Please help.
Anyone can tell me the expense per square footage of fiberglass/epoxy?
I need it for every thickness of fiber glass? TIA

If you have to ask that question and you are deciding to build a boat.
Don't, you can't afford it. The hull is the least expensive of all items in
a boat project.
Steve

"mscres" wrote in message
...
Please help.
Anyone can tell me the expense per square footage of fiberglass/epoxy?
I need it for every thickness of fiber glass? TIA

mscres wrote:
Please help.
Anyone can tell me the expense per square footage of fiberglass/epoxy?
I need it for every thickness of fiber glass? TIA

This will depend on several factors:
First you need to figure out how thick the fiberglass needs to be based on
design and usage. Heavier glass requires more epoxy.
Then you need to figure out the type of resin you want to use. A high grade
epoxy resin can cost over twice what a low grade one will but you don't want
to use cheap materials when doing this sort of thing.
Next you need to know how many layers of build up epoxy you are going to use.
If it is not going to be visible or below the waterline then you might get
away with just wetting out the glass but if you are planning on painting or
varnishing it, or it is below the water line, then you need a few layers of
build up resin to fill the weave in fiberglass. A slow drying resin is
easier to work with but is also thinner and requires more layers.
You also need to allow for spills and screw-ups so add a little extra per
square foot for that.
Then you need to figure out how you are going to do it. If you are going to
do fiberglass over a mold, it requires more glass and a core material. If
you are going to do a wood strip or plywood then you use less glass but need
to buy wood.
There are also different methods of laying the glass. Hand laying is the
least efficient but easiest to do. Vaccuum bagging is just hand laying with
a vacuuming system to remove excess resin, cost increase is due to bagging
tools and materials but there is an increased strength to weight ratio.
Vaccuum infusion costs the most in tools and is the hardest to set up but has
the least amount of waste, saving money, and the highest ratio of strength to
weight. Infusion is a bit more complicated and as far as I know can only be
done on fiberglass construction on a mold of some sort. If anybody out there
knows a way to use this method in a strip composite construction I would love
to hear it.

More detail might help like what kind of construction you are planning and
what it will be used for. If you are building something designed for you
then what are the design recomendations. If you are designing it then a size
of project and probably usage will be helpful. Of course you may not be
building a boat at all but instead just making some small parts for something
else, in which case you could possibly get away with cheaper materials.

A good site with a lot of basic info and some formulas to help with this is
http://www.fibreglast.com/

They carry a lot of stuff as well but I don't think they are the best prices
and I can't vouch for thier material quality.

What are you building and what are you using it for will be the most
important things to think about before figuring materials, then you can
figure out cost of materials.

P.S. A lot of people here will tell you that if you dont know everything by
now then don't build anything. Don't listen, if you are asking questions and
trying to learn then you can build. Just remember that it will take a long
time and a lot of patience. Also it is always more expensive than you plan
for, especially if you are a beginner. If you really want to build something
then go for it. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise if you are really
determined but do your homework and do a lot of practice before you get into
the actual build.

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/build/200612/1

Go to http://www.systemthree.com/index_2.asp
Register to be a member (free, good folks).
Download their "The Epoxy Book," "Catalog," and "Price List." (pdf files)
(free)
In Appendix D, Section 10, of The Epoxy Book you will find the coverage
expected. I've also seen the thickness expected, but that may have applied
to their finishing products. Add 20% for waste.

System Three and the West System will be comparable in prices, Raka is
cheaper, but I haven't used it. Similar data for the West System will be
found in "Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction." (not free)

A bit of work, but it is YOUR project.

Roger

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"mscres" wrote in message
...
Please help.
Anyone can tell me the expense per square footage of fiberglass/epoxy?
I need it for every thickness of fiber glass? TIA

I tried to get the Epoxy Book, but had trouble registering with System
Three. The delay in my email confirmation might be at my server's end.
But I did get a copy without a hitch at:

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Prod...ml#SystemThree

Guy

derbyrm wrote:
Go to http://www.systemthree.com/index_2.asp
Register to be a member (free, good folks).
Download their "The Epoxy Book," "Catalog," and "Price List." (pdf files)
(free)
In Appendix D, Section 10, of The Epoxy Book you will find the coverage
expected. I've also seen the thickness expected, but that may have applied
to their finishing products. Add 20% for waste.

System Three and the West System will be comparable in prices, Raka is
cheaper, but I haven't used it. Similar data for the West System will be
found in "Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction." (not free)

A bit of work, but it is YOUR project.

Roger

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"mscres" wrote in message
...
Please help.
Anyone can tell me the expense per square footage of fiberglass/epoxy?
I need it for every thickness of fiber glass? TIA

Thanks, I went to the site and got the book.



"Guy" wrote in message
ups.com...
I tried to get the Epoxy Book, but had trouble registering with System
Three. The delay in my email confirmation might be at my server's end.
But I did get a copy without a hitch at:

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Prod...ml#SystemThree

Guy

derbyrm wrote:
Go to http://www.systemthree.com/index_2.asp
Register to be a member (free, good folks).
Download their "The Epoxy Book," "Catalog," and "Price List." (pdf
files)
(free)
In Appendix D, Section 10, of The Epoxy Book you will find the coverage
expected. I've also seen the thickness expected, but that may have
applied
to their finishing products. Add 20% for waste.

System Three and the West System will be comparable in prices, Raka is
cheaper, but I haven't used it. Similar data for the West System will be
found in "Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction." (not free)

A bit of work, but it is YOUR project.

Roger

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"mscres" wrote in message
...
Please help.
Anyone can tell me the expense per square footage of fiberglass/epoxy?
I need it for every thickness of fiber glass? TIA

When you do your analysis, I would greatly appreciate knowing the
results. I think it's about $1 per square foot. Even two or three
times that is not a great expense, compared with the entire cost of
building. Therefore, I agree with advice given earlier: If the cost
of fiberglassing a wooden boat intimidates you, you shouldn't be
building one.

On the other hand, a cataloge of all boatbuilding costs is worth having
in order to facilitate decision making. If you can chip away at the
cost of every component, it should make make a difference.

One source of less-than-reliable information is Michalak's essay "Boat
Costs" which can be found in a wonderful collection through any of the
following links:

http://homepages.apci.net/~michalak/#INDEX
http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakwater/274/
http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakw...Index.htm#BOAT
COSTS

The information is faulty only because it is dated, and because
Michalak was understandably too busy to carefully research the
question. I have high regard for him.

Guy Vandegrift
http://faculty.valpo.edu/gvandegr/

mscres wrote:
Thanks, I went to the site and got the book.

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Prod...ml#SystemThree

My older edition of "Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction: Wood and West
System Materials" has a section addressing costs. I see they're updating it
(from 1985 with addendum) to 2006. Not a cheap book, but a good value for
anyone using any epoxy.

Roger

http://home.insightbb.com/~derbyrm

"Guy" wrote in message
s.com...
When you do your analysis, I would greatly appreciate knowing the
results. I think it's about $1 per square foot. Even two or three
times that is not a great expense, compared with the entire cost of
building. Therefore, I agree with advice given earlier: If the cost
of fiberglassing a wooden boat intimidates you, you shouldn't be
building one.

On the other hand, a cataloge of all boatbuilding costs is worth having
in order to facilitate decision making. If you can chip away at the
cost of every component, it should make make a difference.

One source of less-than-reliable information is Michalak's essay "Boat
Costs" which can be found in a wonderful collection through any of the
following links:

http://homepages.apci.net/~michalak/#INDEX
http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakwater/274/
http://marina.fortunecity.com/breakw...Index.htm#BOAT
COSTS

The information is faulty only because it is dated, and because
Michalak was understandably too busy to carefully research the
question. I have high regard for him.

Guy Vandegrift
http://faculty.valpo.edu/gvandegr/

mscres wrote:
Thanks, I went to the site and got the book.

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Prod...ml#SystemThree

Steve Lusardi wrote:
If you have to ask that question and you are deciding to build a boat.
Don't, you can't afford it. The hull is the least expensive of all items in
a boat project.
Steve

Steve,

I know it costs a lot to build a boat, but I don't agree with what you
said. Just because the entire project costs mucho dollars doesn't mean
that you can't budget each aspect. If you try to save money at every
step, I'm sure you can end up spending significantly less than someone
who told himself "well it's gonna cost 50 grand anyway, so what's the
use in trying to control costs?"

-Maxime Camirand