Great video Joe, please make sure that you wear protective glasses when you handle the hardener. These amines just blind you once a tiny drop gets in your eye. To save your eye you would have to use a special buffer solution that you do not have. Once you reach the hospital it is too late and the damage is done. Forever.😢
west system makes a prethickened epoxy called gflex 650..my buddy's and I have glued up 6 boats with it..simple 1to 1 ratio....great stuff...1 box will do all 4 castings and rear x bar...great job Joe! If you are ever in Oc NJ come sailing!
I've just glued up my old hobie as well, and a few tips I can offer... Have some acetone and rags on hand to clean up any epoxy that gets where it shouldn't be. After I glued it up, I had some sagging of the epoxy out of the joints (maybe I didn't thicken it enough), so I wrapped the joints with insulation tape to prevent this. Might be worth having a roll of tape available in case. I've heard it's a bad idea to epoxy in the side bars, it can cause the corner castings to break at some point in the future. A good silicone is a better option for those joints.
Thanks for the tips - I'll let everyone know if my castings fail due to the glued side beams. They were so loose that I felt that i had to do it! One return tip was to put sealant around the bottom of the castings
Just recently did a bottom job on my boat using west systems and micro balloons as well, your mixing looks spot on! Thinking really hard about epoxying the frame and pilons on my 83 16 next winter
Joe, as mentioned above the thickened Gflex from West System is perfect for this, with out needing any additive to thicken. . We have glued up several boats and they are still stiff and going strong after years of fun in the ocean. If you are ever on the East coast here in the US come to Ocean City New Jersey. Its the Hobie capital of the Mid Atlantic. You'll fit right in!
I wish i'd seen you comment before making the video! Yes, I thought I should have used more. She's feeling rigid but how it will cope with some heavy wind blasting is the test.
All good comments. Diagonals and level are important on the next go around. Slow hardener is key. It happens fast and you’ll need time. Please do one of the new worlds boats if ash will approve. You’ll be able to see the difference in the hull slop on any bridle wire camera shots
Did you check the diagonals? One bow could further forward than the other. We used to check the diagonals when tightening up the tramp. A fellow sailor in my area back in the 80's had a cradle for glueing H16s together. The old boats from California has looser castings than the French boats. Measure from port bow pin to starboard rudder pin and visa versa, as well as for level. Also there is 2 part tickened epoxy in a big double syringe that works pretty well.
I wish i'd have seen your comment before making the video. No I didn't check. Hopefully the boat will be straight enough not to notice. I st least made sure that the boat was level.
you can still check. The French castings are a lot better than the old California ones, maybe the diagonals are fine. IDK if it matters if the boat is a little better on one tack than the other. @@JoyriderTV
@JoyriderTV Wow quite the itinerary 👍 Nice beaches up there in the Florida panhandle for sure but about 10 hrs from me, on a good day, traffic-wise. But if I launch the cat. Friday, I could get there at least by Monday 🤔 Wnds allowing ofc... Check Google Earth for Clearwater Beach FL. In many ways, better than the panhandle, but in many other ways not as good. Just different, each great in their own way 🙂 Sunsets on Clearwater Beach are better, sipping a nice brew on the sand, watching the girls go by 🥰. The beaches on our west coast face west so the sunsets are awesome whereas up there you're facing south so...but the sands are a touch softer, "sugar sand" squeaky underfoot even. A couple of great restaurants down here too. Be sure to try and get over to go out on Pensacola Beach pier. Great spot. 👍 Also, the water is much more clear up there. Good diving in that respect. Down here we have Tampa Bay real close and its estuaries can make the water a bit murkier. Here's to hoping you have a great time. 🍺 🍻 first 3 on me 😂 Would be funny if Leeland Lee and I showed up there and said BOO, huh 😉 P. S. We have Pier 60 here, also a great pier...lots of tasty Snook to be caught via rod and reel for a fish fry 😋 From or near (on my Aquasport) that pier. I'm lucky to live in Florida \o/ Though Vasaliki looks pretty awesome in its way too.
when epoxy is total dry ...smere a little sikoflex around the glue job to stop salty water corrosion... could become soden over time... use masking tape and remove it when siko is tacky....cheers
