Commander 147
04-06-2010, 07:38 PM
One thing I have felt like this forum could use more of is explainations on how to do some of the repairs we find ourselves doing. When I came here for the first time I had not done any fiberglass work at all. And I have made plenty of mistakes in learning what I have learned so far. So I thought I would share one of the techniques I learned recently in case there are others like me reading this forum that could benefit from it.
I had struggled with a good method of putting thickened epoxy into an inside corner so I could do a fillet. Now I use the following method and it works for me like a champ.
Picture #1 below shows the tools I use to do a fillet. The real key to this method is the plastic bag inside the coffee can. I push one finger into one of the corners of the bag and push it down into the coffee can to hold it until I can put the thickened epoxy in it. Then I mix up the epoxy and scrape it out of the mixing container and into the bag. I pull the bag out of the coffee can and twist the top of the bag and force all of the epoxy down into the corner of the bag that I initially pushed down into the coffee can. At this point it looks like picture #2 below.
Then I snip the corner of the bag off with a sissors and I have a bakers bag (named for the way bakers squeeze frosting onto baked goods like cookies) with epoxy and all I have to do is point and squeeze and I get a nice bead of epoxy right where I want it. See picture #3 below.
Then I use the short piece of PVC pipe with the 45 degree elbow on the end as a tool to make the fillet. Afterwards I use the drywall knife to scrape away the two ridges of excess epoxy on each side of the fillet. Picture #4 below shows the end result.
I had struggled with a good method of putting thickened epoxy into an inside corner so I could do a fillet. Now I use the following method and it works for me like a champ.
Picture #1 below shows the tools I use to do a fillet. The real key to this method is the plastic bag inside the coffee can. I push one finger into one of the corners of the bag and push it down into the coffee can to hold it until I can put the thickened epoxy in it. Then I mix up the epoxy and scrape it out of the mixing container and into the bag. I pull the bag out of the coffee can and twist the top of the bag and force all of the epoxy down into the corner of the bag that I initially pushed down into the coffee can. At this point it looks like picture #2 below.
Then I snip the corner of the bag off with a sissors and I have a bakers bag (named for the way bakers squeeze frosting onto baked goods like cookies) with epoxy and all I have to do is point and squeeze and I get a nice bead of epoxy right where I want it. See picture #3 below.
Then I use the short piece of PVC pipe with the 45 degree elbow on the end as a tool to make the fillet. Afterwards I use the drywall knife to scrape away the two ridges of excess epoxy on each side of the fillet. Picture #4 below shows the end result.