Planning Ahead

I need to start thinking about how much epoxy and fiberglass to get. The recommended quantity of epoxy according to Nick's book is 1.1 gallons. Other places I've seen recommend getting 2 gallons of epoxy and I will probably do this, hoping I don't actually use much of that second gallon (not only is it very expensive, it's also heavy). It would be kinda crappy to run out at a critical point and I won't have the option of running down the street to Churchill Hardware to pick up some more, so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and get the larger quantity. To get 1 gallon plus 1 litre would still be cutting it too close, and the larger volume is a better value. Plus, by all accounts, first time builders use too much epoxy. I'll be using the West Systems 105 resin with the 207 hardener.

The second thing I need to figure out the quantity of is the glass cloth. It comes in a 60" width and I can lay it at an angle to get the best economy out of the cloth. I did some cutting and pasting to come up with the following diagram to help me decide how much cloth I need: The above layout uses 1 layer on the inside and one on the outside with an extra layer on the bottom. The cutoffs should give me enough to work with for the other areas that need to be glassed. By my figuring, the above layout tells me that I need to get ~17 yards. I'll probably just round it up to 20 yards to make certain there is enough and keep the extra (assuming there is much extra) to go along with the extra epoxy so that I have a head start on the next boat! (Or all the other little things that one can build out of epoxy & fiberglass, such as a side view mirror for the car after my wife drops another boat on it.)