I used a foam roller followed by a tip brush to coat the exterior of my PMD. This worked great over the fiberglass but terrible on the sides:
I sanded a patch on the side and re-applied epoxy using the spreader with better results:
My question: what is the best way to transfer the epoxy onto the boat? Using the spreader to scoop up some epoxy from a small container of epoxy worked, but was slow and somewhat messy.
TIA,
Ken
It is a messy process (drips on the floor and the occasional run on the sides) but best done with a 4” foam roller. I never try to tip epoxy. Just roll it on in thin coats. If you are using MAS LV epoxy with slow hardener you can actually warm the epoxy slightly to facilitate rolling REALLY thin coats that won’t run. Sometimes I do this by submerging the epoxy container in a sink of warm water but sometimes I will mix a small batch (say 500cc) and then stick it into the microwave for a few seconds. Immediately afterwards it gets dumped into a roller tray.
I use a foam roller and tip it with a dry disposable foam brush. I also make the coats very thin and don’t sand until I’ve got 3 or 4 coats in place. That way the orange peel effect from the current layer tends to fill the orange peel from the previous layer. To transfer the epoxy, I just pour a very small amount directly onto the surface with one hand while simultaneously rolling with the other hand. The roller catches the epoxy as it runs down the side and spreads it out so it doesn’t run.
Best of all is when I can pre-coat the piece while it’s lying flat on a table.
As far as your pictures go, the “bad” epoxy looks fine to me. It just wants some more coats before sanding. And David’s right, it’s a messy process.
Laszlo
I never seem to have time to apply subsequent coats within the window where sanding is not required. I always have some annoyance like my job, or sleep that gets in the way. So I try to make every coat as smooth as possible to ease the sanding. I’ve found rolling with a 4” roller and tipping with a foam brush to work pretty well.
If I have time, I prefer to get multiple coats on within the window and avoid tipping and sanding between, but that almost never happens. Maybe someday.
i roll my epoxy on as well…heated epoxy…. thin coats. i do, however, typically go over the rolled epoxy with a flexible spreader to maximize a smooth surface that needs little sanding. i wipe the spreader down after use with white vinegar…so that i can re-use the spreader.
Thanks for the reply, gentlemen. I just can’t bring myself to use the foam roller any more - the results look like the surface of the moon even after 3 coats. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but am tired of fighting with it. Plus I’m running low on my 2nd order of epoxy!
I’m going to sand down and finish with the spreader, which looks nearly flawless after each coat. I rigged up a spout on my mixing cup to control transfer of epoxy to the hull.
A quick question. Are you expecting to get a perfect smooth surface with epoxy? If so, that will never happen as epoxy, unlike paint or varnish, never flows out to a perfectly smooth coat. After the weave has been filled sand the hull smooth and start applying varnish. If you haven’t done so already I would strongly encourage Nick Schade’s video on varnishing.
I don’t expect perfectly smooth epoxy, but want it to look OK from a few feet away (if you squint a little). I will definitely watch the varnishing video, thanks for the suggestion.
