Fiberglass question regarding Tape and Cloth

[CrkdLtr]

I'm at a stage with the TV where I am ready to glass the exterior and the interior.

If I decided to use fiberglass cloth on the outside and inside, would it still be necessary for me to use the tape on any of the seams?

[Oldsparkey]

Yes and No , How is that for a good answer.

Yes if you want to reinforce them , No if you believe the glass will do it for you..... Personally I do not tape the seams when I use the glass to encapsulate the boat , I figure the glass does that for me.

If there is a V bow that runs back a way or all the way on the center seam , I do like to run a piece of 2 inch ( wide ) tape back 4 or more feet ( did the whole center seam on the bottom of one boat) from the top because that area tends to get the most abuse , running up on logs , sand bars , slow paddlers , Mermaids , large fish , sleeping Gators , SCUBA Divers , Swimmers or anything in the way.

Chuck.

[CrkdLtr]

running up on logs , sand bars , slow paddlers , Manatees, large fish , sleeping Gators , SCUBA Divers , Swimmers or anything in the way.

Chuck.

Fixed that for you. Your old eyes may percieve them as Mermaids but I know better.


Thanks for the info. I figured a 2 or 4 inch piece down the center of the V would make for good insurance.

[Oldsparkey]

running up on logs , sand bars , slow paddlers , Manatees, large fish , sleeping Gators , SCUBA Divers , Swimmers or anything in the way.

Chuck.

Fixed that for you. Your old eyes may percieve them as Mermaids but I know better.

It depends on how long you are at sea , as to what you see. Sometimes around here it is hard to tell the difference since both of them need to shave and are rather large. They are a lot more predominate around the tourist areas where the folks from up north like to come down and stay.

Back to business....... That strip down the center of the keel does take some of the worry out when you paddle up on something. Just the knowledge that there is some reinforcement there is assuring. It is the sacrificial area that get the wear and tear in place of the glass on the bottom of the boat.

With the rest of the seams (including the center bottom one ) the inside gets reinforced when you fillet them so the seams are smooth and the glass will lay down on them the way you expect it to.

Chuck.
PS. Just got some new tri-focal's and am legally blind in one eye , other then that I can see rather well.

[jem]

It's not required but an extra layer on the keel on the outside helps build abrasion resistance.

If you decide to do both, consider doing the tape first. Feather (sand a smooth transition) the edges of the cured tape to the hull and then apply the cloth over that. It'll finish much cleaner.

[hairymick]

Yep,

I agree with Matt.

[CrkdLtr]

It's not required but an extra layer on the keel on the outside helps build abrasion resistance.

If you decide to do both, consider doing the tape first. Feather (sand a smooth transition) the edges of the cured tape to the hull and then apply the cloth over that. It'll finish much cleaner.

Yeah that was a lesson learned from the pirogue.