This article was taken from the building of the BaD Ship Models
kit, USS Bunker Hill. You may need to alter the
steps for your application.
This article will detail the steps needed to
fiberglass a wooden hull.
Once you have the hull planked, it need to be sanded and filled.
Once this is done, it's time to add the fiber glass. I recommend using 2 oz.
glass and epoxy based resin. This is easy to use and has no offensive orders.
(Click to enlarge pictures)
Before you start, make sure your work table
and hull are free from dust and clean. Lay your cloth over your hull and cut to
size. It took one square yard of cloth to do a hull 71" x8", so
make sure you have enough before you start.
Mix your risen (I use those neat little
disposable dishes) and brush it into the cloth. Work out any wrinkles, bumps,
bubbles or creases.
Work carefully and take your time. The
better the finish the less sanding you will have to do later! Around the sonar dome,
I cut strips of cloth. I soaked them in resin, then used my fingers to ensure they
fully contacted the surface of the hull.
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Allow the resin time to set. trim the excess
cloth and lightly sand the hull. DO NOT SAND THROUGH THE CLOTH!
You only want to rough up the surface and sand out any runs, bumps or problem areas.
Clean the hull after you have given it a
light sanding. The next few coats of resin will fill in any imperfections.
Apply your resin, let it set and then sand again. Repeat this process until you get
a smooth coat of resin over then entire hull surface. Remember to let the resin do
the work, and not to kill yourself by sanding. ;-)
After you have completed the outside of your
hull, now apply a coat of resin to the inside. This will water proof the inside.
Roger's Notes: This
step took me a few days to complete. I took my time and achieved and excellent
finish. Don't be afraid to add filler between coats of resin. After the final
coat of resin was dry, I wet sanded the entire hull. Looked for any voids or errors,
then added filler. Most of the errors I had to correct were in the sonar dome area.
Also, the hull has very elegant lines as it moves from the sonar dome to the
hurricane bow. The planks should not show a hard transition. I used 220 grit
then used 320 grit for the final sanding. I recommend that you prime your hull and
inspect for errors before adding your color coat. |
