Author Archives: Grace Ombry

Sample of a carbon fiber/Kevlar laminate affected by abrasion. The left side is unaffected where as the right side has been abraded. Note the fraying from the Kevlar fibers.

Improving Impact and Abrasion Resistance

By Rachael Geerts – GBI Composites Materials Engineer

What is the difference between abrasion and impact? What materials hold up best against each of them? These questions often come up when talking about skid plates. Skid plates are a protective layer, typically on canoes and kayaks, that reinforces the areas of the hull most likely to suffer damage from abrasion and impact. Continue reading

Jan Gougeon Survived FLICKA's capsize in the Atlantic Ocean in 1979.

Surviving FLICKA’s Capsize, Part 2

By Grace Ombry

On June 20, 1979, while sailing in a qualifying race for the OSTAR (Original Single-Handed Transatlantic Race), Jan Gougeon’s self-designed and built 31′ trimaran FLICKA was capsized by heavy seas in the North Atlantic. Jan survived on the overturned plywood/epoxy multihull for four days before he was rescued by a passing freighter. The following is the second half of a transcript of a phone call between Jan, his brothers Meade and Joel, as well as fellow multihull designer/sailor Mike Zuteck. Their discussion takes place on June 26, 1979, just hours after the freighter that rescued Jan delivered him to dry land. Part 1 of this conversation can be found here. Continue reading

carbon skinning a racecar dashboard

Carbon Skinning

By Jeff McAffer

It all started when I got a new 360-degree camera for my racecar. Mounted on the dash, it captures a really cool perspective that allows viewers to see forward, watch cars as I pass them, and to see what I’m doing (check it out at youtube.com/user/jeffmcaffer). Unfortunately, the dash produced considerable glare on the windshield. As you can see in the photo, it also had various holes and divots that were not useful in a racecar such as a coin tray, air conditioning vents, and extra switch panels. I wanted to fill those in. But how? Continue reading

Rainbow inlaid handle

Making Knives with G/flex

By Jared Kramer

G/flex® Epoxy is the adhesive I use almost exclusively for making knives. Years ago, I found out about G/flex from other knife makers. After reading about its properties compared to standard epoxies, I realized it suited my needs just about perfectly. A marine epoxy like the WEST SYSTEM® 105 Resin system is incredibly durable and would likely outlast my lifetime on most knives. However, the “flex” is the main reason I use G/flex instead. Continue reading

Choosing the Right Wood for Your Boat Repair

Why pressure-treated plywood is a poor choice

By Terry Monville — GBI Technical Advisor

A very high percentage of boats in the U.S. are at least 30 years old. It doesn’t surprise me when a boat’s plywood components fail due to water intrusion. In my experience, the transom is the first area to rot out in most trailerable boats. That’s not to say the first thing to rot couldn’t be the cockpit floor, stringers, or motor mounts. Continue reading

gaff repair on Appledore IV and V

Gaff Repair

By Bill Bauer

In preparation for a thorough Coast Guard inspection, we’d stripped the masts, booms, and gaffs on the schooners Appledore IV and V of paint and varnish. This revealed several small rot areas, wear, and damage. Two of the gaff jaws (also called gaff saddles) had significant damage, including cracks in the jaws themselves, probably due to hard jibes and insufficient repairs. Gaffs are the angled spars from which the sails are hung. Continue reading

Mike Lenemens thickened epoxy application technique was borrowed from his grandfathers painting method.

Thickened Epoxy Application

By Mike Lenemen

My idea for this thickened epoxy application method was borrowed from my grandfather, a notable oil painter. What I remember the most about him is how he painted. He used standard oil paints but did not use a brush. Instead, he painted with cake decorating cones and his fingers.

One day, when I was working on applying some thickened WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy, I had an epiphany: my grandfather used cake-decorating cones to “draw” with oil paints and he was very accurate with them… maybe that would work with thickened epoxy. It has about the same consistency (viscosity) as oil paints. Continue reading

mammoth tusk

Mammoth Tusk Restoration

By Bruce Schindler

I love mammoth tusks. I love their grandeur! I love their immense size and elegant double curve. I love the beauty of mammoth ivory with its rough, stained outer texture and the creamy inside with its carbon fiber-like cross-hatching and rich colors. And I love the stories they tell of their Pleistocene past, of their cold storage in the frozen soils of the north, and of the gold miners who unearth and care for them. I especially love, of course, how mammoth ivory is brought back to life by artists and conservators. Continue reading

One proud kid, as well he should be.

River Hornet

A MiniMax Hydroplane

By Jeffrey Carpenter
Epoxyworks 50 Cover

Cover Photo: Joshua and his Minimax Hydroplane

In late 2018, my son and I were given a unique opportunity by the Michigan-based Water Wonderland Chapter of the Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) to build an 8′ MiniMax hydroplane based on original plans from the early 1960s. Almost anything from that era seems to be popular again. Maybe it’s nostalgia or maybe the designs of that groundbreaking decade were just ahead of their time. Either way, the MiniMax’s appeal seems as relevant today as it did in 1962. We accepted the challenge without hesitation. Continue reading