Filler Tip

Hi All

This is probably common knowledge but I'm finishing off my homebuild and filling small imperfections such as pin holes and the like. It seemed when I first started getting to paint I would find the pin holes fill them with epoxy filler and the next day sand these down in the hope of top coating shortly there after, but after the sanding would find another one or two or more...So not wanting to wait til the next weekend or what ever. A boatbuilding friend of mine told me this....

Mix up a small amount of your two pack epoxy undercoat, (I used some syringe type things to make a small amount), then mix some of my microlight filler in that. I used an cheap artist type paint brush to fill the pin holes, in a few hours ready to sand.

May be helpful to someone.

Regards

So Matt, what were the pinholes? trapped air bubbles? And I wonder if there was a way of avoiding this to start?

The pinholes appear mainly where fibreglass cloth was applied, and where filler like microsperes is applied, they would be air bubbles, but they are very very tiny and show up best to fill with the undercoat on, and probably show up even better in the top coat <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Discussed on another boatbuilding forum is to apply the resin when the temperture is dropping, not rising, but apart from that I don't really know how to avoid them.

Hopefully work it out one day, maybe during the next project...

Regards

Can you put a light epoxy coat on then pull a light vacuum on the whole piece? OR_ when making epoxy "decoupage" trophies or table tops many years ago- there was a "bubble spray" that would pop all surface bubbles. What was that?

I have been fairing on & off for 3 months now. It is a 2 steps forward, 1 step back project. There are 2 distinct low spots and rather than over fill them and sand them back, I opted to sand everything around them. Mistake Mistake Mistake. Last night I have filled the low spots for the last time. I hope.

Speaking to my panel beater mate, who will be painting the boat, he assures me the 2 pack paint will hide any minor inperfections.

SO hopefully only another 2 hours of sanding and I can start work on the deck.

I'm ready to paint this week, finally, however my paint guy isn't, I nearly convinced myself to DIY, but without any quality spraying gear, I didn't see the point of spending more buying new gear, however hes not ready too paint this week unfortunately.

After the last undercoat, I gave the hulls a mist spray with a black aerosol, it makes things a hell of a lot easier to see, including pin holes and scratches, then used the filler method above.

I spent all last two weekends on the wet n dry, and they've come up really good, as I said, ready to go, can't wait.

Regards

I have come to the conclusion that fairing is an art.

Almost done though.

TJ

I'm hearing ya