Hi everyone!
im new to the forum and am just starting the build of a sailing cruiser from kit. I've watched pretty much every video out there on the RC (very helpful!) but I'm surprised people seem to coat the surfaces with epoxy after it is assembled, which is what the instructions recommend. CLC usually recommends coating before. Is there a downside to that? Thanks
David
Hi David - both methods have their pros and cons. Coating beforehand allows you to reach areas that might otherwise be harder to reach or inaccessible when the boat has been assembled. The biggest drawback to advance coating is a reduction in bonding strength for successive bonding layers. When wood is bare, the first layer of epoxy actually penetrates through the porous wood creating a thin layer that is both wood and epoxy. This provides high bonding strength that is created not just from adhesion but the mechanical intertwining of the materials. The second layer of expoxy doesn't get so much of the mechanical advantage, and the bond is based more exclusively on the adhesive properties of the epoxy. So, to cut a long story short, if you apply a layer of fiberglass to bare wood, you will get a stronger bond than if it was applied over a hull that had previously been epoxied (and cured). It is the same for any wooden bits and bobs that you glue to the hull. That's the theory, anyway - if you have any great desire to epoxy first, you'll still come out with a strong and robust boat.
