I'm still pretty inexperienced with fiberglass having only messed around with a couple strippers and small parts like seats or patches. I always figured that if the cloth was wet enough to turn clear that was enough resin. Is that true or could I be starving it?
What makes me ask is that there are quite a few times when I think I have plenty of resin applied (glass is clear and the peel ply is soaked through) but when I pull the peel ply off there are still micro-holes through the weave. On one beat up old stripper it was enough to allow water to weep through (below water line) and it took a couple more coats of epoxy to finally seal it up.
Also on a seat mold I recently used with vacuum bagging I had the same issue. The cloth was well saturated and the breather fabric soaked up lots of excess resin that got pulled through the peel ply. Figured I'd have a nice smooth surface but the weave pattern was still visible over much of the mold as well as those little micro-holes in the bottom of the weave. I didn't use enough layers so it was too flimsy. I set the mold back in the seat I was using as a plug and applied a few more layers of cloth. The newly applied resin seeped all the way through the mold on onto the seat (plug) and I was lucky to get the two separated when done. Is this normal?
How do I get a fully filled weave and smooth(ish) finish without multiple coats?
Alan
What makes me ask is that there are quite a few times when I think I have plenty of resin applied (glass is clear and the peel ply is soaked through) but when I pull the peel ply off there are still micro-holes through the weave. On one beat up old stripper it was enough to allow water to weep through (below water line) and it took a couple more coats of epoxy to finally seal it up.
Also on a seat mold I recently used with vacuum bagging I had the same issue. The cloth was well saturated and the breather fabric soaked up lots of excess resin that got pulled through the peel ply. Figured I'd have a nice smooth surface but the weave pattern was still visible over much of the mold as well as those little micro-holes in the bottom of the weave. I didn't use enough layers so it was too flimsy. I set the mold back in the seat I was using as a plug and applied a few more layers of cloth. The newly applied resin seeped all the way through the mold on onto the seat (plug) and I was lucky to get the two separated when done. Is this normal?
How do I get a fully filled weave and smooth(ish) finish without multiple coats?
Alan