Top: Custom knife with glow-in-the-dark scales, designed and built by Felicia at Scissortail Bladeworks in Catoosa, Oklahoma. The handle was made with WEST SYSTEM® G/flex® 650 Toughened Epoxy. Continue reading
Author Archives: Grace Ombry
A New Bed for a Tired Truck
ABOVE: The completed truck bed in the remodeled 1953 Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck.
By Kerry Barnard
I purchased my 1953 Chevrolet 3100 pickup truck in 1975 from my best friend’s older brother. Years earlier, it had been the first vehicle I’d ever driven. For the next 29 years, it was stored outside and used sporadically. In 2004, I half-heartedly began restoring this truck and finally got serious about the project when I retired in 2018. Continue reading
Chris-Craft Transom Repair
By Don Gutzmer — GBI Technical Advisor
Here’s how we recently repaired a rotted Chris-Craft transom. The boat* had rotted stringers, transom, cockpit sole, and other problems common in fiberglass boats. I’ll explain the process we used for replacing the transom to provide some direction on tackling similar projects. Continue reading
Getting to Know the Scarffer
By Terry Monville — GBI Technical Advisor
Scarfing wood together dates back ages. Scarfing is the process of cutting corresponding angles (or sometimes shapes) on two similar pieces of wood and gluing them together to create a larger piece of lumber or plywood. The most common place scarfing is used is in building a stitch-and-glue canoe or kayak. Continue reading
Kids Rescue a Pair of Club 420 Dinghies
By Brett Langolf
The prep crew recently rescued and restored two Club 420 sailing dinghies using a combination of their own tenacity and West System® Epoxy. They achieved this through our youth sailing organization, More Kids On Sailboats (MKOS). At MKOS, we strive to let the kids lead, make mistakes, and learn how to do better the next time. The Club 420 project allowed them to do just that. Continue reading
How to Make a Wood & Epoxy Vase
By Ed Lewis
Cover Photo: One of Ed Lewis’s wood/epoxy turned vases.
In 1947, my parents took me to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for my first vacation. I was fascinated by a woodturner and resolved that I would one day learn the craft. In the early 1970s, I found an ancient used lathe in a flea market. I bought a box set of chisels at Sears and set out to learn the craft. I didn’t have a teacher and I made a lot of mistakes. Continue reading
Applying Epoxy on Vertical Surfaces
By Greg Bull — GBI Technical Advisor
Why can’t I apply epoxy to vertical surfaces? This is a question Gougeon Technical Advisors are asked all the time. Our response? Why, sure you can! You just need to apply it in thin coats using a foam roller. I’ll provide some tips for preventing sags or runs when coating vertical surfaces, achieving a thin coat, and choosing the best hardener for your working temperature.
DIY Window Screens for Car Camping
By Tom Pawlak — Retired GBI Technical Advisor
When I retired three years ago, I had plans to do a lot of camping. We have a small travel trailer that we love, yet there are times when camping alone that I prefer to keep things simple by leaving the trailer at home. Sleeping in the back of my small SUV works fine for me. There is even room to bring my canine pal along. Continue reading
Tackling Thru-Hull Repairs on TAKARA
By Jeff Mueller
Upgrading our sailboat’s navigation instruments called for eliminating one thru-hull fitting and reducing the diameter of another by 1/8″. Takara, a 1974 Irwin 30 Competition, has a one-piece molded fiberglass and polyester hull with alternating layers of hand-laid mat and 24 oz. woven roving. Her original instrument set included a pair of 2 1/8″-diameter transducer thru-hulls in the bow. Upgrading to modern instrumentation standards required installing an NMEA 2000 network instrument that was 2″ diameter. Continue reading
Snow Sled Built with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy
By Don Gutzmer — GBI Technical Advisor
A picture of an Equinox Snowcoach 685 inspired me to build a similar snow sled for my young kids. Growing up in Michigan, I learned to appreciate the outdoors. I remember snowmobiling with my family at a young age and those memories stayed with me as I got older. I still look forward to the few times each year I go up north to trail ride. I want my kids to appreciate snowmobiling as much as I do so, I decided to build an enclosed sled to pull behind my snowmobile. Continue reading