laying up new cowl - prevent glass texture showing

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Lennard Cuenco

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2010
Messages
578
what ways are there to prevent cloth texture from showing over time with a cowl layup?

recently used 4oz e glass, over 9 months texture began to show thru the paint...
 
what ways are there to prevent cloth texture from showing over time with a cowl layup?

recently used 4oz e glass, over 9 months texture began to show thru the paint...
In a word- gelcoat. From what I've been told in the past from knowledgeable people molding with 'glass the cloth texture starts to show due to resin shrinkage as it ages. A very thin layer of gelcoat will typically prevent that.
 
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Gel coat, then chop mat, then cloth. Even gel coat with cloth right behind it will end up showing cloth weave sooner or later. If you are using epoxy resins you will not have that shrinkage like polyester/vinylester will have, so therefore you can do your layup directly with cloth.
 
Gel coat, then chop mat, then cloth. Even gel coat with cloth right behind it will end up showing cloth weave sooner or later. If you are using epoxy resins you will not have that shrinkage like polyester/vinylester will have, so therefore you can do your layup directly with cloth.
You can also skip melting your lungs when you use epoxy
 
Matt is used for the purpose of helping to keep weave from showing thru...needs to be backed with cloth for structural strength...best to lay up everything wet if possible for strongest bond.
 
I'll tell you what , for a cowl the mat works great over a light gelcoat and is really strong for what it is . A cloth layup will be much lighter and stronger as well . Mat and cloth might be overkill depending on what type of cowl it is .
 
thank you for all the great feedback, this is using my own molds (fit to the build) so using Mike is not an option...

giant box cowl that folds when the boat goes over
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its a race boat. Why worry about a little weave showing. I'd be more worried about me running over you
 
curious what might happen if i put a light layer of epoxy/microballoons in the mold, let partially dry til slightly tacky, then put glass layers w/epoxy down...

yuh think this might eliminate cloth pattern from showing up?
 
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curious what might happen if i put a light layer of epoxy/microballoons in the mold, let partially dry til slightly tacky, then put glass layers w/epoxy down...

yuh think this might eliminate cloth pattern from showing up?
That's what I do. But I use Cabosil instead of microballoons. It works well
 
Surface tissue is what you can use to prevent that showing through, but would suggest letting the gel coat cure until its tack free, once you start to apply resin to lay cloth or csm the gel and resins will loosen under the thermal reaction and bind.
 
One trick I learned from dean Werges. Instead of 2to 3 medium to heavy coats of clear, put about.6 light to medium coats on. Takes longer and more expensive but it sure is easier to color sand and buff. Very little of the cloth comes thru later.
 
I use a 1 oz or less first layer of cloth. Its very fine and does not show thru. The heavier the weave the worse it gets.

Mike
 
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