Foam Roller Bubbles

Post by **jem** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 2:20 pm

I use the sponge rollers from Lowes and/or Home Depot. Harbor Freight has them now as well.

Kayak Jack · Post by **Kayak Jack** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:43 pm

I had "reasonable" success with foam rollers, but still had to go back over it with a foam brush.

After a few times, I just eliminated the roller and use brushes. Seems easier to me.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 8:05 pm

I use the foam rollers all the time, and get the bubbles every time. I then lightly screed the resin off with a soft bladed sqeegee and this takes care of any air bubbles.

The blade on my squeegee is about as soft as a car windscreen wiper blade and is just firm enough to pick up any runs and to smooth out the bubbles.

My resin coats go on real thin. I apply wet on tacky, wet until the cloth is completely filled. Usually takes me about 5 or 6 coats to completely fill the cloth.

LEE SCHNEIDERMANN · Post by **LEE SCHNEIDERMANN** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:06 am

hairymick wrote:I use the foam rollers all the time, and get the bubbles every time. I then lightly screed the resin off with a soft bladed sqeegee and this takes care of any air bubbles.

The blade on my squeegee is about as soft as a car windscreen wiper blade and is just firm enough to pick up any runs and to smooth out the bubbles.

My resin coats go on real thin. I apply wet on tacky, wet until the cloth is completely filled. Usually takes me about 5 or 6 coats to completely fill the cloth.

Not to hijack a thread, but thanks for the 5 or 6 coats comment Mick.
I thought I was doing it all wrong when it took more than three coats on my "Freedom" project.

Lee

OnkaBob · Post by **OnkaBob** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:52 am

G'Day all.

Well I haven't built anything yet but I still have questions.

Assuming the foam rollers mentioned here are open cell foam like a sponge I wonder if anyone has tried a non porous soft rubber roller.

Seems to me (and I'm probably wrong

) that the only reason to use a roller is to avoid dragging the glass out of position. A squeegee does not hold any resin so why does the roller need to? It's possible that a non porous roller would get the best of both worlds by forcing the resin into the cloth but not create bubbles by squeezing air out of a sponge.

Anybody tried it?

(Off topic: Thanks for setting up this forum Matt - it's fantastic!)

Post by **jem** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:07 am

Thinking about it, I do get some bubbles in the epoxy when I use the roller.

The way I address it is to let the epoxy set up a bit, about 5 minutes or so. This short time ensures all the bubbles that are going to form, have formed but the epoxy is still in a liquid state and workable.

Then I hold a chip brush on about a 45-degree angle, and gently drag the bristle tips across the epoxy surface to pop the bubbles.

I only use enough contact force to barely bend the bristles and pop the bubbles. Since the epoxy is still in a liquid state, it self-levels out.

Only draw back to this process is if you use really cheap chip brushes, the bristles pull out and lay in the epoxy. So before I use this "tip-off" method, I'll drag the bristles back and forth across a clean rough surface to try and remove any loose bristles.

After I'm done, I'll clean off that brush with acetone or vinegar and safe if for that process again.

Teddy Madison · Post by **Teddy Madison** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:57 am

So from the results I am seeing, the only reasons to use a roller seem to be:

1. Get the epoxy down quickly.

2. Apply epoxy to a verticle surface.

3. Personal preference.

You still need to finish off with another method such as a chip or foam brush or squeege in most cases.

works for me, I just want to get a grip on it as I am probably one or two days away from glassing the hull.

Wayne

Post by **jem** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:21 am

sounds like a good summary.

dangermouse01 · Post by **dangermouse01** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:21 pm

I never use a roller for applying epoxy. It is always a squeegee (yellow plastic type) and a disposable chip brush, whether I am glassing the inside or outside of a hull. The squeegee for most of the work, even the vertical stuff. It puts down a thinner coat (dont have to worry about the cloth floating), lets you stretch out the cloth when wetting it out, easier to move epoxy around and doesn't absorb any epoxy. I use the chip brush for wetting out taped seams, edges and small areas the squeegee can get into.

Heres a tip for Lee on filling the weave:
After you put the cloth down (initial epoxy coat) and you have applied you first fill coat, let the epoxy cure. The lightly go over all the glassed area with a carbide scraper or a cabinet scraper (fine grade sand paper works also), you just want a light shaving off the top. Wipe the surface down and apply another fill coat (second fill coat). After that cures, scrape the surface again, clean and apply another fill coat (third fill coat). After that cures, scrape it again and by then the weave should be pretty well filled ( 1 wet out & 3 fill coats).

What happens is the weave of the cloth, one strand over then under then over......, when applying fill coats, you are building up the tops while you are trying to fill the lows. So if you knock the tops down a bit in between coats, you fill the lows with out building up the tops and save about two coats of epoxy. This is where using a squeegee pays off, thin coat on the tops and doesnt pull epoxy from the lows. Saves time & effort in final sanding too, and thats a good thing

DM

LEE SCHNEIDERMANN · Post by **LEE SCHNEIDERMANN** » Sat Aug 09, 2008 2:21 am

Thanks Mouse!!

Lee