Sealing wood with fiberglass

[sofasurfer]

I made my seat bases out of plywood. I coated them with fiberglass resin to seal them. I did NOT apply fiberglass cloth or mat. I simply blushed on the resin. Will the resin hold to the wood or will it crack and flake off as I'm told it will.<br /><br />I also need to build a engine cover. Since I have some large sheets of particle board and chip board, I wonder if my above mentioned method of coating them with resin will last at least for a year or 2 or will I be disappointed the first time they get wet. <br /><br />Does resin actually soak into the wood or just adhere to the surface?<br /><br />Thanks...

 

[Terry H]

Re: Sealing wood with fiberglass

Sofa... it will soak into the wood so when it peals off some of the wood surface will come off with it...just a Thought

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: Sealing wood with fiberglass

Some resins are made to penetrate and bond to wood and are stable, some aren't and will peel off. Ask the manufacturer about your product.<br /><br />Don't know what you have in U.S., but here standard particle board breaks down fairly quickly if it gets wet much. High moisture resistant is a lot better, but there's a good reason they don't use particle board in exterior applications - it won't last. Marine ply or solid timber is best. <br /><br />If you have to use particle board, glue edge strips of solid timber (any kind - it'll still outlast the particle board) with a waterproof glue and paint all over. Edges are a lot more susceptible to moisture entry than main surfaces. If it's on a trailer boat that is stored under cover it'll easy last a couple of years, but I wouldn't use it on a moored boat or one stored outside.<br /><br />I've used "particle board" to mean any sort of chipped/chopped wood product which is reconstituted into panels with glues. They're all unsuitable for marine used. Also worse strength/weight ratio.

 

[flashback]

Re: Sealing wood with fiberglass

put a small piece of flakeboard in a bucket of water for a few days and enjoy...........