M/l boatworks 1/10 scale hydroplane build 121

[RON F]

image.jpeg hi there this is how far I am in this build its kit 121. I have been using smug mug pics.of kit 103. I am at a critical point as to what to do next, should I epoxy all skins and ribs ? I have carbon fiber to put in the engine well any sugestions would be of tremendous help I am a new to this sport. Thank you ron

[JimClark]

Have you sealed anything of what you have built yet?

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[RON F]

Should I seal the inside now and with epoxy?

[JimClark]

it is a lot easier now that to wait until after putting the decks on. You will never get it totally sealed after putting the decks on.

[RON F]

Ok great I will do that, should I cover everything or just the joints ? And thanks for the help

[Jesse J]

The drier the wood stays (sealing everything) the less the tendency to warp.

[RON F]

When you. Say seal everything is that in 2 part epoxy ? Sorry but I am a newbe have just been going on pictures I have found, not a lot of information out there .

[meangenesracing]

When you. Say seal everything is that in 2 part epoxy ? Sorry but I am a newbe have just been going on pictures I have found, not a lot of information out there .

I use west systems epoxy it's a 2 part resin and hardener. You can buy it in a kit on Ebay comes with pumps 1 pump resin 1 pump hardener mix and ready to go you don't have the hassle of measuring. I coat everything except center section b 4I put skins on I also use fiberglass cloth and fit pieces in then take back out and use elmers spray glue inside boat to hold cloth in place then put cloth back in and coat with epoxy mix.

[longballlumber]

Morning Ron,
Yes, what the other are recommending is correct. In ANY boat or boating application you want to seal ALL bare wood surfaces with a 2 part epoxy. This also includes any exposed wood edges such as the lighten hole cutouts (end grain). Those can be frustrating to coat well with epoxy and in many cases soak up the most epoxy. For your application, I would suggest using something called a “Finishing Resin” similar to this.

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pr...p?prod=hh-pt40

Finishing Resin is slightly different than 5 or 30 minute epoxy as it is more viscous (more runny). This helps with a couple of things.

1. It much easier to spread around quickly without leaving large quantities in one place (no pools or “globs”).
2. The thinner stuff should soak into the bare wood better.
3. Taking extra care to coat the joints could possibly strengthen the entire boat.

Like the others have mentioned coating/sealing the INSIDE of the hull should be done just before your step of gluing on the top skins. You asked the question at the right time! As for this process of coating EVERYTHING in epoxy, there are many ways to get this done and none of them are quick if done right. Here are a couple of Tips:

1. Mix epoxy in batches and do sections of the hull at a time. Think of it this way, if you mix up a large quantity of epoxy the chances are pretty good the epoxy is going to start to harden (kick off) before you can use is all.
2. Most common method of application is using an acid brush. The bigger and flatter the area is the larger the brush I use. The smaller the surface area, joints, end grain, nooks, and crannies the smaller brushes work better. Another method I’ve used is taking an old Credit Card or a business card and use it to spread or squeegee access epoxy around leaving a very thin layer. Kinda like icing a cake. However, this is more affective on larger, flat surfaces.
3. Once you have a fresh coating let the wet epoxy “soak” into the wood for 15-30 min. The length of time will largely depend on the pot life of the epoxy and your working environment. After the soak time, I will go back using a disposable foam tipped craft paint brush, and re-level or spread out all of the residual epoxy. What this step does is minimize puddles of epoxy building up in area where the wood is already saturated or hasn’t soaked up the epoxy completely. Another option is to take cheap paper toweling and simply wipe the entire area and let the paper toweling soak up the excess epoxy.

Personally, I go thru this process twice and is why I like using the foam tipped brush. For the second coat the process is exactly the same; only while still wet (no wait time) I use the foam brush (trying not to apply a great deal of pressure) and level all wetted surfaces. The objective is to produce a THIN layer to protect the wood from water/moisture.

Hope this helps!

Mike Ball

[RON F]

Thanks Mike I will do just that I was wondering what type of brush to use as a paint brush is way too soft an acid brush is a great idea and my epoxy is too thick and I'll get some finishing resin
thanks again

[MarkF]

You can also thin epoxy using denatured alcohol if you already have that and don't have any finishing resin. Put a little in the epoxy and mix it up good and you now have runny resin for coating.

[RON F]

Thanks I'll try it my two part epoxy is bob smith slow cure it's pretty thick

[MarkF]

Yes that will work fine.

[785boats]

I prefer to use fiberglass epoxy resin, as suggested by others, rather than thinned down epoxy adhesive.
But don't forget to give the underside of the decks a coat too, before you glue them on.
Also add some foam blocks into all those compartments for buoyancy if the hull is breached in an accident.
I also like to add some extra wood around the nose of my builds to give a bit more surface area for the top skin to bond to.
Here's a pic that shows the extra wood.

m_004.jpg

[RON F]

Hi There the foam for buoyancy, good idea but can I use foamofil ? Or is the foam somthing special?