1-2-3-4-5 Coats of Resin
I started yesterday morning at 5 and just finished this morning at 3:30. Yesterday was a busy one with errands to run, doctor's appointment and 4 coats of resin on the boat. Before putting on the last coat of resin I trimmed most of the fiberglass off of the boat with a razor knife. There are now 5 coats of resin on the exterior and I think that will be enough. I applied all of the coats with 5" foam rollers. Even going slowly with the rollers bubbles are created which I smooth out by lightly going over the resin with a cheap brush which removes all of the bubbles and leaves a smooth finish. As per the instructions of the author of the book from which I learned to build these canoes ("Canoecraft" by Ted Moore) I used to use a brush to apply the resin. The resin is so viscous that it is hard to get an even coat on the boat and It always ended up with runs. It takes more coats with a roller to get enough resin on the boat but there is much less sanding to get a level finish with a roller.
Later today I'll turn the boat upright in the cradles and finish taking off the rest of the cloth that is on the edge of the hull. That surface has to be smooth because for the forseeable future I'll be bent over, hanging in the boat trying to get rid of the excess glue on the inside of the hull.
