Glass Cloth application

1. The key with using resins and glass cloth is preparation, have everything to hand before you start. It is advisable to wear latex gloves and cover work surfaces as everything does tend to get sticky!

2. Cut out the two pieces of glass cloth required to cover the hull slightly oversize, if it is your first time using resin we would recommend using epoxy finishing resin (Z Power Finishing Resin) which has a longer cure time than polyester and allows you a little more time to make adjustments.

3. Place the hull upside down on a piece of wood to elevate it, and keep the excess cloth at the sides free of the bench. Mix enough resin and coat the bottom & sides of the hull ensuring that it is completely coated, with epoxy resin it is essential that you do not add to much hardener otherwise it will come out rubbery rather then solid.
Lay the glass cloth over the wet hull and adjust to a nice fit, now add more resin pushing it into the cloth with a stippling action to remove any remaining air pockets, once it is completely covered any excess can be removed by smoothing over using a plastic credit card.

Hot Tip!
paul Risdale

I always cut the deck access holes before building the hull – makes it easy to hold the hull when skinning the bottom.
I suggest that it is easier – especially if you have never done any glass skinning before - to do the deck and stern first and then the hull.
I apply a coat of resin over the whole surface, lay the cloth over the wet resin and then gently smooth the cloth with a fingertip (gloved of course) working from the middle outwards. A credit card (or a piece cut from a Pringles canister lid for curved surfaces) is used as a squeegee to remove the surplus resin. Wiping the card after each pass. Any dry / white patches of cloth need a little extra resin – if it can’t be pushed from the surrounding area. Using this technique I rarely have to add additional resin.
When skinning the hull you need to cut a slit to overlap at the bow. Use a razor blade or a new snap off knife blade.
Look critically at the edges where the cloth leaves the hull. Make sure they are stuck down with no wrinkles. Keep working with the card until they are.

4. Allow to dry, this can be accelerated slightly by ensuring the hull is in a warm dry environment.

5. Once dry sand away excess glass cloth from the deck edge.

6. Turn the hull over and repeat the process for the deck.