Wild Duck Deck
Posted: Fri October 6th, 2006, 12:47 pm
We have a Wild Duck that I built with the family and launched 20 years ago, and that is now moored in North Wales. Epoxy covered ply on oak.
We put Trakmark in large panels on the fore and after deck and the cabin top. The wood around the panels and on the cabin window area were left in natural epoxy under all sorts of coats of light inhibiting epoxies and varnishes, but now the whole topsides needs re-doing. We think strip, re-epoxy and then lots of paint is the way to go, as the paint on the hull is still fine. The Trakmark has come unstuck and torn, so never again for that.
The work will have to be done in an open 'carport-like' structure (with holes in the roof) as soon as we are craned out. This is to make the most of the slightly higher November temperatures, and we will have to work under a sort of tent inside the shed.
So, the questions are...... When we peel off the Trakmark, what is the best way to remove the old contact adhesive. Under the Trakmark, the original epoxy should be fine, and I can't afford to waste money by grinding the good stuff off if I don't have to. Are either acetone or white spirit any good as adhesive solvents?
When we get beyond this, there's the question of the new non-slip deck. The cockpit floor has been marvellous with a covering of relatively coarse fiberglass matting soaked in epoxy and then painted. Still as good as the day it was built, but it did take a huge amount of epoxy. I was wondering if a finer glass mesh soaked in epoxy might be good on deck, with the panels matching the Trakmark areas and painted a different colour from the deck. The alternative seems to be to sprinkle sand in the paint or buy sand-loaded paint. Any advice gratefully received.
As can be guessed from the above, it is imperative to keep costs as low as possible whilst doing a sensible job. I'm retired and the sons and daughter who helped build have all moved away from the nest, but tell me I'm not allowed to sell. This means the job must be easy for me to do as well as cheap.
PS I seem to have registered on the site from one PC and the forum from another with different email address, so I hope having a split personality doesn't matter!
We put Trakmark in large panels on the fore and after deck and the cabin top. The wood around the panels and on the cabin window area were left in natural epoxy under all sorts of coats of light inhibiting epoxies and varnishes, but now the whole topsides needs re-doing. We think strip, re-epoxy and then lots of paint is the way to go, as the paint on the hull is still fine. The Trakmark has come unstuck and torn, so never again for that.
The work will have to be done in an open 'carport-like' structure (with holes in the roof) as soon as we are craned out. This is to make the most of the slightly higher November temperatures, and we will have to work under a sort of tent inside the shed.
So, the questions are...... When we peel off the Trakmark, what is the best way to remove the old contact adhesive. Under the Trakmark, the original epoxy should be fine, and I can't afford to waste money by grinding the good stuff off if I don't have to. Are either acetone or white spirit any good as adhesive solvents?
When we get beyond this, there's the question of the new non-slip deck. The cockpit floor has been marvellous with a covering of relatively coarse fiberglass matting soaked in epoxy and then painted. Still as good as the day it was built, but it did take a huge amount of epoxy. I was wondering if a finer glass mesh soaked in epoxy might be good on deck, with the panels matching the Trakmark areas and painted a different colour from the deck. The alternative seems to be to sprinkle sand in the paint or buy sand-loaded paint. Any advice gratefully received.
As can be guessed from the above, it is imperative to keep costs as low as possible whilst doing a sensible job. I'm retired and the sons and daughter who helped build have all moved away from the nest, but tell me I'm not allowed to sell. This means the job must be easy for me to do as well as cheap.
PS I seem to have registered on the site from one PC and the forum from another with different email address, so I hope having a split personality doesn't matter!