New guy, new Pirouge. | SouthernPaddler.com

New guy, new Pirouge.

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Dogwood

Active Member
Oct 13, 2008
37
0
Tampa
www.TrickyDogs.com
Hi all,
I got my UJ Pirouge all glassed inside and out and it seems pretty solid, but it ain't pretty. I still have to put on the inner rails, breasthooks and make the seat. Then I'm gonna paint it to try and cover up the evidence.
I live near Clearwater, FL and will be mostly paddling Lake Tarpon. I was able to get my epoxy and fabric at Fiberglass Coatings in St. Pete which was great.
Some lessons I learned.
1. Buy the 100 count box of gloves.
2. Same thing on the stirring sticks and mixing cups.
3. It's way easier to glass the outside than the inside.
4. Don't try to listen to music with headphones on while you work with the epoxy.

I took some pix, but I sure don't see how to add them to this post.
 
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oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
For pictures , and they re-size them so there aren't SUPER LARGE ONES on the forum which drive the guys with dial up Krazy.
Try this .... http://www.neilbank.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1032

That is a ... HINT ... to some folks who have not gotten the message even with it being posted many times on here. What can I say you can drag a Mule to water but you can't make him drink. :roll:

Dogwood , as far as your pirogue , you notice the mistakes because you made them and worked with them , someone looking at your craft will not see them , they look at the overall boat and don't pick it apart.

I have made a few boats ( My wife tells me ... to many ) ... and I still make mistakes , it is part of the building process. We are not perfect and do make a Bo- Bo now and then. :wink:

Alright , more then just Now and then but we are getting better at covering them up. :lol:

Chuck.
 
D

dangermouse01

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2006
312
1
Palm Bay, FL (East coast)
Dogwood;
Harbor Freight and Sam's are your friends for boat building.
HF for latex gloves, find them on sale, about $7 for a 100 count box. I usually have two un-opened boxes on the shelf, when I take one of those down and open it, it is time to buy more gloves.

Sam's for mixing cups & stirring sticks. The 9 oz clear party cups, package of 200 for about $6. Box of 500 plastic knives for about $6.

Directions for posting pictures can be found as a "sticky" at the top of some of the forum pages, always stays at the top.

DM
mike
 
J

Jimmy W

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2006
611
1
north georgia, USA
Dogwood said:
Is the idea that I post the link to another site that has the photo?
Click to expand...

Yep, that's the idea. On that page where it says here is your code, copy that code and include it in your post.

Pirouge%201.jpg
 
L

Lee Schneidermann

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2007
150
1
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Hey Dawg!,
There's nuttin wrong wit dat boat!! I bilt won mysef, but it only come out ta be four foot long.??
Meebe I Need sum hep wit da math??
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


Lee
 
H

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
Heya Dogwood,

Welcome aboard mate! :D

That is a fine boat and she will serve you well. :D There are lots of very happy UJ owners here.

I am gonna have to build myself one some day. I love their lines and functionality.

There is something very special about paddling a boat, any boat that you built yourself. :D
 
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Dogwood

Active Member
Oct 13, 2008
37
0
Tampa
www.TrickyDogs.com
My boats all built. Glass and epoxy in and out. The boat looks OK as a natural and I figure to varnish the inside, but I do want to paint the outside the same color as a boat from my youth. I have the latex high gloss house paint and I'm hearing different things about prepping the surface. Scuff the epoxy with 180 grit sandpaper or not necessary? Wipe down with Acetone or not necessary. Prime surface with latex primer or not necessary? Spread newspapers under the boat to keep paint off garage floor? I'll take and post pix tomorrow.
 
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gbinga

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2008
736
2
Hoschton, GA
Find the website for the epoxy that you used and learn all that you can from that source. Here are some issues that need to be considered;

-Some (maybe all) epoxy coatings produce a waxy residue that ends up on the surface of the cured epoxy and that might prevent a second coat of epoxy, or a coat of paint, or a coat of varnish from sticking properly. I used West Systems epoxy on both of the boats I built, and that was the case with their product. Based on what I read, the simplest way to get rid of the waxy residue was to scrub the boat with a scrub brush or an abrasive pad and plenty of water. You wouldn't think just plain water would do it, but apparently the residue is water soluble. I did this on both of my boats, used latex paint, and had no adhesion problems. The residue I'm talking about is called "amine blush". Google "amine blush epoxy" and you will get hits that you can read. Here is a link to a West Systems tech bulletin on the subject -
http://www.atlcomposites.com/pdf/west-amine_blush.pdf
They talk about using water and scotch bright pads to get the stuff off. They point out that it will clog up sandpaper, and I can tell you that is the truth.

-Epoxy cures to a relatively slick glossy surface, which isn't the best substrate for latex paint. Scuffing the surface ought to improve adhesion of paint. If you clean the surface with water and a Scotchbright pad, then that will probably get you where you need to be.

-For what it is worth, I did what I describe above, and then painted with Kilz primer and Gliddon porch and floor paint. Mine are not the prettiest boats around, but for durability of finish, I have no complaints. I have no experience with varnish, so I can't help you on that part. Some of the other members will, though.

NOTE: I'm talking from limited experience here - - two boats, both with the same brand of epoxy. Read up on the epoxy that you actually used, and listen to the advice that will soon come from more experienced builders in the forum.

Good luck!

By the way - My third boat is going to be an Uncle John's pirogue much like you built. I'm on a slow start, but will be hoping finish it in the next couple of months.
 
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Dogwood

Active Member
Oct 13, 2008
37
0
Tampa
www.TrickyDogs.com
I got the epoxy and 4oz cloth from Fiberglass Coatings in St. Pete, FL. They are very helpful and full of advice, but not everything adds up in my book. They say latex paint will not adhere and I need to use epoxy paint. I have built theatrical props out of 1/4" Luan, their epoxy and cloth, Kills primer, latex paint and then clear polyurethane.
These pix show my new boat sitting on a box I made in 1999 and the paint is still sticking tight. I like the idea of cleaning the boat with water and a Scotch Brite pad, then latex primer and paint. Maybe even polyurethane too. The inside will get varnish as soon as I find a decent brand.

Pirouge%204_2.jpg
 
S

seedtick

Well-Known Member
Jul 22, 2006
1,161
7
Denham Springs, LA
dog,
you talked about kilz primer, latex paint then clear polyurethane==

be careful here on the polyurethane, most urethanes do not have UV inhibitors and will peel off quickly in outdoor applications
 
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gbinga

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2008
736
2
Hoschton, GA
Mick,

Looks like the last can I bought was 205 fast hardener. I seem to remember that it was cold in the garage when I was building that one... maybe that is why I chose the 205.

Also the tech bulletin suggested that amine blush might happen more at cold temperatures, so that could have been a factor also.

Like I said, my experience is limited, but I did do a lot of reading at the time. They said that it is best to assume that the blush is there and to act accordingly. One thing I did notice was that sanding the epoxy (smoothing out mistakes, etc) was a lot easier after rinsing the boat as West suggested. Sandpaper didn't seem as prone to clog up.

The next boat will be built in our basement, which does not get particularly chilly even at this time of year. I'll try 207 and see how it works.

It is so strange to think that you are in late spring right now... What an amazing place our world is.

George
 
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