2025 Devlin Snow Goose Thread

Back to the boat and my epoxy/glass "practice"... I know I'll enjoy the woodworking part of the build, but the resin and glass part may have to grow on me. Rather than tape, I bought a roll of fiberglass cloth to both cut strips and to sheath the hull. I practiced with a few strips yesterday - messy! I need to do a better job of cutting neatly to reduce fraying - but the entire job is rather messy. My test piece isn't going to end up pretty, but I'm learning a good bit about how I'll need to set up and about workflow.

Anyway, wood gets delivered this morning so scarfing for the hull/side panels and bulkead layout/cutting can start soon.
 
HenryHawthorne said:
Back to the boat and my epoxy/glass "practice"... I know I'll enjoy the woodworking part of the build, but the resin and glass part may have to grow on me. Rather than tape, I bought a roll of fiberglass cloth to both cut strips and to sheath the hull. I practiced with a few strips yesterday - messy! I need to do a better job of cutting neatly to reduce fraying - but the entire job is rather messy. My test piece isn't going to end up pretty, but I'm learning a good bit about how I'll need to set up and about workflow.

Anyway, wood gets delivered this morning so scarfing for the hull/side panels and bulkead layout/cutting can start soon.
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I'm a little confused here, for your fillets does be not spec biax anymore? I reread and maybe you are talking about just for your model.

The glassing fillets and the boat overall is easy if you are smart about it. Easiest part of the job, really. Slow, but easy.
 
tod osier said:
I'm a little confused here, for your fillets does be not spec biax anymore? I reread and maybe you are talking about just for your model.

The glassing fillets and the boat overall is easy if you are smart about it. Easiest part of the job, really. Slow, but easy.
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For the inside of the hull and side joints, he calls for either biax or cloth cut on the bias. I have a local source for biax, so wanted to experiment with cutting the cloth as it is so much less expensive. I need to experiment some more on my scrap/practice joint, but suspect I'll end up buying some biax tape.
 
HenryHawthorne said:
For the inside of the hull and side joints, he calls for either biax or cloth cut on the bias. I have a local source for biax, so wanted to experiment with cutting the cloth as it is so much less expensive. I need to experiment some more on my scrap/practice joint, but suspect I'll end up buying some biax tape.
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Yeah, no way I'd cut it and I like to be frugal when I can. Biax has its downsides as well (thick with the stitching that holds it together, but at least it doesn't have a selvage edge). If you could find tape precut from cloth on the bias that doesn't have a selvage edge, that would be sweet. Having something that isn't falling apart as you are working on it would be a benefit, tho (that would be my worry with a raw edge product like a self cut or non-selvage edge tape).
 
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tod osier said:
Yeah, no way I'd cut it and I like to be frugal when I can. Biax has its downsides as well (thick with the stitching that holds it together, but at least it doesn't have a selvage edge). If you could find tape precut from cloth on the bias that doesn't have a selvage edge, that would be sweet. Having something that isn't falling apart as you are working on it would be a benefit, tho (that would be my worry with a raw edge product like a self cut or non-selvage edge tape).
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He had suggested in his book a 10-20% angle... my first test was closer to 10°, and I wasn't being extremely careful. The combination resulted in a good bit of fraying, particularly while wetting (and I used too much epoxy and worked it too hard). I test-cut some scraps closer to 45° and it did much better (though I haven't wet any, yet). Some sharper scissors or a roll-cutter and a bit less heavy-handedness and I may be ok. Will mess with it and little more. The penalty of being a cheap b@st@rd.
 
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HenryHawthorne said:
He had suggested in his book a 10-20% angle... my first test was closer to 10°, and I wasn't being extremely careful. The combination resulted in a good bit of fraying, particularly while wetting (and I used too much epoxy and worked it too hard). I tested cut some scraps closer to 45° and it did much better (though I haven't wet any, yet). Some sharper scissors or a roll-cutter and a bit less heavy-handedness and I may be ok. Will mess with it and little more. The penalty of being a cheap b@st@rd.
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When something starts fraying or starts to come apart on you and you are fussing with those strands on the edges as your epoxy is kicking off at the end of the day and you are still working when you were ready for a cocktail, you might wish to have chosen the easiest route.

I rather liked working with the biax along with the peel ply. I like it better than conventional tape with a selvage edge for sure.

Take anything he says with a grain of salt. Doing things as he suggests often requires a deft touch that one needs to develop over years.
 
The edges of 10 oz bias weave tape was not too pronounced when peel ply is used. Side benefit is no blush to wash off. You don't want to introduce moisture to unsealed wood. Bias weave strips are awfully nice to work with. I cut mine into manageable strips and wet them out in a shallow rectangular box, then lay them in place. No fuss, no mess and the cost is negligible. Richard
 
Henry,
A handy tool to have is a fiberglass roller to work out bubbles in fiberglass tape and cloth. Additionally, if selvage edges really bother you they can be feathered out with an orbital sander. Richard
 
tod osier said:
When something starts fraying or starts to come apart on you and you are fussing with those strands on the edges as your epoxy is kicking off at the end of the day and you are still working when you were ready for a cocktail, you might wish to have chosen the easiest route.

I rather liked working with the biax along with the peel ply. I like it better than conventional tape with a selvage edge for sure.

Take anything he says with a grain of salt. Doing things as he suggests often requires a deft touch that one needs to develop over years.
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Wait, I can't have cocktails WHILE I'm working?
 
RM Anderson said:
Henry,
A handy tool to have is a fiberglass roller to work out bubbles in fiberglass tape and cloth. Additionally, if selvage edges really bother you they can be feathered out with an orbital sander. Richard
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@HenryHawthorne send me an address, I have 2 rollers and an edger I bought for 1 fiberglass project, ill never use them again, they give me PTSD when I see them in the shop still. Ill send the horror things your way. They're like little chuckies in the shop right now.

Theyre just cheapos off amazon but seem alright.
 
Well, I did do something productive today other than accepting delivery of wood and kabitzing on the forum... made some fileting sticks.

20250222_161253.jpg

I'll try to remember at the end of the project to tally the $s as I've seen periodic posts with questions about costs and budgets - but in case I forget will at least try to comment on major expenses as I go along

Wood totalled a hair over $2k. The SG calls for a mix of 3/8, 1/2, and 3/4 inch plywood. I bought 11 sheets in total - all Okoume. I also bought 30 board feet of mahogany. That should pretty well cover sheer clamps/gunwales, coamings, keels, strakes, grass rails and any bits for shelf edges, etc. Will see if I calculated (and estimated waste) correctly. I have roughly $1200 in epoxy and fiberglass supplies. So, current running total (excluding tools, most of which I thankfully have), $3,200.
 
RM Anderson said:
Henry,
Another great tool is a carbide scraper. Beats sanding bumps, feathering edges of biax tape and other epoxy defects. https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Ergo...cphy=9019352&hvtargid=pla-2314190733100&psc=1 Richard
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Thanks Richard! I have and prefer a metal scraper - at least for woodworking. The disadvantage is they don't hold a burr as well, the advantage is they are much easier to sharpen when they lose the burr. I may feel differently after using it on epoxy.
 
No problem, I was only trying to give you time saving solutions for some of the problems you will encounter working with epoxy but there are many ways to skin a cat. I do hope you will reconsider bias weave tape. It is really the only thing holding a stitch and glue boat together and is not the place I would try to save money. I am a slow natured individual, but when working with epoxy, time is truly at a premium and not having to deal with frayed ends will save alot of frustration. I used 4"/12 oz tape from fiberglass supply and will do so again on my next build. The tape I used is stitched so it's does not stretch like strips cut from cloth. I realize Devlin cuts his own, but his workers also work with epoxy every day. Richard
 
RM Anderson said:
No problem, I was only trying to give you time saving solutions for some of the problems you will encounter working with epoxy but there are many ways to skin a cat. I do hope you will reconsider bias weave tape. It is really the only thing holding a stitch and glue boat together and is not the place I would try to save money. I am a slow natured individual, but when working with epoxy, time is truly at a premium and not having to deal with frayed ends will save alot of frustration. I used 4"/12 oz tape from fiberglass supply and will do so again on my next build. The tape I used is stitched so it's does not stretch like strips cut from cloth. I realize Devlin cuts his own, but his workers also work with epoxy every day. Richard
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You and Tod convinced me - I ordered some last night!
 
HenryHawthorne said:
Thanks all, great input! @tod osier - I like your light mounting, will look for some LEDs. The lights @William Reinicke suggested my do just fine there.

@Neal Haarberg - love the plug idea and the hitch idea is great and would solve a couple things I've had in mind, including trolling motor. Did you just plug it to keep water from entering the bow? Do your electrical plugs seal well enough?
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Henry , I welded a cap on the back of the hitch and then sealed it with 5200 to be sure it wouldn't leak. I used the plugs in the links below. They have rubber gaskets and have not leaked. I ran a piece of PVC from the plug opening to the bulkhead so I could run the wires. The bow is filled with foam. This way even if they did leak it would not be an issue.

I got the idea from guys who were puting wenches on there mud boats in case they got stuck way back when. Like Tod when I built my boat light bars did not exist. I made a bar with 2 headlights on it when they crapped out I changed it out the LED light bar that is in the pic below.

For the trolling motor mount, it clamps in the hitch so it doesn't woble making a bunch of noise. In the picture you can see a hole cut in the tube. There is simply an aluminum block that is threaded. I tighten the bolt and it lifts the block tightening itself in the hitch. I just use a transom mount tiller with the tiller turned around 180 deg as you can see in the pic with my old dog. So no foot control. Been thinking about doing that though..For wiring, a switch in the control panel goes to an automotive relay since control panel cannot take the power of the motor. I needed to have this so I could turn the lights on and off.20250224_121757.jpg20210713_101403.jpg


 
Neal Haarberg said:
Henry , I welded a cap on the back of the hitch and then sealed it with 5200 to be sure it wouldn't leak. I used the plugs in the links below. They have rubber gaskets and have not leaked. I ran a piece of PVC from the plug opening to the bulkhead so I could run the wires. The bow is filled with foam. This way even if they did leak it would not be an issue.

I got the idea from guys who were puting wenches on there mud boats in case they got stuck way back when. Like Tod when I built my boat light bars did not exist. I made a bar with 2 headlights on it when they crapped out I changed it out the LED light bar that is in the pic below.

For the trolling motor mount, it clamps in the hitch so it doesn't woble making a bunch of noise. In the picture you can see a hole cut in the tube. There is simply an aluminum block that is threaded. I tighten the bolt and it lifts the block tightening itself in the hitch. I just use a transom mount tiller with the tiller turned around 180 deg as you can see in the pic with my old dog. So no foot control. Been thinking about doing that though..For wiring, a switch in the control panel goes to an automotive relay since control panel cannot take the power of the motor. I needed to have this so I could turn the lights on and off.View attachment 64514View attachment 64515


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Thanks Neal, really like the idea! I started looking around at trolling motors the other day just for the fun of it - unbelievable how capable they are now (and how expensive!). Fortunately I'm months away from needing one so can keep my eyes open for deals - but bet I could figure out how to rig a bow mount on a hitch and use the receiver idea.
 
HenryHawthorne said:
Thanks Neal, really like the idea! I started looking around at trolling motors the other day just for the fun of it - unbelievable how capable they are now (and how expensive!). Fortunately I'm months away from needing one so can keep my eyes open for deals - but bet I could figure out how to rig a bow mount on a hitch and use the receiver idea.
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I know they’re expensive but the ulterra is foot controlled and remote controlled. The pedal is removable, so if you decide to leave it mounted, you can always store the pedal out of elements. It works well. It’s the one I ran on my duck boat before I had my bass boat.
 
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