Epoxying the bottom

[Maria CS20 104]

went out to pull cover off of the boat and wipe down to prep for epoxy. Found mold small spotty black soot like..... I wiped with mild bleach but didn't do much. Will it hurt to epoxy over the slight mold, or should I continue to bleach with mild solution? Weather is coolish 73 with winds blowing crap and dust after I wipe down. Is it okay to thin the epoxy with epoxy thinner, the way I have with the marine paint? It helped obviously with the painting. I plan on four or five thinned coats and then doing two or three coats of marine grade epoxy paint. Ideas Input begged for...

Jim

[PeterP]

Jim, try sanding - okoumi goes surface black when it gets wet. In any case even if it is mold I would clean it as well as possible and when dry coat it with epoxy. Mold needs air and moisture to survive. Encapsulation effectively puts the spores in permanent hibernation without weakening the works. (I am presuming the wood is sound) If the cosmetics bother you you could play with stains to even it out. Otherwise I would let it go as is especially if the surface is to be painted. I don't believe in thinning epoxy because it cures pretty and lures you into thinking it set up solid while in actual fact is is quite porous ( on microscopic level). PeterP

[Maria CS20 104]

I'll keep washing down with bleach and mild light scrubbing, really appreciate your response. Did not realize that micro holes could occur but I guess it makes sense as the material sets up it gathers and moves as the chemical reaction takes place at the micro level. I do not mind the staining as it will all be painted with an ivory color paint and green bottom coat. I am so close to get the boat turned over and moving into the car port to build the deck and thwart. On those issues I will be very careful as I want the deck bright (with a mahogany redish stain to set off the beautiful grain). Thanks again. Next are the masts and finishing the rudder and centerboard.

Jim

[Maria CS20 104]

Just finished coating entire bottom with epoxy, no thinned stuffed, again THANKS Peter. Used white micro rollers, high density but very flexible and worked the epoxy on the bias, up and down, on the bias and then with the grain along the length, see some run I think around the keel, but nowhere else. Looks good but sure shows the imperfections of my unskilled sanding hand, at least she is sealed. Now for three more coats. With these rollers it only took about 2 cups of epoxy to cover the entire hull although it means rolling up down bias on bias sideways around bias and lengthways the work was worth the effort, like I said, no runs and it looks like minimal to no sanding will be necessary of I do second coat within the next 18 hours or so......??? Comments? I do see where I will have a lot of final fill with mico balloons and fir out as best possible. So COOL. Not a bad use on the amount of epoxy, expected so much more from previous work and lack of experience.

Just Letting Ya Know

Jim

[PeterP]

I don't like to sand between coats if I can help it. Touching and sanding always bring me fisheyes. Runs don't bother me - they are good fat coating. Just keep rolling it on and let the rest of the surface catch up with them. Good luck PeterP

[Maria CS20 104]

Peter, thanks for the encouragement, never thought about runs that way but you are right, seem the more I sand the more I have to deal with runs, never thought about them filling in, I like your conclusion regarding fill in and move forward. Might have saved me a lot of work and bucks as I built this beast. As CHEY CHASE says, LOOKING GOOD.......................

So excited to be so near yet so far. Will try two coats tomorrow and worry about sanding at the end of the application.

Again thanks so much, you give even more to work with on the application than you realize

Jim A

[Tom Lathrop]

I like Peter's optimism about epoxy runs. He is certainly correct that it works best to leave sanding them out until the last coat is on and maybe get away without it. The reason thinning epoxy doesn't work as a sealer is that the thinner solvent, acetone, alcohol or whatever evaporates out and the spaces it occupied results in the porosity. There is no such thing as one part epoxy, paint or otherwise.