Hey Andy Im Andy from Southern California..I am in the process of re-creating an entire cockpit seating layout on my 1985 Boston Whaler 27 full cabin express. All done in Coosa Board. Been watching your videos for over a year and you have been a huge source of inspiration and information. Becsuse of you. I have switched from Awlgrip and Awlcraft 2000 over to Alexseal where I plan to both spray and brush....I have a whole round of roll and spray catalysts, primer and topcoat ready to go. Really enjoy your work and dont sweat running out of reasin, im on my 4th gallon of epoxy after thinking a gollon would do...Only I have retail outlets close by. Again.thanks for what you do. Ill send you pictures of my 5 month covid project soon. Also... Quick question, I purchased a new Devilbiss "Finish Line" hvlp top loading spray gun, What tip size do you reccomend for the Alexseal primer and topcoats? Thanks! Ad
Really enjoy how thorough you are in explaining how you do things in your videos and it has helped me alot.Ive always been doing fiberglass repair jobs here and there but I'm getting picky on my 1976 14ss Baja.its rare to find these boats as they have a balsa wood layer inside which rots over time softening the structure.I found that out doing over 50mph and blowing out a chunk of the bottom forcing the boat to fill with water...Thanks to some higher power I made it to shore without sinking the engine ! So I've repaired the hull inside and out and removed the balsa core.Im ready to use fairing compound to fix some spots and true up the outside hull over where I have glassed and sanded.Hope it goes well! Thanks so much you are good at what you do and easy to watch.Cheers from Nova Scotia 🇨🇦
Why would anyone hate this? So you ran short on materials for now, big deal you'll get what you need and get it done I have no doubt of that. This happens to everyone at some point on certain jobs/projects. My problem is I always seem to order to much and overspend. I do that because I've ran into your exact issue in the past of running short of what I needed. I think I'd rather have your issue from a cost standpoint. It's always great to learn from a master craftsman even when he thinks he's made a big mistake or especially then. Now we get to see how an issue that anyone can run into is handled correctly. Thanks for another great and informative video, God Bless...
I was going to tackle some canoe issues on three little boats. JUST SAW they ain't so little. Gotta get MORE of everything... sincerely, thank you very very much.
Why would you think this is not a good video? A LOT was learned. Chopped Strand is really thirsty and this video proves it. I'm just amazed how well the fabric contoured the compound curves of the hull. Relief tears did the trick. Will see on the 13th!
I have a little bayliner that I dread having to replace stringers on and possibly the transom also. But the more of your videos I watch the more the dread goes away. Thank You for sharing your knowledge.
I've recently gotten myself into a project with a sailboat and your videos help so much. My janus ghost 13 was made in 73 and boy is it needing a bit of love from cracks to a hole on the centerline of the hull
Great video! Ive learned so much that i took on a decent sized fiberglass epoxy gig. It was to repair a floor in a trailer. I followed you instructions and it came out great!
Protip - when you are butting two sections of CSM together tear the edges (we call it feathering) so as you lay them up they merge into a single consistent layer - it means less sanding if you overlap a butt joint.
Andy, no worries. This came out well and had you not let us know, we would have thought you were only doing half the boat. Great tips as always and we learn more sometimes from mistakes than from edited videos that don't show pitfalls.
I like this video even more because it’s just real. Underestimating what you need & the plan just not working out, that’s just life. I appreciate & respect your humbleness & honest. Most people wouldn’t include that in the video. I must say, I was concerned about using 2 gallons of polyester resin with no respirator & wearing sandals, ha. And then I noticed no tape line to cover and protect that top molding. If the resin drops on the modeling, now you gotta spend time cleaning & scrapping it clean. But good video. 👍
I gave you a thumbs up for sure. I have learned all my fiberglass skills from you. Enough to tackle my own fiberglass project on my channel....keep'em coming my friend.
it is what it is, deffo worth a thumbs up and a subscribe, this is raw unedited life of building and the fact you show your temporary mistakes makes a more truthful wholesome video
As I have said previously I don't have a boat YET...I watch you and the work you do, Born Again Boating and he work he does and a few others...to give me an idea if it is feasible for me to undertake any of the tasks you guys make seem so easy...I do have base to medium level mechanical and automotive electrical systems abilities...although may be not all the tools required, but an adequate amount over the last 62 years...I do know that I suck at glass' work, so that will be farmed out...especially structural...I have no time constraints unless of course I croak before the boat is done and I can lay out the cash over a period of time...the other thing I watch for is the amount of "real time" you guys tell us it takes for a "normal" task...this gives me an idea of what it will potentially cost me when pricing the farmed out work based on a "by the job" rate or "by the hour" rate...so that is helpful...my project boat will be therapy work for me...to use my hands and brain to produce an end result that can be used, if not by myself than someone else...thanks for your knowledge, experience, patience and graciousness to share your skills with us...later, Paul...
I chuckled when you said one gallon, I did a “small” roof repair on my float home, probably about the same amount of chopstrand you used, plus a little extra. The roof portion alone took 6 gallons. I thought I was good with 4. 🤷♂️ Great job love the videos
You do the DIY AND professionals a great service and make it look almost fun. As a pro, may I suggest the following based on my experience- Following the sanding and cleaning, you're right to fill the cracks with a reinforced filler, fine, but the common crazing your looking to just seal, I'd suggest laying on a single layer of veil. The resin it holds will seal everything and get you a pretty fair finish. Still, I'd have had a solid 2 gallons available. Whatever wasn't used in wetting out the 1-1/2 - 2 oz (?) Matt can be rolled on after, sealing everything further and helping fill the voids nobody sees until its primer time. Kudos, to you sir.
New subscriber here. Need to learn how to "glass". Have an aircraft engine cowl with a fiberglass front that needs pits and cracks repaired before painting. Lot to learn. Glad I found your videos!
Complete respect, and thank you. You have shown us that mistakes are made. Been watching your videos for a long while, heck you’ve inspired me to buy and attempt to restore a Canoe. So worried I’m going to mess it up, but I’m sure if I follow your teachings I’ll do my best. Thank you again...... also I just learned how much I need for my 14 ft’er.
Hate the video? No way! Why on Earth would anybody do that? It's a guy doing stuff, filming it, and showing us how things went. That's 100% why I watch RU-vid! I'm not interested in super-slick productions made by self-obsessed poseurs, edited and censored to make them look good and me look stupid. (Lots of videos fall into that category. Yeeugh.) This video was clear, honest, informative and entertaining. I used to make RC model gliders (4 metre wingspan) from carbon-fibre/ fibreglass/ kevlar and epoxy composites, using vacuum-bagging during curing. Estimating materials was always tricky, and mistakes could be costly. I was always over-cautious and luckily never mucked anything expensive up, but anybody who's done anything similar with cloth or mat and resin will know that every job's different, and hands-on experience is something that you just can't buy. The NEXT job will always be the one that goes without a hitch, right guys? ;-) I'm very glad that you were able to stop at a convenient point; no harm done, no materials wasted, useful experience gained. That's a 'win' in my book. And besides, running out of resin is the perfect excuse for a much-needed tea/coffee break...
Don't beat yersel up mate .... better to wait to get a quality job than run ahead and screw it up! I've learned lots from you already and really appreciate your help! Many thanks from a wee village in Scotland!
Thanks andy.I have a transom i replaced and was going to cover the stearn before gelcoating to strengthen the glass that once had a transom flex that cracked the gelcoat that when sanded down was discovered those cracks go pretty far past the gelcoat.Rather than try to sand them out my idea was to buzz the cracks with a small belt sander then use thickened resin as a fairing filler then cover the stearn with csm.this is the first vid that backs up my idea.ty
Andy, you've probably been asked this many times before, but I'm new here. Why not use bidirectional craws foot weeve instead of chopped strand. It lays down beautifully over compound curves and it is lighter.
I was gluing a new support in my boat and my scales took a wobbly with the epoxy. After 5 minutes next door asked what was on fire and the mixing tub with silica in it was bubbling and smoking. The mix set in the tub in 18 minutes to a full solid. Luckily my joint was thinner so it set ok in the end. Always good fun
Another great video thanks Andy, we bought a Sealine SC35 36' sport boat which turned out to be one of Sealines interior plug boats (2 ton of ply) before they went bust and watching your channel has been hugely informational and confidence building.. looking forward to part 2
i've never done any fiberglass or boat work of any kind, but i watch every single video. the projects and process is just cool. think i could tackle something if i ever need to after following your content for so long. i'm such a nerd... lol
Experience is the backbone of expertise, which of course includes all the 'oops' moments. Thank you for posting the oops, and taking us along on all your projects/processes - maybe one of these days I'll put it to practical use!
Thanks for your no frills honesty , great video , had my first not cured roof section last week , could have kicked myself , 1/3 of roof tacky , sorted on the 2nd coat , sxxx happens unless u do nothing and nothing happens
You got my thumbs up, and this comment. Its all good man. It actually helps me to see that even you make mistakes, or mis-judgements. It's not me!!! No worries. I'll be back, and I'll keep telling my friends to come watch too.
Good stuff Andy, no need to apologize. Your videos are meant to be educational, and I learned some stuff (more than just order plenty of resin). Two things: - where your CSM sheets meet on the sides, it looks lke you chose to overlap an inch or two, but down the centerline you have them butted or maybe separated by a whisper. Maybe in next weeks video you can explain your CSM layout thought process. (Boy, it's a good thing you ran out of resin so there'll be time to touch on this. ;-) ) - I apologize for being a chemistry nerd, but the hardener is MEKP, Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide... all one chemical. When you call it MEK with peroxide it is like saying that I exhale carbon with dioxide. Thanks for the videos. Stay well and enjoy these last few weeks of warm.
Thank you for another highly informative video. It is good to see you working. I have learned so much from your videos and have embarked on my own repairs to me boat as a result.
Hey Andy - Loved this presentation!! I'm out of town on my work computer and usually don't comment from this venue. However, loved this one so much can't help but say THANKS today!! Can't wait until the 13th for more.
in the early 80s.. i helped a friend with some fiber glassing on his boat.. we used epoxy.. so it was a 1 to 1 mix with various fillers in some batches.. some got peralite, some got phenolic resin mixed in the batch depending on where it was going. it ended up taking almost four 55 gallon drums of epoxy. then we top coated that with around 18 gallons of white imron. that did not include anything on the outside below the handrails.. that was just decks and cabin. i think we were out of the water for 4 months..
good to see even the Great and Awesome ANDY is just a human like the rest of us. we love ya. and all the great education and entertainment you share with us. Thank you.
Don't get me wrong - Absolutely love your work, experience, and expertise. What I cannot understand is how you run out of basic materials of your trade. Resins can last for approximately a year. Would it not be more economical and efficient to stockpile some that would save you a LOT of time and money such as with 5-gallon quantities and even drums? I was amazed by reviewing prices of quarts and gallons vs a drum and even 5-gallon quantities.
Happens to us all Andy! Spent my morning driving a grinder on an old Johnsen skiff to find out I too did not have enough resin in stock to glass what I needed to glass!😂😂😂 Damn to bad luck!🔥🔥🔥
Great video! Sorry things didn’t work out the way you had hoped. It’s reassuring to see that I’m not the only one who makes mistakes. (Although the rate at which I make mistakes is much higher than the rate you make them!)
Andy, many of my "10-minute" jobs end up taking an hour and I do a lot of planning. As we say in the military, no plan survives first contact. I'll bet watching you do the second side will look a lot like watching you do the first side anyway. I'm eager to see what you do after all the mat is laid. Hang in there buddy. This was another great video.
Very interesting videos for common boatears! Being an MRT since 18 years (Marine Repair Technician) I would say... please wear your organic vapor mask and tell your public to do so!!!!
I feel for you Andy. This past Sunday I went to put in new section of deck core on my boat the second pump on my resin was spitting air. Like you, there is always next week to finish. LOL!
Andy it just proves even the best of us make mistakes. S**T happens bud but if you want to pop across the pond ive got a couple of gallons of Lloyd's approved poly you can have 😆 That bow section looks like its definitely going to be a re do now im thinking, Keep up the good work bud, your videos are inspirational to a lot of us, you've made me a really confident laminator thats for sure, there's nothing I wont have a go at now since I've been watching you videos. So thank you 😊
Makes me feel a little better that if the best of us can misjudge it then no shame for the rest of us. Don't sweat it, it will just eek out the anticipation for the painting.
Ooops. I did exactly that a few weeks ago, thought the 3 x 5 kg cans I had would be enough for a job but decided to order a 25 kg and keep the small cans on the shelf. Yep, I used the 25 kg and 2 of the 5 kg. 3-4 layers of 450 gram mat soon adds up. Des.
Hardly ever do I embark on a project thinking I have everything and not end up making either additional trips to hardware store, or needing to order something I did not anticipate needing. Murphy spares no one!
The old saying: Measure twice, cut once. The new, accurate saying (especially when working with boats): measure twice, cut once... go buy more wood to try again. Same can be said of resin and glass. Glad to see I'm in good company. Can't wait until the skin is on and you get to do some Oh Glorious Sanding!
Hi Andy. Thanks that you shared with us info about the volume of resin you spent so far. It seems to be massive. Wouldn’t be a thin layer of fiberglass woven fabrics better in terms of both resin consumption and further fairing requirement? Why have you decided to apply such thick CSM instead? As you told, that is the matter of cosmetic layer only. Please comment on that in your next video. I'm staying tuned. PK
Andy why dont you buy resin by the pail (5 gallon) or depending on your off-camera needs, by the drum! In my area, the per gallon price for 5 gallons is about 25% that of a single gallon!!! I have also found that 1708 is actually cheaper to use than 1.5oz mat because of the different glass/resin ratios. But, like you, I tend to underestimate my resin needs no matter what! Enjoyed your video per usual
Was almost out of Acetone, only had a bit left to do, but needed more. Of course the hardware store was out of quarts, bought a gallon. The next day, under the sink in the garage -- gallon of Acetone, unopened. &UCK