Duracell Project: Basics of boat lamination and painting

As he moves forward with the Duracell renovation, Matt uses a simple project to laminate a shelf panel in the sailboat cabin to introduce the key points in a simple composite part job.

The young man reminds us of the safety rules with the choice of good personal protection, gloves and masks. He presents the good products to use and the adequate materials, between acetone, rollers and other scissors adapted to the fiberglass. He supports his choice of fabrics, preferring bi-directional +/- 45° for small jobs.

Finally, he reminds us of the implementation advice, for the preparation of the epoxy resin, the congested joints and other debulking, as well as the importance of the tear-off fabric.

In his second video, Matt takes advantage of the boat's first paint job to remind us of the importance of a rigorous work sequence in painting. With a clear diagram, he illustrates the importance of each step: sanding, primer, filler, second sanding step, two coats of primer, topcoat and fine sanding, before the final paint job.

The video shows the constraints of such a job. As Matt explains, Duracell's space and low headroom make using a vaigrage complex. So you have to balance the demands on your time. A lesson that is always true during a refit!