Eric's C21

[Eric1]

Hi Jacquesmm,
I got the epoxy kit in about a week or so back but I have not been able to get started until now. I have been in great pain with my shoulder. The packing list shows 1.5 gallons of EZ fillet, I receive a 1 gallon kit. If this is sufficient that's fine, if not please ship the balance when you can.
One additional note: Double bag the graphite powder for shipping!!! Mine developed a small hole in the bag and it was a heck of a mess! LOL

As I'm unfamiliar with some of the products in the kit I have to ask these questions:

1. Am I supposed to use the GelMagic adhesive for Transom lay up? If not, do I use the Silvertip epoxy without any filler?

2. Is the Ez Fillet used in place of wood flour for making fillets by itself or do I mix it with ST epoxy??

3. Is the Quickfair used on it's own or is it mixed with ST to make a fairing compound?

4. Is the 4" wide 9oz. fiberglass tape or the 6" biaxial 12 oz. used for making long panels?

Thank You for patience, I'm not a boat builder yet, but I plan to be!!
God Bless You,
Eric

[Dougster]

I'll chime in for now;

1. Am I supposed to use the GelMagic adhesive for Transom lay up? If not, do I use the Silvertip epoxy without any filler?

GelMagic is a stand alone product, and works best as a glue. Yes for the transom. Do not mix ST with it. ST is the "champagne" of epoxy resin, best used for wetting out glass. You may consider ordering a bit of Marinepoxy for general purpose use. You can mix epoxy in the 2:1 ratio and add wood flour to get a thicker consistency. A little thick makes glue, thicker makes fillets.

2. Is the Ez Fillet used in place of wood flour for making fillets by itself or do I mix it with ST epoxy??

Same answer as 1. EZ Fillet is very nice and best used exclusively for fillets. Again, you can make your own with general purpose epoxy (marinepoxy) and wood flour, but start wih the EZ stuff to see what you're looking for.

3. Is the Quickfair used on it's own or is it mixed with ST to make a fairing compound?

Same answer. Quickfair is lovely stuff, pricey, and a stand alone fairing compound. As in the above, you can make your own compound, but instead of woodflour you buy a fairing powder at Bateau to blend with general purpose resin.

It will become more clear as you use the products.

Hopin' that helps Dougster

4. Is the 4" wide 9oz. fiberglass tape or the 6" biaxial 12 oz. used for making long panels?

[Eric1]

Thank you Dougster!! Big Help!!!

Does anyone know if Jacques is ok? I hav not seen him on the forum in a while. Just concerned for him.

Eric

[terrulian]

Eric,
I think what a lot of builders do with Quick Fair is start with a cheaper blend mentioned by Dougster for fairing, typically epoxy mixed with microballoons and silica (which is an additive that helps control sag). You can mix these to a thickness appropriate for the job. This is messier and takes longer to cure but does the job. Then after a round or two of filling and sanding, switch to Quick Fair for final fairing. It really does work better but is a bit pricey to use for all the fairing on the boat.

PS sorry about the shoulder pain!

[Eric1]

Thanks terrulian!

Jacques , I found the EZ Fillet.

[kcinnick]

Jacques has open heart surgery a couple days ago, there are a few threads on it.

[Eric1]

Thanks for letting me know,
I will have him in my prayers.

[mmachonis]

Eric,

My name is Mark Machonis. I am about to start building the C21 also. I do not have any boat building experience. I have read several boat building books prior to embarking on this project. I just received my kit and will be ordering the Silver Tip Epoxy kit this week. I have a few things to get done around my house before I get started. I am hoping for next Friday. I was wondering if we could keep in contact directly to discuss our progress and our challenges. My email address is mmachonis@comcast.net.

Mark

[mmachonis]

Hey Eric,

I had an idea to build my center console first to get familiar with the Epoxy Systems and the Paint System before I start the main Hull Structure.

Mark

[PrometheusNL]

Whenever i start trying something new like epoxy glue or filleting or even a new tool i bought. I test it out on a couple of scraps of wood and see how it behaves.

Why not make a wood box with filets fiberglass or something else you wish to make.

I find that the time spent experimenting the tool or technique will benifit me more over the duration of the build then if i started right away and ran into problems and got stuck on stupid stuff.

Now i'm somebody that likes to know what they are doing before ever doing it so i went a bit overboard i built a scale model of my fl12 just for fun

Glad Jaques din't charge me the extra build on the boat plans