FL14 (in Texas) - FINISHED!

[bredstein]

Today I received plans and an epoxy kit. A good start... Also got myself a 140 tooth disk for my circular saw.



Also I realised that these 3 gallons should be used with caution. Which made me think about using a much cheaper wood glue for those parts that will be covered with epoxy/tape. Did anybody has any experience? From my side I can say that wood glue (such as Titebond) provides a bond superior to the strength of wood itself.

...And it is also nice to work with epoxy here in Texas - before I read Baba's post I was thinking: do I need to cool the resin in the fridge for a while to give me more time? We are in the stable 80ies already

[rjezuit]

If you got medium hardener, yes. In the 80's it'll kick pretty fast. Also USE THE EPOXY TO GLUE. The amount you use for gluing on an FL14 is inconsequential, and it works. The stuff is easy to use, low smell, waterproof, all the things you need. You will have fun with the FL14, it's a fun build. Not too complex, but challenging enough to be fun if you have never done it before. Rick

[baba101]

Bredstein,

A warm welcome to the club....I will be learning a lot from you...


I started this project mainly for learning the build process....will be making lots of mistakes...but you soon get a sense that there is an Army of experienced builders ready to help you along the way....

Enjoy...and keep as posted....

[Mike Adams]

Hi Bredstein,

Welcome to the forum and the FL14 group!

IMHO you should NOT try to use a wood glue for the build. Most wood glues are not good space fillers and require a fairly close fit to the wood pieces being joined to ensure a good bond. Epoxy glue can fill any minor gaps, so it doesn't matter if your wood pieces don't fit exactly. As Jacques often says, these are not wooden boats - they are epoxy/fibreglass boats with plywood cores. Even though you may not cover the entire FL14 with fibreglass as I did, this principle still holds true for the seams. You will not have any problem with epoxy glue, but personally I would not be so confident about using ordinary wood glues. As Rick says, the amount of epoxy you use for gluing is inconsequential - most of it will be used on the fillets and fairing.

Best of luck with the build.
Mike

[bredstein]

Thanks everybody for the warm welcome! Even before getting the plans I have been browsing this forum in a reading mode and noticed how friendly and helpful its members are.

Now to the glue question, that is epoxy vs wood glue. Usually the same rule applies to the wood glue - two surfaces shouldn't be pressed too hard together, it is more than enough to use a car battery (as I saw on a few builders' pictures) for a good pressure.

As Jacques often says, these are not wooden boats - they are epoxy/fibreglass boats with plywood cores.

That is exactly the point! What is important is a good core. And how one achieves it is less important. I'll try to use it for joining the side and bottom panels, blocks for oarlocks and motor, and maybe rubrailes. The only concern is water, but I'll epoxy it 2-3 times, and hopefully it will work...

Andrey

[rjezuit]

How much do you think you will save using the wood glue? My thought is maybe 6 ounces. That seems a little cost for peace of mind. You could do all of the butt blocks with what is in the sample kit. Rick

[bredstein]

I am not completely convinced yet, and some of my friends who make kayaks say that wood glue is great under fiberglass. Anyway, I started with what I have. The coming week is a Spring break, and so I need to be fast



After two hours one side was ready to be glued. Without two kids riding their bikes over my playwood with the plans it could have taken less time...

I finished with the glue; let's see how it works tomorrow. I have no experience with this epoxy-flour mix, hard to believe that it's bond is superiour to the wood glue.



Two things that surprised me at this point: the plastic cup with glue leftover melted because ot got real hot, and I realized too late that the block has to be twice as narrow - for some reason I made it 12'' wide.

[bermudian]

Bredstien I have made a woodstrip canoe with wood glue coved with 4oz glass , I also just finished a OD16 . But this is stich and glue(wood flour epoxy mix )boat building . Like you I wasn't experienced with wood flour mix and didn't think it wouldn't be as strong. Trust me wood flour mix is strong, and you will get used to mixing for the right aplication. Besides the day you tell everyone that you will be building a boat is the day when you find out that 50% of them are expert shipbuilders. Enjoy the build and trust me it wont be your last.

[rjezuit]

If the epoxy kicks too fast, spread it out in an old (or new) teflon frying pan. The exothermic (heat producing) reaction slows down with more surface area. Rick

[ArizonaBuilder]

If the epoxy kicks too fast, spread it out in an old (or new) teflon frying pan. The exothermic (heat producing) reaction slows down with more surface area. Rick

Rick is correct, the sooner you can get the mixed epoxy spread out the more working time you will have.

For glue and fillets I like to put the mixed glue/fillet in a sandwich bag. I will cut of the corner of the bag and twist the open end of the baggy. Now I can use all the material quickly spreading it out as glue or for my fillets. Once the material is down on the boat, I have a lot more time to play with it building my fillets or spreading out the glue.

The same applies for the straight epoxy, the sooner you can get it out of the cup the more working time you have.