Puffin 2

[kirkman]

50 Cold? I was out working on the table for my camp stove on my tear the other day and it was a balmy 10 degrees at noon. I think it was 4 out when I started? Sounds like you are having a heat wave down thar in Texas to me!...LOL... Keep up the good work Steve! Puffin 2 is looking good!

[steve wolverton]

Wow, that tape looks like just the thing I need for the roof of the Widget. Did you put some epoxy down first and then lay the tape down? Where did you get that stuff from

I filled a few screw holes, but the area should be fairly smooth before wetting out the tape.

Lay the tape down where you want it, and pour a little epoxy on top of it and use a squeegee to press the epoxy into the cloth. It almost becomes invisible when wetted-out properly. (the 6 oz. and lighter tape does)

I got the tape from RAKA.COM. I get all my stuff (cloth, tape, fillers, epoxy, etc.) from those guys.

[steve wolverton]

50 Cold? I was out working on the table for my camp stove on my tear the other day and it was a balmy 10 degrees at noon. I think it was 4 out when I started? Sounds like you are having a heat wave down thar in Texas to me!...LOL... Keep up the good work Steve! Puffin 2 is looking good!

4!? 4 what? That's not a temperature! I can't even wrap my brain around that.

I'm looking forward to the 70's tomorrow so I can venture outside again.

[planovet]

4!? 4 what? That's not a temperature! I can't even wrap my brain around that.

I have to agree with Steve. 4 isn't a temperature, it's what you shout when your ball goes awry. I knew I lived in Texas for a reason.

[Wimperdink]

Where did you get that stuff from?

Jeff

Jeff... For you. http://tinyurl.com/9dwk6x
You should have a boaters world store somewhere nearby. Run down and pull some off the shelf.


Edit. Holy I'm out of shape.... meant to post that ages ago when I was sick... now i'm back and its way out of kilter and many posts past... Am I really here? lol... I'm sharp I tell ya... like a ball pein hammer.

[angib]

Did you put some epoxy down first and then lay the tape down?

It seems Steve didn't, but you should always apply epoxy to the wood first.

The reason is that if you apply the glass tape to dry wood, there will be an air bubble under each place where the warp and the weft (the two directions of the weave) in the glass cross over each other.

Will a dry application be strong enough? Yes, probably.

Will putting epoxy on first make it stronger? Yes, definitely.

Andrew

[WarPony]

Thanks for the link, Wimperdink. Andrew, that does make more sense putting some epoxy down before laying the tape down. I have never used epoxy but I'm going to order some and experiment on making an icebox for the Widget.

Jeff

[steve wolverton]

Did you put some epoxy down first and then lay the tape down?

It seems Steve didn't, but you should always apply epoxy to the wood first.

The reason is that if you apply the glass tape to dry wood, there will be an air bubble under each place where the warp and the weft (the two directions of the weave) in the glass cross over each other.

Will a dry application be strong enough? Yes, probably.

Will putting epoxy on first make it stronger? Yes, definitely.

Andrew

I did epoxy the seam before applying the fiberglass tape. I had to come back last night and fill in a few screw holes before laying the tape. I've never been able to fill recessed screw holes in one pass - I'm not that good. There always seems to be a little shrinkage, or the epoxy works its way down the screw hole with time. You do make an excellent point Andrew, and that's always epoxy before applying fiberglass. I have seen some people do kayaks with a wet-out box, a dry boat, and some woods can suck up the epoxy to leave unencapsulated glass.

I am confused about the strength though - the tape wasn't put on for strength - it only adds to the waterproofness of the seam. Strength is an added bonus here. The primary stength comes from the screws and the 2x2 that the wood is screwed in. Right?

[steve wolverton]

The roof is on.

I still have to finish installing the edge trim. I put just a few screws in it to hold it in place.

My arms are exhausted from pulling on the vinyl, but it sure looks pimp!

I stapled the foam in place. Trimmed. Stapled the vinyl in place. Trimmed.

[bbarry]

Looking good Steve! You're right: that tonneau top is pimp!

As to fiberglass tape, someone with more knowledge may correct me, but my understanding is that fiberglass product of any kind (cloth, tape, blown) is the primary component for STRENGTH and doesn't provide the waterproofing (that's the epoxy part). Combined they are more than the sum of their parts (strong and watertight). I don't think tape will give you a more watertight seal, but it should give you added strength where you have a joint. This may prevent physical separation of the joint and water intrusion as a result. I don't want to know what you'd have to do to your trailer to get that joint to separate though...water intrusion might be the least of your worries at that point!

Brad

[steve wolverton]

I don't think tape will give you a more watertight seal, but it should give you added strength where you have a joint.

Agreed. My point being I didn't need to do it. It was added insurance - just a little safety buffer I guess. I could have stopped with the epoxy/woodflour mixture. Actually, I could have skipped the epoxy/woodflour mix all together and just covered with tonneau.

[WarPony]

...I don't think tape will give you a more watertight seal, but it should give you added strength where you have a joint......

Well, that should simplify things for me. My package of 3M glass bubbles arrived today. I'm going to use them with some epoxy and fill a BUNCH of screw holes and gaps with the mixture. I used some spot putty for the screw holes where the spars are joined to the walls........... yeah, that stuff is cracking around the edges of each hole so that crap will be Dremeled out and refilled with the epoxy/bubble mixture. This will be fun......... I hope

That tonneau looks good, Steve!!

Jeff

[planovet]

Nice!

[steve wolverton]

My package of 3M glass bubbles arrived today. I'm going to use them with some epoxy and fill a BUNCH of screw holes and gaps with the mixture.

You'll have to mix quite a bit of those glass bubbles in the epoxy to get a thickened mix. It will sag if you don't have other thickeners, so it's best to lay multiple coats to fill holes. It will sand nicely too. You're golden dude - good luck!

[aggie79]

Very cool!