Planning to Make a Mess!

The rudder will be ready for glassing this weekend (that IS my goal for the week) and I am in the midst of planning to make a big mess. Epoxy is messy by itself, the element of fiber glass cloth elevates messy to an entirely new dimension. And this is particularly so when glassing both sides of a rudder while it is hanging vertically!

The concept is that the bottom tip of the rudder is glassed first and once that is cured the sides can be done. The sides are done with a single piece of fiber glass cloth draped over the leading edge. To make that work, the rudder must be vertical with the leading edge facing up. So, what's the problem?

Epoxy is liquid and tends to run and sag on vertical surfaces. But the first problem is how to support the rudder while working with the resin and FG on both sides? Because the rudder is cut to shape and size there really isn't any surface available to clamp. The plans do partially describe (more like hints at) how to do this. Since I couldn't figure out how I am going to accomplish this task, I posed the questions on the message board.

A gent from Australia who has already been down this road took the time to describe how he did it, although he said it took him several very messy attempts to get it right. His solution: put two relatively long screws spaced about 4" apart in each end of the rudder. Rest the rudder between two sawhorses using the screws to support it. Apply the epoxy on one side, flip it over and coat the second side with epoxy. Then hang the rudder vertically from the two screws closest to the leading edge, drape the FG cloth over the leading edge, and begin working the resin in to the cloth. I think that can work.

Pictures would probably make that easier to understand, and as I progress through the process I will take pictures.

I may have to build a couple of saw horses or come up with an alternative... but I have a good idea of what needs to be done.

So, now that the plans for making a mess are coming together, I need to gather some supplies and set up the work space for the weekend.