Scared the living sh...

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Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
..it outta me!

You have to be careful laying up thick epoxy laminates so they don't go into feedback overdrive. The very first money I ever earned from someone outside the family was fixing someones sailboat and I remember standing there watching smoke pour out of the hole for the mast and thinking this was a very bad way to start a career. I was one scared little kid but it cooled off and came out fine. I was 20 bucks richer.

This morning, I set up a plastic tent with a ceramic disk heater in it today to get the thru hull patch to fully kick off. I worked on other things for a while and suddenly realized I hadn't checked it recently. I went around the other side to look and, (explicitive of your choice)...



The picture doesn't quite do justice to that red glow of something really hot.

After I recovered from the blood pressure spike, I realized that I had put an aluminum clip on lamp above the inside of the patch to put a little heat on that side as well. It still took about 5 minutes for my heart rate to get back to normal.
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
That's why the builder puts a layer of black on after they spray gelcoat into the mold. People get nervous seeing the water outside of their boat when they are down below.
 

caguy

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Sep 22, 2006
4,004
Catalina, Luger C-27, Adventure 30 Marina del Rey
I remember when I was in the seventh grade a made a clear epoxy model of ''The Cell''. Being the impatient teenager that I was I figured a liittle catalyst took too long, (at that time 15 minutes was an eternity) so a lot would work faster. A few seconds later and KABOOM, it opened up a whole new pyrotechnic hobby for me.
 
Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
Is that the heater just shining through or is that actually radiating red?
 
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Epoxy uses hardener, polyester resin and vinylester resins use catalyst. Are you sure it was Epoxy?? :confused:
I remember when I was in the seventh grade a made a clear epoxy model of ''The Cell''. Being the impatient teenager that I was I figured a liittle catalyst took too long, (at that time 15 minutes was an eternity) so a lot would work faster. A few seconds later and KABOOM, it opened up a whole new pyrotechnic hobby for me.
 

caguy

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Sep 22, 2006
4,004
Catalina, Luger C-27, Adventure 30 Marina del Rey
To be honest it was 47 yrs ago and I only remember the sizzling, crackling and then the cool explosion.
 
Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
Is that the heater just shining through or is that actually radiating red?
Not the heater. It's just a 60 watt light bulb in one of those spun metal lamps with a clip about 9" away from the hull on the inside. It was a pretty gloomy day but it was still startling how bright the light looked. Epoxy is pretty transparent.
 

Ross

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Jun 15, 2004
14,693
Islander/Wayfairer 30 sail number 25 Perryville,Md.
Isn't that the principle of the see-through propane tank our host is selling?
 
Sep 25, 2008
2,288
C30 Event Horizon Port Aransas
I think my greatest aspiration in life is to be an old dude(over 45) on a sailboat website, talking about my younger years sailing and working on boats. That sounds like time well spent to me.
 
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
Not a bad ambition.
I think my greatest aspiration in life is to be an old dude(over 45) on a sailboat website, talking about my younger years sailing and working on boats. That sounds like time well spent to me.
 
Nov 22, 2008
3,562
Endeavour 32 Portland, Maine
I think my greatest aspiration in life is to be an old dude(over 45) on a sailboat website, talking about my younger years sailing and working on boats. That sounds like time well spent to me.
I prefer my aspiration (not that I have much choice at this point without a "way back" machine) to be a very old dude on a sailboat cruising and working on my boat in exotic places.:)
 
Jul 8, 2004
155
Hunter 33.5 Portsmouth VA
Definition of Cruising

Roger,

That is the definition of cruising (mine anyway)...Sailing to exotic places so I can work on my boat! :)
 

RAD

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Jun 3, 2004
2,330
Catalina 30 Bay Shore, N.Y.
Were there's smoke there might be fire

I am 16 or 17 years old and I never worked with fiberglass and had an old plywood boat with a glassed over bottom and went about to do some repair, after buying a gallon of resin and not having a clue of what I'm doing with this stuff I remember my friend or brother saying "should we call the fire dept.?" after we picked it up with a broom handle and set it in the middle of the yard watching it smoke away. :eek:
 
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