"Tricks" for keeping stuff in place while epoxying ?

[Sven]

Ok, I'm astounded by the strength and hardness of thickened West epoxy (404 filler). I wish I'd learned to work with it a long time ago now that I see some of what it can do.

Now I'd like to use it to epoxy some wood strips to the inside hull in the lazarettes for hanging and mounting stuff like sail bags and the emergency tiller. My question is what tricks others use to hold the stuff in place while it cures ? I'm talking about mountings that might even be a bit upside down due to the hull tumblehome.

Vacuum bagging would certainly seem to be one solution but is that affordable if you only have a few projects to do ?

How about using 5-minute epoxy in the corners while manually holding the piece in place and then letting the 5-minute epoxy hold during the rest of the time while the larger area is curing with thickened epoxy ?

Use tape (?!) to hold the pieces together ?

Epoxy in small supports using 5-minute epoxy and then use those to attach the working piece and hold it in place during its long curing time ?

The West instructions are pretty clear about not using clamping pressure as that will squeeze out too much material and weaken the bond so it seems like it is just a passive "holding in place" that is needed.



-Sven

 

[rwthomas1]

I like to cut sticks of scrap to hold assemblies I'm epoxying in overhead or vertical surfaces. Prop the sticks/shims at whatever angle works. The trick is to tack the sticks/shims in place with a hot glue gun. That keeps 'em from popping out. RT

 

[Sven]

The trick is to tack the sticks/shims in place with a hot glue gun. That keeps 'em from popping out. RT

I didn't expect a winner so fast !

Excellent idea ... thanks.

I wonder if there are more winners lurking ?



-Sven

 

[Loren Beach]

I didn't expect a winner so fast !

Excellent idea ... thanks.

I wonder if there are more winners lurking ?

-Sven

I use a pair of overlapping sticks. I clamp them with a small C clamp. Bit tricky to hold onto... while tightening that clamp! But it works.
For holding up backing plates and etc, I use a small plywood pad with a 1" layer of soft foam on top, wrapped in a plastic baggie. Push it up with enough force to keep the work in place while the initial cure takes place.

I line up a collection of sticks/battens out of wood scrap and get all the parts layed out before mixing the epoxy.

Then sometimes I cut the batten just a tad short and drive in a wood wedge. This puts "enough" force on it, but within my control.

Loren

 

[Sven]

Hi Loren,

I use a pair of overlapping sticks. I clamp them with a small C clamp. Bit tricky to hold onto... while tightening that clamp! But it works.

But what do you clamp the C clamps to ? Remember, this is the "featureless" concave inside of the hull we are talking about.

Maybe I missed your point ? Apologies if that's the case. Are you talking about what to do after attaching stuff with hot-glue ?



-Sven

 

[Loren Beach]

Hi Loren,



But what do you clamp the C clamps to ? Remember, this is the "featureless" concave inside of the hull we are talking about.

Maybe I missed your point ? Apologies if that's the case. Are you talking about what to do after attaching stuff with hot-glue ?



-Sven

Oops. I got distracted by the vision of supporting stuff on the overhead....
For putting pressure on the inside of the hull, I have used much longer battens -- clear across to any surface I could find. It was rather difficult to get around once all that batten stuff was in place!
I had to plan the job so that I clamped the panel into place, batten by batten, as I worked my way to the companionway.

One thing you might try is finding a way to temporarily fasten a (long) strong piece (2 X 4 or somesuch) down the center with some larger clamps and then use that as a base for your battens going out horizontally.

Loren

ps: I have a few Bessey clamps, among the much-poorer HarborFreight stuff. If you can, get yourself a bunch of Bessey's for your birthday!
http://www.besseytools.com/en/produ...d00030023&ASIMOID_MC=000000000001f3f000030023

 

[PDX]

Do you intend to tab around the edges for strength? If so, what I like to do on an upside down surface is use a kevlar reinforced polyester paste, mixed really hot, and then just hold the piece in place. If you mix it hot enough it will go off while you're holding it there. Then use epoxy, w/fillets, to tab around the edges. The tabbing will give you all of your strength, and then some.

 

[Vagabond39]

I have also used inverse clamps, two pieces of Oak flooring held togeather with a carriage bolt at one end, with a second bolt forceing them apart closer to the work. Long enough to bridge the gap between the work and a fixed surface.

 

[Martin King]

If you are intending to glass over the wood battens, you can just tack it up with some hot melt glue just before.

 

[AleksT]

Here is what I did to glue in a riser into my dinghy that I am building. The riser is a 3/4 by 1/2 in. 7 foot long piece that the thwarts sit on.
The process was very similar to Loren's description.
First of all I used regular west systems epoxy with the fast hardner which at the time and temp that I was working gave me a little over 15 min working time (it was a hot day)
I had several paired sticks that were clamped together so I could fine tune the length I needed. I found using two clamps kept the two sticks from twisting.
I placed a few clamps on the opposite sheer so my sticks would not slide around and Had the length of the sticks set so they would be at a slight angle to the hull where the new piece was going in. If in my dry run I found that one of the sticks was slipping it would only do it in one direction and I could find a way to stop it.
For the actual gluing process I bent the riser into place and jammed the first stick in somewhere in the middle. At this point the riser was still approx. 1/2 in from being flush against the hull. Then while holding the riser so it doesn't slide up or down I jammed the next stick in. Since the wood is already bent it is fairly easy to get that stick to push the riser all the way to the hull.
At this point the first stick may fall out but since the wood is now touching the hull in three places (the ends and where the second stick is) it will sit there without moving. Reposition the first stick and then put in all the others.
Once all the sticks are in position I slid them all (fore or aft depending on the angle I chose earlier) one by one to push the riser flush against the hull along its whole length.
You may find that using a thin shim between the stick and the pice you are gluing will keep the wood from being scratched by the end grain of the stick.
Do at least two dry runs. One to figure out where everything is going and once that is set another so you remember where everything goes.