Hi Arne,
Here's how I did it.
- Sand the wood so it would be clean and smooth
- Lay out fiberglass cloth, wet out with epoxy resin
- 2 or 3 more coats of resin to fill in the weave - sanding between coats
- final sanding
- wipe down with Interlux 202 fiberglass solvent wash
- roll on Interlux PreKote primer
- roll on first coat Interlux Brightside paint
- lightly sand
- wipe down with Interlux 202 fiberglass solvent wash
- roll on second coat of Interlux Brightside paint
You can see photo of the entire process on my website.
My results would have been better if I would have spent more time on sanding and final preparation before paint, but it still looks pretty good. Were I to do it again, I would use a lighter fiberglass cloth. I used 8 oz and it was an overkill. There is some discussion as to whether any fabric is needed apart from the joints. I used glass because I was afraid of the fir plywood opening up cracks in the dry heat here in Vegas.
(Actually, were I to do it again I would forego the epoxy/fiberglass and cover it with aluminum. I believe that the total cost of the epoxy, fiberglass cloth, primer and paint was more than the aluminum would have been. And for certain it was more work.)
So what would I do different if I built again? Just about everything!
When I started the project I set some goals with regard to simple building techniques and overall project costs. I made some decisions that made this project take longer, be more difficult, and be more expensive than it needed to be. I don't want to sound like I'm whining because I'm just evaluating how the project went and where I could have improved. I'm proud of my efforts and how the trailer is turning out. I've learned more than I ever thought I would know.
Build #2 ?!? Hmmm....
Joanne
Arne wrote:Joanne, you used expoxy and interlux brightside. What did you use for a primer.?
I'm assuming you rolled on epoxy on the whole tear, not just the joints. Then sanded and primed.... anyway, I'm considering doing something similar.
CPES first, then primer, then interlux (or some quality marine paint)... I like the uniflex 255 I used, but can not keep it clean....
Any information is appreciated... thanks.