I went over the entire bottom with an eye to making sure everything was smooth and fair. Rounded out the chines in preparation for the fiberglass.
I did one side at a time using my normal method of taping off the area with blue painters tape. Since this was such a large area I rolled out the fiberglass, cut the requisite darts and let it sit for a couple of days so that it could conform to the shape of the hull.
Did I mention that it's hot in FL? Anyway, since I had a large area to do and I would have to reach so far over the hull I decided that it was prudent to purchase some disposable painters overalls. So I bought the Home Depot cheapies. They were advertised as durable and breathable.
It was about 85 degrees in the garage when I started. I decided that it would be too hot to wear the painters overalls over a layer of clothes so I wore them over my under wear. That was a mistake.
I stared by using a shortened chip brush to attach the fiberglass to the keel. From there I switched to a roller. This system had worked well on the smaller areas I had done before but rolling large amounts of epoxy pulled the fiberglass out of place. I struggled with this and the fact that the painters overalls wern't as "breathable" as advertised. The heat was actually making me feel faint and I had to work quickly with small batches of epoxy to keep it from flashing in the cup. Eventually I got everything done and looking the way I wanted.
By the time I got back into the air conditioning the cool air made the room spin. I peeled off the overalls in the utility room and about a pint of liquid splashed on the floor. Yuck, but the cool air on my skin soon brought back to my senses. I would have to re-think how I did this the next time.
A few hours later I went back over with a razor knife and trimmed the fiberglass to the edge of the tape and removed the excess. The results were excellent. I found a couple of places that will need to be sanded and refilled but in the end very minor stuff.
A few days later I repeated the prep for the other side of the hull. This time I paid about a $1 more for a different brand of overalls that the guy at Home Depot said would be "better". I decided that I would wear clothes under this set to absorb the sweat and that I would get up early on a Sunday morning to do the work before it got too hot.
When I got up that morning it was 74 outside and I set up my shop fan to blow into the garage. I set about attaching the fiberglass to the keel using the same method as the last time. This time instead of using a roller to lay out the large areas I used a spreader. This went much easier and didn't displace the fiberglass nearly as much as using the roller. The second side went quick and easy. It too had a couple of spots I will have to tend to but it was easier and I didn't feel I risked my life. No light headedness, not nearly as much moisture trapped in the suit and a much more enjoyable experience.
I've just got the hull sides and the transom left!
Hours this session: 15
Hours total: 533
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