Darted outside in the 104 F heat to sand WILLOW's paddle as fast as I could, used 120 grit pads on a DeWALT random orbital sander, hooked up to a Dust Deputy and ShopVac to collect the dust. We are going to use West Systems 105 Resin and 207 Special Clear Hardener for the coating, and take photos of the 207 for an upcoming article in Small Boats Magazine September 2020.
Tried this tape to mask the cockpit edge. Worked great. Recommended by Geoff Kerr at Two Daughters Boatworks.
We left one area underneath ZIP's cockpit in original finish, a tribute to the original builders at Alcort. We got the idea from aircraft restorations at theNational Naval Aviation Museum. TotalBoat WetEdge Fire Red for the cockpit. 3m #2080 for delicate surfaces masked off the cockpit trim. Paint brushed with a Redtree Fooler chip brush, it has double the bristles of a basic chip brush and works well with this paint. Supplies acquired from Jamestown Distributors.
Jamestown Distributors provided the paint for ZIP's restoration. We love the extra bit of blue, it's our favorite Fire Red of different brands we have tried. #totalboat
The little bumps along the paint edge are from variations in the edge of the plywood and the gap between the deck and cockpit trim pieces. Very happy with the tape
First coat of West Systems 105/207 on the patch.
Got a little ahead of ourselves and put one of the rub rails back on. We still need to do an air leak test and will need access to the deck/side seam for that. We don't expect to find leaks along the deck seam but will check none the less. Most likely we have a small area to seal up in the daggerboard trunk.
Sanded ZIP's deck with 120 grit discs on a DeWALT 5 inch random orbital sander, attached to the ShoPac for dust extraction. The goal was to scuff the old epoxy coating to give it some tooth for the new coating to adhere to. We tried to avoid sanding all the way to bare wood, we just wanted to dee the old epoxy scuffed a little. Dust masks, protective goggles and gloves highly recommended.
We vacuumed off most of the dust then wiped the deck down with isopropyl alcohol to remove the last bits. Then we applied a new coat of West Systems 105 epoxy with 207 Special Clear Hardener, the 207 will not turn amber like the other hardeners do. Thin coats applied with a closed cell foam roller, then the roller bumps were lightly tipped with a 2 inch sash brush designed for oil based paints. The key for the brush is to find the softest bristles that we can so it doesn't leave ruts in the epoxy.
