Questions regarding fiber-glassing the centerboard?

The place to discuss SCAMP (Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project), our 11' 11" micro minicruiser.

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GregWads
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:58 am
Location: NWbyW Illinois

Questions regarding fiber-glassing the centerboard?

Post by GregWads »

I am getting ready to bite the bullet and fiberglass the centerboard.

The plan is to glass each side wrapping the glass around the leading edge, as shown on build blogs, but not worry about the square edges of the head.

I have been trying to educate myself by reading anything I can find about the process on this msg board, build sites and other msg boards. Because the only real experience I have with fiberglass is when I put it on the pieces that make up the centerboard slot, aka flat pieces of plywood. I was hoping to get more experience with fiberglassing before doing the centerboard, but the manual states to do the board first to figure out the thickness before building the centerboard case.

So I know I am suppose to re-coat to fill the weave while the previous coat is still green (a little tacky). I also want to overlap the cloth on the leading edge to make it stronger. But if I let it fully cure, I have to sand it, but I am not suppose to sand the glass to expose the fibers so that it does not weaken the glass.

I would prefer to glass the board while is is horizontal.

So does this mean apply glass and first coat of epoxy to one side, wait a bit, flip over the board, razor scrape the edge, then apply glass & epoxy to the second side, so that is is glass over glass at the leading edge. Somehow razor scrape the leading edge of the second side. Then before the first side gets two cured apply a second coat, then apply a second coat to the second side and so forth with the third coats. I suppose if I hung the board vertically this method could work, but I am afraid the cloth would sag, or is that not an issue?

Or when people glass the board, do you do one side, razor scrape the edge, fill the weave, let all 3 coats cure, then do the other side?

Or am I just over thinking this?

Thanks for any advice.
Greg.
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