Re: My 69' Formula Project
I guess if your on a budget it is cheaper for polyester. The one thing I would be worried about is getting a bad stick. You are going to have to tie this floor into the sides and that will be a high stress joint. You can only get a machanical bond unlike when they built the boat they had a more chemical bond with the FG. Polyester just dont stick like epoxy and thats the main reason I would use epoxy over poly. Other pluses to epoxy is very forgivnig on mixing,it dones't fume much compaired to poly, slightly more flexiball when cured, you can add thickners to custom make puddies to fair out edges all at the same time your laying the glass. The cost difference shouldn't be more then 200 to 300 $ on the project. To me its worth it for the epoxy. The cloth will cost the same. you could go to 3 layers of the 1/4" stuff. That would be more then they had to start with. The epoxy really tightens those layers up especialy the 17/08 cloth on top. Use the plastic poly sheathing to over the wet epoxy to make a finished smooth surface the needs little fairing, mostly around the edges and corners. That what I used when I recore my gunnels and glassed the gunnel to the hull. Built up the 1 layer of cloth on the plastic, then added the 3/8 plywood and 3 more layers of cloth. Wetted all this out real good and used the plactic to carry it to the work spot then pressed it in place, toothpicked it in and smoothed out the air to the edges of the plastic. Dont even make a mess this way. Left the plastic on till it cured and it pulled off leaving a nice smooth finish. Just wandering about your sringers. Mine rotted from the bottom up from trapped water in the hollows under the stringers. The stringer wern't cut exactley to the hull and the resin ran out from under them when they built it. Might be worth a couple test holes at the base of each of them b4 you start the floor.
I guess if your on a budget it is cheaper for polyester. The one thing I would be worried about is getting a bad stick. You are going to have to tie this floor into the sides and that will be a high stress joint. You can only get a machanical bond unlike when they built the boat they had a more chemical bond with the FG. Polyester just dont stick like epoxy and thats the main reason I would use epoxy over poly. Other pluses to epoxy is very forgivnig on mixing,it dones't fume much compaired to poly, slightly more flexiball when cured, you can add thickners to custom make puddies to fair out edges all at the same time your laying the glass. The cost difference shouldn't be more then 200 to 300 $ on the project. To me its worth it for the epoxy. The cloth will cost the same. you could go to 3 layers of the 1/4" stuff. That would be more then they had to start with. The epoxy really tightens those layers up especialy the 17/08 cloth on top. Use the plastic poly sheathing to over the wet epoxy to make a finished smooth surface the needs little fairing, mostly around the edges and corners. That what I used when I recore my gunnels and glassed the gunnel to the hull. Built up the 1 layer of cloth on the plastic, then added the 3/8 plywood and 3 more layers of cloth. Wetted all this out real good and used the plactic to carry it to the work spot then pressed it in place, toothpicked it in and smoothed out the air to the edges of the plastic. Dont even make a mess this way. Left the plastic on till it cured and it pulled off leaving a nice smooth finish. Just wandering about your sringers. Mine rotted from the bottom up from trapped water in the hollows under the stringers. The stringer wern't cut exactley to the hull and the resin ran out from under them when they built it. Might be worth a couple test holes at the base of each of them b4 you start the floor.