fibreglass cloth thickness 4.24 oz vs 6 oz cloth

[merrimange]

I have found a good deal on what appears to be a lighter weighted cloth. Will it matter that much? I know that is relative. Apply an extra coat of resin to offset? Thanks.

[Guest]

Simple fix is to apply two layers, if you have a deal on glass, with almost the same amount of resin required for one layer, a filler layer of resin in the same process of glassing one layer. Its done all of the time, in cases of smaller boats, and funny turns and shapes in the hull design.

Here is the deal though. Sometimes cheap glass is inferior in nature, by the nature of not receiving the resin properly, rendering all of the savings to the dump. First thing is to make sure the fiberglass is pure white. When looking at it on an angle, good glass will give off a little sheen on it, too.

This is paramount when finding deals on glass. Post the brand and costs. It may not be a deal, if you serach around the net with the normal online distributors.

By the way, free standing resin has no strength, as such.

[Frank Hagan]

If you're building a Weekender, then the strength of the 6 ounce glass is not needed. It is there to help with abrasion and prevent checking of the fir plywood (if you used fir plywood). The Weekender is plenty strong without the glass.

I used 5.5 ounce glass that was on sale for $3.40 a yard in 50" widths ... because most people were getting 6 ounce, they had a hard time selling it. I would think you could use 4 ounce glass without any problem.

[Guest]

I checked out the site. The sizes of glass comes in 4 foot x60 feet long. This is 240 square feet, or divided by 9 feet in a yard, comes to around 26 2/3 yds of cloth , if my math is correct, for around 20 dollars. Hum, I have spent a lot more and gotten less in life. I have never been much of a gambler myself.

[Frank Hagan]

I missed the link to the site ... but that does sound too cheap! Makes me suspicious ... a "deal too good to be true" usually is not much of a deal.

But I don't make the "scores" my friends tell me about, either. Being cautious is not always a good thing!

[Frank Hagan]

I took a look at it too. You know, I think the price is for a 10' long piece for $9.99, whereas RAKA's regular price for 4 ounce cloth 50" wide is 4.75 a yard (and Aircraft Spruce is $4.90 a yard). RAKA's price for 10' of the stuff would be $15.90 versus $9.99.

Getting it for 1/3 off is not that outrageous a deal ... so, at least for me, it doesn't fall into the "too good to be true" category.

The Weekender needs 20 yards of cloth, IIRC. Not sure the seller has that much.

6oz cloth price check (50" wide or similar):

RAKA.com: $5.50 a yard

HamiltonMarine.com: $10.43 a yard

InfinityComposites.com: $5.25 a yard

defender.com: $6.99 a yard

That's from $105 to $140 per Weekender, throwing out the highest price from Hamilton Marine (they were the ones I got the $3.40 per yard cloth from back in 2000).

[Guest]

Pricing is all over the place. Buy it now prices are really strange, with no consistancy, as I read it.

4ft x 60ft ,,Price: US $19.99= 26 2/3yd

4ft x 30ft CHEAP US $9.99=13 2/3 yd,?

4ft x 3yd? =9 feet long, , 4 yds at US $6.99, =??

[Frank Hagan]

Yeah, it is all over the place. I mis-read it.

Still, for $20 for enough to do a Weekender, as opposed to $110, it might be worth the gamble. Kind of the inverse of my "too good to be true" rule: if the price is cheap enough, then there's little to lose.

[Stump]

I just recieved my glass and epoxy from RAKA. I got 1/3 more than listed in the plans, 30 yards of 50 inch, 6 oz cloth, and 5 gallons of epoxy that I can use down to 40 degrees for curing. Adding in a few odds and ends and shipping it was $430.00. Since I have never used the stuff before I felt better about using a "known" product.

I swollowed alot while ordering it but I figured in this case being cheap would not be in my best interest.

BTW. the ordering process itself was painless. I just told Larry how much I wanted and were I was going to be working with it (outside, under a tarp) and he suggested the correct mix. 8)

[Frank Hagan]

Hmmm' date=' I don't think I would reccomend swallowing epoxy... But to each his own.

Contact dermatitis to the GI tract anyone?[/quote']

Worse than that, its "exothermic" so it would kick off even without exposure to air. :wink:

One time, I did the math on building a Weekender with cheap Okume or Meranti and not glassing, and it came out about the same because of the cost of the glass and epoxy. The problem I saw with not glassing was that my workmanship does not lend itself to a "bright" finish (there was a lot of "gap filling" with thickened epoxy!)

[capt jake]

Worse than that, its "exothermic" so it would kick off even without exposure to air.

Mmmmm, warms the inards! ;)

I got a 'great' deal on some 4 oz for my strip kayak. The great deal turned out to be a royal pain as theh cloth had a major flaw all the way trough on a 45 degree angle. Of course I didn't see it until it was too late. so much for saving money! ;)

[Konrad in Lincoln]

Hey Ray.

Is that really you in that avatar?

[Konrad in Lincoln]

You should grow a handlebar mustache, man.

It'd look like a million bucks on you.

I need an avatar, how do I do that? :?

[Charlie Jones]

Ray- I don't even OWN one of those things you have around your neck in that picture.

I used to have 2 of them but Laura chunked 'em out. Said "you'll NEVER wear these. Why keep them?"

She was right

[Frank Hagan]

You should grow a handlebar mustache' date=' man.

It'd look like a million bucks on you.

I need an avatar, how do I do that? :?[/quote']

Click on the "Profile" link in the bottom blue menu bar at the top, and then scroll down ... you can upload an avatar, or select from a library of ones.

[Konrad in Lincoln]

I'm just ribbin' you, hope you don't mind.