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dragstr19
12-04-2006, 05:56 PM
how much resin does it take to lay up a 18' gullwing, and what are all the different resins and layups to buld them light. and one last thing what do they color on in the mold

DUCKY
12-04-2006, 08:41 PM
Gelcoat is what is used to make the colors and graphics on a boat in the mold. Somtimes it's straight color, sometimes clear first (against the mold) then colors.
As far as resins go, you basically have three main choices.
Polyester resin is the most common, and has been used since the beginning of fiberglass boats. There are many different levels of quality in polyester, ranging from crap the pretty damn good.
Then you have Vinylester which is a newer, more refined product. Vinylester generally provides more flexibility within the structure without fracture or delamination, and can tend to be slightly lighter. Many boat builders have made the switch to vinylester.
Then you have Epoxy resins which are basically as good as it gets. Most of the super high end builders (Skater, Outerlimits, MTI, Nor-Tech) are now using post cured epoxy resins. Post cure means that you complete all the lamination and then bake the structure (in the mold) to cure it. This method is cost preventative for most of us little people.
As far as amount of resin, the methods used by the laminator will determine that and it can vary greatly. Two of the same boat with the same layup schedule can vary by as much as 50lbs. A guess off the top of my head for an 18 gullwing would be between 25 and 40 gallons, with an average mid-weight layup at around 35 gallons total with the deck and hull tabbed and all the buklheads and floor in place, if the laminators do it right.
You also mentioned lamination schedules, and there are as many ways to laminate a boat as there are boat builders. There is simply not enough room here to discuss that one....