Optimizing resin content

[jbo_c]

I’m probably not the first person to try this, but I haven’t seen anybody else post it.

Trying to get optimal wet-out of my tape without wasting resin. So I cut it to length - 22 feet - rolled it up, and put it in a gallon zip-top bag. Weighed the bag and calculated the proper/optimal resin weight. Mixed the resin and hardener. Poured it into the bag, and used a dowel to roll/massage the bag until the glass had soaked up all the resin. Took the tape out and unrolled on the joint in the boat.

It took me about 10 minutes to apply and roll 22 feet of 6” tape that way - with the optimal resin ratio and very little waste.

It was a fair mass, so heat would possibly build up too quickly to do it in hot weather, but it was in the 60s and I taped all the interior joints with all the needed layers easy-peasy(and all wet on wet). I found it FAR easier than laying out the tape and wetting out in place and it’s much faster than wetting it out on a table and rolling it up as you go to carry to the boat.

Now I’m trying to decide how big a “sheet” I could do that with successfully.

Worked for me, maybe worth a try for you.

Jbo

[fallguy1000]

Well, you hit the nail on the head on it being a problem to scale or in hotter weather.

Epoxy is timed based on 100 gram mass. So, when you start talking scaling it; as soon as you get around 1/4 pound; you'll run into it kicking faster and it can be exponential. 1/4 pound of epoxy is 1/36th of a gallon or call it 4 ounces to keep it simple. Most of the wetouts for my boat used 4" 1708 tapes and they were an ounce per foot. So, the method only respects the timetables for 4' of tape before kick times go faster.

I've used a bucket method now and then, but distortion is another issue. Mat backed fabrics distort less.

For my tape wetting, plastic liner was used. This allowed the tapes to stay flatter and avoid heating up. Also kept them out of sun and wetout only the amount I felt I could apply within about half the window. This means 30 minutes, generally,. When wetting a 34 foot long tape; I'd only wet one or two.

One regret on my build was using mat backed tape. Used too much resin and this made the boat heavier. I digress.

[bklake]

This is interesting. You now know what a lamination, with an optimal ratio, looks like when it's put down. It may be too difficult to do large scale but you gained valuable knowledge.

I may do a test run just to learn what a near perfect lamination should look like. Picture on the internet and real life don't always look the same.