Building the 23' V-Bottom Skiff - Episode 16: Fiber-glassing the bottom

It's time to put the final two layers of 1708 fiberglass on our V-Bottom Skiff. This is a very important part of the construction as it was designed with the intention of keeping the look and feel of a classic flat bottom skiff but while adding the strength and rigidity of a fiberglass bottom. We're using TotalBoat 2:1 Epoxy with the slow hardener. The reason for that is because we have such a large area to cover we don't want the epoxy going off on us before we've had a chance to get both pieces of fiberglass fully saturated and on the boat. The other big thing we're out to do it get a nice corner on the edge so I've decided to nail down some battens with plastic in between them to pull the fiberglass down tight around that edge. Stay tuned for our next episodes, we'll be flipping our V-Bottom over and sawing our log to get the keel and more for ORCA!
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Product links
TotalBoat 2:1 High Performance Epoxy
www.totalboat.com/product/high-performance-21-epoxy-resin/
TotalBoat 2:1 High Performance Medium Hardener
www.totalboat.com/product/21-medium-hardener/

[@StudioDesSages]

This channel is the best damn wooden boat building channel on KZbin. Lou, you’re a freakin’ human treasure.

[@jamescannon4701]

I was my Grandfather's apprentice in carpentry. He was a finisher and cabinet maker. I dreamed of eventually building wooden boats. I love this channel, keep up the good work.

[@80dale]

Been a carpenter/woodworker for 54 years but never built a boat . Would like to make a small dory someday

[@timothytreece6164]

This is just wonderful. I have learned so much already!!!!!

[@neverforget3295]

Can't wait to see this boat float. Thank you.

[@GediSpock]

Thanks Louie. You given me so much with this series. I lost my Dad a few months ago. And I’ve been at a total loss ever since. I can’t pick up tools. It’s just too painful. But he taught me joinery. Plumbing. Painting. Everything I need to make a boat. But I had no idea how to build a boat. I just knew that’s all I wanted to do since dad died. Make a boat. It’s all I’ve been able to think of. Then I found this channel. I could listen to you all day, mate. You’ve given me such a lot Louie. And I’ll never be able to thank you enough.

[@TipsfromaShipwrightvideos]

Thank you, hang in there, we’re not going anywhere!

[@raytheron]

There are few things in life more satisfying than watching you work, Lou. What a pleasure to see a master craftsman at work. She's a beauty; love the lines!

[@ioannisaliazis]

This boat is gonna be bulletproof! Lou please wear a mask when you’re sanding etc fiberglass 🙏🏼💙

[@robertcain3426]

A tip on glassing cloth over a chine and not getting voids (air bubbles), is to glass over the chine wetting it out at least 50 to 100mm (2" - 4") past the chine. That way it holds down and doesn't spring up and creat voids of air. It also adds strength to the chine. Same goes for the keel.

[@abettermousetrap]

You're the King of KZbin shipwrights Lou. No contest. I watch others but you're the man. Thank you for sharing your gifts.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Moving right along😎

[@TheShorebird]

It's good to have help that really knows what they're doing. Props to those guys! You can tell by just watching it's not their first rodeo. This boat is looking fantastic! With two layers I don't think it could be any stronger. The bow lines are beautiful and looks like she will slice through waves with ease. My only complaint is the videos aren't coming fast enough! Lol! There are no better videos on the internet than Lou's! As a Home Improvement carpenter I've always wanted to build a skiff like this. I wish I could purchase this one but I know it's going to be out of my price range. I love watching you work though Lou. There isn't a carpenter out there with any more attention to detail. I've learned so much, keep 'em coming.

[@paulbriggs3072]

What? You mean one episode every two months isn't enough? By the way, a good book for more straight forward construction than seen here on similar boats is found in the older book by Harry Sucher found here: www.amazon.com/Simplified-Boatbuilding-V-Bottom-Harry-Sucher/dp/0393031802 (hint- you won't find two criss crossing layers of cedar with 3 (4?) layers of fiberglass cloth. I lost count.)

[@ianhendra6946]

You are a genius my friend

[@koacello]

Great video!! Tacking down the cleats over the poly on the chine is a really great idea!! Truly makes the cloth cooperate !! I can’t wait to start my next boat !! Thanks so much!!

[@ji6050]

Interesting.👍As a boat builder I shall never stop learning.

[@gregoryraven3213]

Truly are a Grand Master Lou!! Can’t wait till she’s done, what a beautiful boat it will be

[@leandrewwilliams554]

I Love to see Craftsmen doing their thing

[@simsammalinao1823]

The design is excellent....!!!!

[@danacrook4203]

Thanks again Louis! Great video!

[@createlovehappy]

Love the process. Well done. You are such a good teacher. Thank you

[@ronwatson4902]

Beautiful job on this well thought out build.Thanks for letting us watch.

[@Stan7670]

Great running description as usual.

[@cbrusharmy]

So nice, Lou!

[@shadestaples7903]

You did it again Lou...Looks great!

[@graxav]

Astonishing young man you are Louis .. master class.

[@shopnwoods9901]

Really cool! You guys make it look so easy

[@rml3wood]

Missed you Lou! Keep them coming.

[@davidbank9195]

What a team 👏! Thank you Kenneth and Mathew for joining Lou on this masterpiece.

[@craigchisholm2643]

Love watching you and your crew work Lou - thanks for sharing, and Happy Independence Day!

[@brianbob7514]

Looks great

[@mattevans-koch9353]

Very nice Lou and crew. This is going to be a very nice boat. Thank you for sharing this build.

[@boooshes]

Just splendid

[@jonny-b4954]

Did ya forget your belt that day? Hahah we use the rubber spline you roll screen in as belts when we forget ours on jobs.

[@Tugmun11]

Louis I must admit I wasn't very excited about the V bottom project at first, but now I'm hooked, this Baby is Awesome thanks for sharing.

[@rbc5878]

Looking good Lou,

[@kevinsmith3274]

Holy mackerel! This thing's going to be strong as a tank.

[@bosse641]

Good job guys!

[@jeffrippe6559]

Lou, you need to trademark the belts you wear and sell them in your Merch store! I’ll be first in line to order one! Love your work, Sir! I never miss your newest videos.

[@chasehagan2861]

Love watching your videos! I have a lot of nice white oaks on my property that will make a nice deadrise one day.

[@edwardbarker2506]

Somebody buy Louis a belt or some suspenders. Looking good!

[@ReadtoRise]

Respect to Matthew for wearing a dress shirt!

[@stevenboyd593]

Easier to keep your arms clean

[@jackrabbit5047]

The crust, LOL.

[@chuckrobinson599]

This is going to be nice.

[@doolittlegeorge]

These style plane up so nice (having one anyways) and offer just awesome an awesome control surface for proper handling but most importantly proper braking as they settle so well at idle. Great sea keeping in brackish wash and tide I've been looking to ditch the Evinrude for a big tiller Mercury like they run on Big River Boats for inland waters, USA. Just a great utility craft for hauling in lobster, crab traps, fishing of every type or just plain heading out to the sand bar for oysters and beer with a bonfire and the crew. Hard to relax well in this World, too!

[@fonhollohan2908]

This thing is build with a armored shield Nice work LOU you all have done a great job! on this build ...but lets be honest you do that on all your builds. You all are true craftsman in your field of expertise.

[@MrLionelrichtea]

Hey I noticed that the boat building playlists have been removed? Love your videos thanks for putting the time in.

[@BrunoWiebelt]

nice to see

[@billiondollardan]

That wood looks pretty when it's covered in resin. Also watching the guy in the gray shirt makes me feel hot! I hate having to work like that lol

[@osu3221]

I wish I could learn from you.

[@shoresharp8349]

Nicely done Lou , if anyone sees this comment if you guys do this glass work do it with 1700 biaxal instead of 1708. The 1700 with bend corner 10times better than 1708.

[@OldBullRanch]

Hey man....dont give away all the boat building forum secrets lol...

[@paulbriggs3072]

Good to know.

[@J.A.Smith2397]

You my boy blue

[@silveriovelasquez3739]

Hola amigo te saludo desde Panamá una pregunta la segunda capa de tela se le pone seguida o hay que esperar algún tiempo gracias saludos y bendiciones muy instructivo este canal.

[@dirtyscant3447]

Ice breaker!

[@danacoyle1826]

Finned roller is actually called a air roller because it pushes the air bubbles out of the fiberglass

[@jimurrata6785]

Bubble buster

[@jimurrata6785]

@@user-kk4oc8rw8f There is no problem, because there is a layer in the middle. So the hull won't leak air like a sieve. If it was just planked it would have the vacuum pump running constantly.

[@jimurrata6785]

@@user-kk4oc8rw8f I've done enough vacuum bagging. I know how it works.

[@MrNutter13]

Love what your doing but there are better cloths out there to do that job 👍 there should be no need to nail the corners and edges just a peel ply over the top and a good bristle roller 👍 but to be honest she sure will be strong 💪 all the best from the UK 🇬🇧

[@ApuNehru]

Has work on this boat stopped? I was really looking forward to it's finish. Can you talk about why you chose to glass this boat vs the work skiff you just bottom/top painted? Love the builds.

[@musicmaneman38]

1st. Lol. It's comming along Lou.

[@StudioDesSages]

@@user-kk4oc8rw8f No, but you’ll likely have to register it and pay tax on it.

[@chuckrobinson599]

@@user-kk4oc8rw8f in some states you can't sell one.

[@mrbamfo5000]

You would have to register it if you put a motor on it in Michigan

[@Pushyhog]

tired now, gotta go lay dwn:)

[@bizim_eller]

👍👍🙂

[@kftb7183]

Nice work! Just a thought coming to my mind… thinking about trapped moisture… it is no problem to have organic material in between the two layers of fibre glass? All the best and thanks

[@user-oj4xh8cg2l]

have you ever tried "peel ply" (polyester or nylon or similar disposable non stick fabric) rather than vinyl and battens for the angles ? the surface tension of the peel ply would apply pressure on the angle to eliminate the spring bubbles (up to a point) and at the same time allow for smoothing the angle and resin puddles.

[@OldBullRanch]

Thats what he used...

[@user-oj4xh8cg2l]

@@OldBullRanch not quite, he is using a plastic sheet here (like a plastic bag if you prefer), a peel ply if a porous fabric that lets the resin go through. check instant 10'30" : "I nailed down a piece of polyethylene..."

[@paulbriggs3072]

Are you saying the peel ply replaces the batten by keeping surface tension so that the glass stays down?

[@Pushyhog]

remember when they use to call peel ply , dacron. Corporation name.

[@glbuzzell5725]

Julie I think we should

[@michaelamory4648]

Lou , where are you ? What’s happening with deep v ?

[@alfer9784]

👍😀👍

[@silverchannel8582]

Whith what apparatus did you cut the fiberglass to length ?! That looked so easy !

[@paulbriggs3072]

They sell electric shears made just for cutting fiberglass.

[@CapoSilverback]

Did you guys have any ventilation or odor issues? Fans masks vents? Just wondering? Great videos as always

[@mrbamfo5000]

I have a neighbor (don't know him) but he was building a wooden boat in his garage a couple of years ago. I'd see him working on it when I was driving by now and then. Made me think about building one at the time. I've watched the flat bottom skiff series and this V bottom. They both are so well done, I think I could actually build one from them. But the lumber would be so expensive, unless I wanted to cut down and mill my own. Would have to upgrade my tablesaw and bandsaw too. Do you have a video where you build seats into the design?

[@paulbriggs3072]

Consider saving money by using white pine at least above the waterline. Tiny knots the size of a thumbprint or smaller don't matter and white pine was used historically for all sorts of dories and Nova Scotia lobsterboats and other fishing boats. Its been used since colonial times for many different boats and even decking. Anything 6 growth rings or more per inch is fine. Its slightly more dimensionally stable than even white cedar and slightly stronger.

[@mallow173]

Got a question...does that jamestown distributors epoxy not create an amine blush when its done curing? Very interesting!!

[@80dale]

Planing the fiberglass must raise hell with the blades?

[@remkojerphanion4686]

I guess he was using an old plane, and yes, the blade will need attention after this!

[@michaelamory4648]

Lou - what’s goin on with V bottom?

[@robinmareno5781]

Is the skiff finished , when is the next video ?

[@bassneckfishing2505]

Nice boat I'm Restoring my bass boat

[@paulbriggs3072]

None of my business but who was the maker?

[@michaelwilkinson2928]

No news for over a month now?

[@brandons5426]

Where’s the orca videos.

[@revwesley]

Lou what do you use to thin your 2:1 epoxy? Acetone, alcohol, something else?

[@Troggination]

denatured alcohol.

[@rayk9315]

Hey Lou I like your belt. Where can I buy one like yours? Haw haw.

[@BillAndersonNS]

Does anyone know why Louis uses a string instead of a belt to keep his pants up? You know there has to be a reason, because he has reasons for everything he does, so I am just curious what the reason could be?

[@hemayann]

What was that cutting machine he was using

[@paulbriggs3072]

If you are talking about the 1:40 minute mark, its just a power planer with a vacuum hose taped over the exhaust.

[@harrymerritt7745]

Looks nice strong.wouldnt it have been easier to vacume bag in one shot.

[@alexhamon9261]

Until something goes wrong with the vacuum bagging process. For a one off boat of this size, demonstrating hand layup is probably easier and more practical technique for most of the viewers learning how to build a skiff. Do you have a vacuum pump, epoxy trap, vacuum hoses, peel ply, vacuum bags laying around? No. Would all this cost more than a few rollers, a little extra epoxy and some friends helping out for a couple hours? Probably.

[@paulbriggs3072]

@@alexhamon9261 Without question. More trouble by a ways.

[@alexhamon9261]

@@paulbriggs3072 I haven't ever done fiberglass layup by hand but from what I understand most people starting out find it fairly intuitive to scrape or roll epoxy into fiberglass until it goes clear and no bubbles remain, especially with the tips he's provided.

[@paulbriggs3072]

@@alexhamon9261 Yes.

[@jorgemontefusco650]

Holy mackeral. Closed room, no masks?

[@hydroxacte]

The electric planer on fiberglass must raise glass dust. No mask?

[@paulbriggs3072]

HE had a vacuum cleaner hose on the planer exhaust. Probably works well.

[@osu3221]

Where's the rest of the v bottom Lou?

[@paulbriggs3072]

Any more fiberglass and no wood hull is needed.

[@willisgemutlich2608]

of course don't forget you do need the wood. the huge guys really seem to help, though, too, in my experience. knowledge is power, but power is power too.....strong women make strong boys. we need more of them. I need to find a woman as strong as my mother, or better my grandmother. the older the golder? i don't know. i'm a young 41. I believe I am most in love with my grammere, who was enammerred by asian culture, then my mom, and I will leave off there

[@willisgemutlich2608]

it took forever to add a comment! something like 20 hours! so what do you get when you get a maybe african, maybe polenesian (sp?) maybe from who knows where and add a jewish maybe german maybe from greece? who knows who cares? take these huge guys and add a tiny old wizard, and you get... A SHIP!

[@jorgemontefusco650]

No masks?

[@rjwintl]

Wonder if you just PAINTED the boat like our forebears did ??? … the U.S.S. Constitution , built in 1798 , still floating in Boston harbor , ain’t epoxied !!!