wood crack or did the fillet material between the two pieces of wood crack? As far as wider piece, are you referring to the piece of wood that will go over the butt splice? If so I would think the original size would be fine so long as you use the resin/wood flour (fillet material) as an adhesive and coat the underside of it real well. If you can see the crack from the other side then maybe try to force the fillet/wood flour mix into it and let it cure.

Some of the more seasoned 'yak builders will be around shortly to give you a better answer.

 

[Jimmy W]

It should be OK to just add another piece of cloth on top. The only difference would be cosmetic, the crack might show up through the top layer. I would feather the edges of the cracked layer and be sure to put some more epoxy between the butted edges. I haven't worried too much about the fraying. I use a carbide scraper and sandpaper to feather the edges anyway and can usually scrape that off or sand it down so that it won't show under the glass when I glass the whole boat. I am assuming that the cloth cracked and not the wood.

Jimmy

 

[a Bald Cypress]

I [myself, no one else has had any input to what I am about to type. Do not take it as gospel. It is only MY way of doing something and is not sanctioned by any other individual or group.]

When flipping joined , long pieces, such as the sides. If I have no help I get two boards 4-6 feet long and put one on either side, clamp them down and then turn the sides. Gives support and stops the flex which cracks the joint.

Just one way of doing it. I'm sure there are many others.

 

[bluegrasslover]

Jimmy,
Yes, it was the glass, not the wood. I'm not using any additional wood for the but joints. Just the 2 sides fiber glassed together. The crack isn't all the way through because it's still together

I thought about clamping a long piece of wood to the sides for the solo turn while I was sitting there staring at the sides wondering how I let this happened. I did easily turn the 2nd without a problem after I had figured out just how careful I needed to be.

Thanks for the input.

 

[gbinga]

Regarding the frayed edges, I've taped with tape, and taped with long cut pieces of cloth. The fraying is irritating, because you have to get rid of the loose strings so they won't be wadding up as you apply the epoxy. But the frazzeled edge that is left is easier to feather sand smooth than the hard sharp edge that you deal with when you use tape.

That's my experience, anyhow.

GBinGA