It started out with the platform under the porta pottie being in really UGLY condition. I took it out ( previous post) and put cloth and one straight coat of poly on the bottom side. It looks terrible. NO one but me is ever going to see it , so for a newbie project where I'm experimenting I think it will be OK. It not like it is going to be intentionally immersed. What was there originally only had paint on it so anything is an improvement.
include photo here of pottie support
Rearranging the flotation foam in the v berth and turning part of that space into storage meant taking the wood off of the V berth. I used the original wood to make my pattern . Again since I'm just learning this, I started with the under side of the tip of the wood.
All things considered, it does not look to terribly bad for a rank beginner. It has a spot that I honestly have no idea why but it points up like a pin. I have this notion that a bug flew onto it and left that point when it flew off. The poly must have been really close to dry since it is still here and the bug or what ever it was did not stick. You can't see any of the cloth in it except for a few spots around the edge so I think I must have done alright. Much better then not pre-coating it,. That has places all over you can see the weave of the cloth.
I diluted the poly down with acetone. I used a 4:1 mix, then a 2:1 mix then a 1.5: 1 mix. My hand slipped on the last one. Then I did the straight poly coat. They say when you have enough layers of the dilutes on it won't change color from absorption any more. That is how you tell you are done.
How you do it is you pour your resin into your measure bowl, add whatever proportion of acetone into it then add enough hardener for the total amount. In the 4: 1 I added 35 drops of hardener just like i would have on a straight 5 ounces of resin. Add acetone to resin , stir to mix it up good, them add the appropriate amount of hardener and mix REALLY WELL. If you don't mix it good enough you will have a mess, Your cured project will have spots that are going to be tacky and you have to clean up the mess with acetone and redo those areas..
By the time I got done mixing the first batch it was a no brainer I was going to need more hardener. I called Bondo. Come to find out they are now owned by 3 M. ( so what else is new?) I asked the guy could I use the hardeners I can get locally with this water proof resin. Remember the stuff that was donated way back in the beginning? While there is NO WAY I would trust simply "water proof" on a rudder or any thing that is under the water line, this seem like a great application. Its water proof so it should not be negatively affected being in a boat.
The tech looked it up. As long as it is a BONDO OR 3 M LIQUID HARDENER or a MEK LIQUID Hardener I was good to go , so off I went down to Oreilly's to get some more. The tech made a BIG DEAL out of making absolutely sure I DID NOT get creme hardener. A small 1 point something ounce bottle was 6 dollars USD and some change. It broke seven dollars by the time tax was added.
insert photo of resin and hardeners here.
If you notice on the pic the edges look REALLY raged. That was my fault.
I have this old table I use that believe it or not was once a really expensive dining room set. I put some cheap plastic drop cloth over it and the plastic moved like a California earth quake. It was all over the place. That fringe is where the resin hardened/ cured to the plastic.
Some close up shots of the edge . It's a REALLY good thing polyester resin does not stick to plastic or I would be in big trouble.
As you can see in these pics, the resin got under the plastic. The formula I have got figured out OK. My technique needs serious improvement.
If I was trying to make a 3 d fiberglass seascape or a grass scape with little fingers of the glass pointing up one layer in front of another, I think the "do it on plastic" would do a great job.
The good news is except for needing to be sanded thinner to fit in the spot. I may have a perfect seal along the edges in most places except for the flat edge on the bottom .
Time to use the Dremel!!!!!!!
2 comments:
if you are using mekp hardener you could check TAP plastics or some place like that. I was buying the stuff at Home Depot for as you said about $6 for a 1.5 oz tube. I got a 6 oz bottle for about the same price.
WOW!Now that is what I call a TIP!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS for the heads up!!!!!
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