[bolger] Methods for placing & spreading putty in
BO>I apply the putty (somewhat lumpily) with a tongue depressor, go to
BO>smooth the curvature in it, and half the putty jumps up alongside the
BO>depressor, and then needs to be corralled back into the fillet. Some
BO>of it doesn't smooth into a continuous fillet, but breaks and pulls
BO>along with the tongue depressor into separate globs. I curse and
BO>dance around, hoping body English will somehow urge the putty back in
BO>line. I curse some more. I spatter myself with epoxy. I bathe in
BO>white vinegar. I try mixing my putty more densely or thinly, but
BO>still get the same frustrating experience. I wind up sanding a lot of
BO>lumps away, and my fillets look pretty wavy.
BO>Does anyone have a silver bullet solution to this? I imagine using
BO>something like a cake frosting squeeze applicator to provide the
BO>initial uniform (controllable) bead that can then be smoothed out. Is
BO>there a cheap, disposable item that would work?
Garth, here's how the professionals at Duck Flat-Wooden Boats do it:
The right proprotions of epoxy (both parts) and whatever is being used
for the filleting compound are dropped into a ziplock bag, and the bag
closed with minimum air in it. The actual mixing is done IN the closed
bag (you know, knead, knead? the technical term is palpating, I believe,
but that too easily leads to palpitations and other terrible
puns...sorry,sorry,I'll get back on topic...). Mixing in the bag avoids
a whole lot of mess, unless there's too much air in it, in which case
one can create a very messy local burst. Once mixed, a corner of the bag
is cut off, and voila, a cake-decorating epoxy tool c/w thickened epoxy.
The size of the the snip off the corner depends on how thick, or thin a
bead is wanted.
Spreading sticks range from popsicle sticks through tongue depressors to
purpose-shaped bits of thin timber (never ply scraps) and extends to
polythene coffee-tin lids on sticks and various other devices. With all
of them, the critical application is to =draw= the smoothing stick along
the bead so that some pressure is exerted =smoothly=. Done properly,
there will =always= be two stripes of epoxy paralleling the filleting
but separated from it by the clean surface created by the edge of the
smoothing stick's radius. Two ways to get rid of these stripes: with a
fine putty knife, or by laying two stripes of masking tape just before
filleting, and lifting the tape off, with the excess, after the
filletting.
The final piece of cheating, which can dramatically change the most
reptilian fillet into smooth and glistening perfection, is to let the
epoxy cure to the plastic but barely tacky stage, then wet your gloved
thumb or forefinger (with water, not vinegar), and gently run it down
the fillet. You'll be amazed at the result. (You'll also be amazed at
the result if you didn't bother cleaning up arrises, splinters or the
odd bit of sharp copper wire before starting the whole process.)
Tim & Flying Tadpole
<<Be mown down by Stephen Crims' Fast Motorsailer on Squareboats!
http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/sbhome.htm
BO>smooth the curvature in it, and half the putty jumps up alongside the
BO>depressor, and then needs to be corralled back into the fillet. Some
BO>of it doesn't smooth into a continuous fillet, but breaks and pulls
BO>along with the tongue depressor into separate globs. I curse and
BO>dance around, hoping body English will somehow urge the putty back in
BO>line. I curse some more. I spatter myself with epoxy. I bathe in
BO>white vinegar. I try mixing my putty more densely or thinly, but
BO>still get the same frustrating experience. I wind up sanding a lot of
BO>lumps away, and my fillets look pretty wavy.
BO>Does anyone have a silver bullet solution to this? I imagine using
BO>something like a cake frosting squeeze applicator to provide the
BO>initial uniform (controllable) bead that can then be smoothed out. Is
BO>there a cheap, disposable item that would work?
Garth, here's how the professionals at Duck Flat-Wooden Boats do it:
The right proprotions of epoxy (both parts) and whatever is being used
for the filleting compound are dropped into a ziplock bag, and the bag
closed with minimum air in it. The actual mixing is done IN the closed
bag (you know, knead, knead? the technical term is palpating, I believe,
but that too easily leads to palpitations and other terrible
puns...sorry,sorry,I'll get back on topic...). Mixing in the bag avoids
a whole lot of mess, unless there's too much air in it, in which case
one can create a very messy local burst. Once mixed, a corner of the bag
is cut off, and voila, a cake-decorating epoxy tool c/w thickened epoxy.
The size of the the snip off the corner depends on how thick, or thin a
bead is wanted.
Spreading sticks range from popsicle sticks through tongue depressors to
purpose-shaped bits of thin timber (never ply scraps) and extends to
polythene coffee-tin lids on sticks and various other devices. With all
of them, the critical application is to =draw= the smoothing stick along
the bead so that some pressure is exerted =smoothly=. Done properly,
there will =always= be two stripes of epoxy paralleling the filleting
but separated from it by the clean surface created by the edge of the
smoothing stick's radius. Two ways to get rid of these stripes: with a
fine putty knife, or by laying two stripes of masking tape just before
filleting, and lifting the tape off, with the excess, after the
filletting.
The final piece of cheating, which can dramatically change the most
reptilian fillet into smooth and glistening perfection, is to let the
epoxy cure to the plastic but barely tacky stage, then wet your gloved
thumb or forefinger (with water, not vinegar), and gently run it down
the fillet. You'll be amazed at the result. (You'll also be amazed at
the result if you didn't bother cleaning up arrises, splinters or the
odd bit of sharp copper wire before starting the whole process.)
Tim & Flying Tadpole
<<Be mown down by Stephen Crims' Fast Motorsailer on Squareboats!
http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/sbhome.htm