Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

[Darren Nemeth]

I had to spread out my roll of fiberglass mat to cut strips in the shape of my stringers today.

Did it on the sidewalk in front of my house and got grass clippings in it that are hard to get out.

Is it okay that there are little specks of green in there? I am assuming it is but want to check first. If not I can try to get the rest out.

Will start laminating the strips on the stringers tomorrow so I can glass them in the hull later next week.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

Each little speck is a spot of moisture and organic material waiting to start rotting. There's probably not enough to significantly weaken the glass though, so if you're ok with little black spots here and there through the glass, then you can probably go ahead.

In the future, I'd recommend keeping the mat as clean as possible, either cut it on a makeshift table or lay out plastic first to keep it clean.

Dirt is an issue, but the real one is moisture.

Erik

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

Okay. I will try to clean as much out as i can and put the side the grass is on on the opposide side of the wood.

 

[keepNitreel]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

So the Bat Boat is going green huh

Doesn't sound like it would hurt anything but maybe one of the experts will have something different to say though, like don't use that cloth with the grass clippings because your stringer will turn into a tree and grow threw the hull

I would use it regardless

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

So the Bat Boat is going green huh

I think ORGANIC is a more like it!

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

Hello Darren..

Its going to be fine m8..( as long as its not covered .. use your best judgment )

Dou probably have more moisture in your wood .

Also Im sure by now most of the moisture is out of the grass.

YD.

PS. However..if you start seeing a spruce..or elm tree growing out of your hull..dont look at me.

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

Thanks, everyone for your help. I am fiberglassing these tomorrow if it does not rain.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

So we must be in the inner circle of trust..... yup the Bat boat is secretly hauling grass below deck

There are many people in jail for that

 

[keepNitreel]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

So we must be in the inner circle of trust..... yup the Bat boat is secretly hauling grass below deck

There are many people in jail for that

HA!!!!!!!!

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

It is kind of funny you guys mention trees growing under the deck. When I was tearing it up there was several handfuls of acorns under there. How they got there is still a mystery to me.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

It is kind of funny you guys mention trees growing under the deck. When I was tearing it up there was several handfuls of acorns under there. How they got there is still a mystery to me.

Squirrel.

I can't tell you the number of times I've found some squirrel's winter food supply in odd places... I think the worst was in the hub of one of my props... absolutely packed with sunflower seeds.

One spring we also found one of the wet exhausts for the 30 foot trojan we use plugged up with grass and twigs... apparently it had happened the previous fall, when a local muskrat decided that small, deep hole just above the water line would be a great place to save some food for the coming snowy season.... the whole plug came out in one big "poof"... looked like someone tossed a bale of hay into the marina.

Erik

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

Squirrel.

I can't tell you the number of times I've found some squirrel's winter food supply in odd places... I think the worst was in the hub of one of my props... absolutely packed with sunflower seeds.

One spring we also found one of the wet exhausts for the 30 foot trojan we use plugged up with grass and twigs... apparently it had happened the previous fall, when a local muskrat decided that small, deep hole just above the water line would be a great place to save some food for the coming snowy season.... the whole plug came out in one big "poof"... looked like someone tossed a bale of hay into the marina.

Erik

Geesh!

I picked all the cloth clean of grass clippings before glassing today.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: Grass in my fiberglass cloth okay?

LOL MY neighbor had to make a cover out of hardware cloth for the aircleaner intake on his van to keep the squirrels from packing his aircleaner full of acorns .



Rick