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Questions in Marine

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33 questions

Best way to cut dry carbon fabric without it fraying?

✓ AnsweredRoy52

How do I stop the weave distorting over compound curves?

✓ AnsweredSteve27

Does dry carbon fibre fabric have a shelf life?

✓ AnsweredAllbase team22

I always seem to mix too much resin and bin the leftovers, how do I cut the waste down?

✓ AnsweredRoy26

Infusion & bagging

Can I still infuse a big warm mould if the resin looks like it will gel before the part fills?

✓ AnsweredIan44

How do I work out how many layers of carbon a part needs?

✓ AnsweredJohn41

Should I use polyester or epoxy for a repair below the waterline, or does it not matter?

✓ AnsweredJohn38

Do I really need to seal end-grain balsa before hand-laminating or is that overkill?

✓ AnsweredSteve22

Resins & adhesives

What should I use to bond an aluminium bracket to a GRP panel?

✓ AnsweredSteve33

Is carbon fibre dust dangerous to sand, and what precautions do I need?

✓ AnsweredAllbase team45

When should I use unidirectional carbon instead of woven fabric?

✓ AnsweredSteve34

Infusion & bagging

Why do I have dry patches near the vacuum line on a finished infusion?

✓ AnsweredJohn40

My gelcoat has gone chalky and faded, is it worth recoating or am I better painting the hull?

✓ AnsweredIan29

My foam core dimpled and crushed at the edges under full vacuum, what did I do wrong?

✓ AnsweredJohn30

Why do I keep getting pinholes in the clear coat over carbon?

✓ AnsweredRoy63

Resins & adhesives

Some patches of my epoxy are still tacky a day later, did I mix it wrong?

✓ AnsweredIan52

Testing & certification

How can I check my finished parts actually hit the datasheet figures?

✓ AnsweredIan31

I've got an old GRP boat to get rid of, is there anything better than just paying to scrap it?

✓ AnsweredSteve30

Is a carbon-aramid hybrid worth it for an impact-prone part?

✓ AnsweredIan19

Infusion & bagging

How do I choose flow media and peel ply for a thin infused skin over foam?

✓ AnsweredRoy28

Do I need to isolate carbon fibre from aluminium fittings?

✓ AnsweredSteve71

How do I tell whether the fine cracks on my topsides are crazing or the start of osmosis?

✓ AnsweredSteve47

For infusing a large flat deck, is grooved and scrimmed foam worth it over plain sheet?

✓ AnsweredIan26

If I swap to a bio-based resin on my next layup, will it handle the same as what I use now?

✓ AnsweredJohn41

Infusion & bagging

Is it worth infusing a one-off console or should I just hand lay it?

✓ AnsweredSteve35

Can I just fill a below-waterline gouge with filler and antifoul over it before launch next week?

✓ AnsweredRoy34

Why can I see the outline of the core squares through my gelcoat after a few weeks?

✓ AnsweredRoy58

Resins & adhesives

My cured epoxy has a greasy film and the next coat won't stick, what happened?

✓ AnsweredSteve44

Testing & certification

Do I actually need independent testing here, or can I trust the datasheet?

✓ AnsweredSteve45

Infusion & bagging

My bag keeps dropping vacuum overnight, where should I start looking?

✓ AnsweredIan57

Small blisters have appeared below the waterline on my 1990s hull, is this osmosis and what do I do?

✓ AnsweredJohn63

Should I use balsa or PVC foam for a powerboat cockpit sole that gets walked on all day?

✓ AnsweredSteve41

Resins & adhesives

Is it worth using epoxy over polyester for a mould tool, or is that overkill?

✓ AnsweredRoy28

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