im building a plywood boat and i want to fiberglass the hull, it going to be an 8ft jon boat(somewhere around 68 square ft). what do i need to fiberglass it? resin? poly? i don‘t know what any of this stuff does, it will be my first tim attempting to make fiberglass.
You will need, epoxy 2 part resin, fiberglass sheet, gelcoat. you dont need to get the epoxy over fiberglass resin it is just much stronger.
Is this from under the floor in a sealed compartment? That would make me immediately look for a split or hole in the hull below the water line. Look along areas adjacent to the keel and chines - and check stringers and where the floor joins the hull up front. Check the transom area thoroughly for any soft spots and possible cracks. The problem might even be some thing unusual like a fitting not sealing correctly - replace the o ring on the bung for a start. But if this is just water coming in due to waves or fishing nets then it's no real issue.
Google it. Most jobs use polyester resin and glass mat, which is cheapest. You can use cloth for stress points like corners. What you need: Polyester resin Hardener Glass mat Glass cloth Cheap paintbrushes A roller, maybe (I don't usually bother) Laundry detergent (for cleaning brushes, hands etc.) Old clothes/overalls Acetone, maybe, for cleaning brushes that set up too hard for the detergent - or just toss them Cheap mixing pails - coffee tins, maybe. Watch it with styrofoam as the resin eats through Be careful with mixing, amounts, temperature etc. If you aren't careful, you can have it all harden up before you are halfway finished, or have it never harden properly at all. Generally I mix enough for one layer and work quickly. You brush resin onto the wood so it's wet, then apply resin to the back of the glass, turn it over and stick it on the wood, then put resin on the top and work at getting it all wetted properly with no bubbles. When that's all done nicely you can take a bathroom break or whatever, then start on the next layer. If you are just sealing for water-resistance 2-3 layers may be enough, but for strength you need to build up a lot more. To get a smooth finish you then apply gelcoat and filler (glass michospheres for instance), sand and polish. Don't sand back through the glass or all the effort is wasted and moisture will get in.
Because on the downward sweep, they are moving the water away from the driver's viewing area of the windshield.
