The Ship Model Forum

The Ship Modelers Source
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 9:24 am

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Fiberglass or not
PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 5:03 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:15 am
Posts: 5003
Fiberglass or not?

I am working on a 46" long APA hull which is Balsa strip over ply ribs. The hull is about 50 years old and I added a midship plug to duplicate the ship I am modeling. The hull is sanded, filled with Bondo and glazing putt and re sanded.

The question is should I apply a thin model airplane type fiberglass cloth such as I did for my 1:192 Missouri of similar construction?

Opinions?


Report this post
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fiberglass or not
PostPosted: Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:05 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:15 am
Posts: 5003
Probably static, though it was one time motorized in the previous century...


Report this post
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fiberglass or not
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:49 am 
Offline

Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:15 am
Posts: 5003
Structurally the plug is quite sound, I sawed the ship in half between ribs and a new rib is glued to the existing rib at each end and a rigid foam fills the void to the next rib in the plug. It's probably as solid as the rest of the ship as the old and new shell are glued to the foam with lots of epoxy.

Glass would add extra strength to the rather lengthy bulwarks.


Report this post
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fiberglass or not
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 8:49 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:00 pm
Posts: 896
Location: Bowmanville, ON, Canada
If the hull is hollow, and the walls thin, then fibreglass will add needed strength. Personally, I prefer putting it on the inside because I hate sanding it smooth, but most would put it on the outside.

If the walls are thick, or hull is solid, or filled with a material that is strong and won't shrink or delaminate, then I wouldn't fibreglass it.

You will still need to seal and sand the outside. You have many choices, fibreglass resin, dope, shellac, cyano acrylic, filler primers, bondo, etc...

_________________
Darren (Admiral Hawk)
In the not so tropical climate of the Great White North.


Report this post
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fiberglass or not
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:46 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:15 am
Posts: 5003
Thanks for the input!


Report this post
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Fiberglass or not
PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:52 pm 
Offline

Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 1:15 am
Posts: 5003
Currently going without the glass cloth. The model airplane cloth is about as thick as a piece of silk and not much thicker than the resin coat, but hull seeps to be sealing well so far. As the surface gets to become really smooth, minor defects become apparent so it's a process of minor adjustment and filling small defects with putty, sand sand, sand.

Cheers. T


Report this post
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests


You can post new topics in this forum
You can reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group