Order of finishing a boat

[davidpm]

I'm building a stitch and glue sailing dinghy. I'm planning on doing the hull etc with LPU and brightwork, transom, rub rail etc with varnish.
This design requires everything even brightwork to be coated in epoxy.
What do you do first and why?
Everything is subject to modification except the brightwork.

I suspect you do the painting first.
But while the fairing is going on I'll bet it works best to epoxy coat the wood that will be bright because if you get a little paint in the wrong place it's easier and safer to scrape or sand it off off the epoxy rather than the raw wood.

So the order of events as I imagine it not ever doing it before is:
1. Sand everything
2. epoxy Coat everything once
3. Fair surfaces to be painted
4. epoxy Coat everything again
5. Third coat epoxy on bright work
6. Paint, 1,2,3
7. Varnish 1,2,3,4,5,6

Is that about right?

[JohnRPollard]

First, if you have any directions with the kit/plans, I would defer to those on when best to apply the epoxy. Usually there is some fibreglass applied as well, and care must be taken to do that at the right point.

Generally speaking, all the epoxy/'glass work should be completed before applying paint and varnish. Also, you should have finished sanding it all fair.

We applied the paint first (after applying an appropriate epoxy compatible primer, such as Pre-Kote by Interlux). Then we applied masking tape and finished the limited varnish work (transoms and outwales).

Hope this helps!

P.S. What dinghy are you building?

[blt2ski]

You might post this on the wooden boat forum, or at Glen-L marines forum too.

If it were me I would varnish the wood first where required, then epoxy, or skip the varnish all together, as the varnish is just over the epoxy coat. Personally, I am not sure how well varnish would stick to epoxy. I believe on Boatworks.com, there is a how to build a S&S boat, but I am recalling that it was all painted.

Marty

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

You might post this on the wooden boat forum, or at Glen-L marines forum too.

If it were me I would varnish the wood first where required, then epoxy, or skip the varnish all together, as the varnish is just over the epoxy coat. Personally, I am not sure how well varnish would stick to epoxy. I believe on Boatworks.com, there is a how to build a S&S boat, but I am recalling that it was all painted.

Marty

Marty,

Varnish adheres perfectly fine to epoxy -- in fact it is the normally recommended clear coat. Also, in S&G construction, you must not skip the epoxy.

S&G is a type of composite construction, where the plywood (usually okoume) is the core, and it is then sheathed in epoxy and fibreglass to make it waterproof. A finish, usually either paint or varnish, MUST then be put over the epoxy to prevent UV degradation.

But you cannot put the epoxy over the varnish, nor can you skip the epoxy unless you want to build a disposable boat!!

[blt2ski]

I knew what S&G construction was, altho I have not personally built one. I've built two stick built ones. Been toying with a couple of models right at the moment for a sailing dingy.

What I probably did not know, was that one can put the varnish over the epoxy. But, as I was typing, I also was wondering of epoxy would go over the varnish..........

Marty

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

But, as I was typing, I also was wondering of epoxy would go over the varnish..........Marty

Marty,

The epoxy might adhere over the varnish, but not as well as to bare wood or epoxy. More importantly, the UV will destroy it quickly if it is not covered over by layers of paint or varnish, etc. I can't think of a good reason to apply epoxy over varnish (especially given the cost of epoxy nowadays!!!.

[blt2ski]

SHows one what is different tween when I built the two boats in the 70's as a teen and todays materials.............One of the boats I was toying with, is the S&G version of the stick built 8' pram I did as a 13 yr old. My step dad found the sail from that one awhile back in good shape still.

As they say, live and learn make a mistake, go back fix it, and hopefull remember the mistake future use etc.

Marty

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by blt2ski

One of the boats I was toying with, is the S&G version of the stick built 8' pram I did as a 13 yr old.Marty

Marty,

Which design(s) are you considering building? We had a lot of fun building our S&G dinghy. About the only aspect of the process I did not especially like was the going back and filling all the holes from the stitching -- not hard, just tedious. It's a good job for kids if you have them. If you don't, see about borrowing some!!

[blt2ski]

I do have kids, ie 4 of them, 16 as of the 22nd, 20 as of 8-4, both daughters, and boyz that were 22 at teh end of Feb. So a bit young to do what my step dad and I did, ie I built a Glen-L 8 ball, he built the 21CB, now hopefully after 30 yrs, this summer will get the Garden designed SeaBird Yawl in the water. At least I hope he does, as he is in his late 80's, still in good health, but with a hip replacement lately, etc, one has to wonder how many yrs he has left!

Any way, the 8ball was the one I have toyed with the most. But the 8' Acorn? ie V'd nose S&G boat with plans availible thru WB. I would prefer to by a kit for ease of time etc, but alas, at this time, no one has an 8' dinghy if one will that is not pram styled. Also there is a Bedwell? not remembering the name off the top of my head, was here in the NW< now back east. has a 8 and 8.5' boat I like in a book of plans he has.

If I could find a fleet of El TOro's locally, that would go to the top as I could then race said dingy too.

I have a little lake near me that would be perfect to haul this sized boat to, 15 min at best, and I would be sailing. 3/4 to 1 mile in diam at best.

Any of the above, I could use the 35# sail I have for it.

Then again, a strip planked cedar would be another choice, but a lot of work vs a S&G that was not in vogue or probably thought of in the 70's either. A strip planked canoe has been a dream of mine since a teen! maybe some day!

[svey]

I've build a PK78 from bateau.com 4 years ago. I've painted the inside of the dinghy with Brightside Polyurethane. No primer is necessary but removal of amine blush as to be done perfectly. I've varnish the outside hull using an International varnish directly over the epoxy again being sure to remove amine blush from the epoxy. I would always varnish before painting because I find it easier to wipe paint of varnish than the opposite.