Wooden Boat Restoration Repair - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

5 Bond the second layer of veneers after the first layer has reached a partial cure, or a full
cure with sanding (Figure 5-18). Run the veneers diagonally in the opposite direction,
about 35° from vertical. Remove the staples only in the area under the veneer being
bonded. Coat the face of the new veneer and the contact area of the first layer including
both scarfs. Staple through the veneers into the stringers and at the scarfs as necessary
to hold the veneers flat.
6. Continue until all the veneers are in place and you’ve matched the thickness of the
original skin (Figure 5-19). By removing the staples in the previous layer only under
each new veneer, all previous layers of veneer will stay in place even though the epoxy
has not thoroughly cured. This will allow you to bond several layers of veneers in one
continuous operation. Be sure the staples are long enough to provide clamping
pressure by penetrating to the stringers or veneers that have cured fully. Allow the final
layer to cure thoroughly before removing staples, fairing and final finishing.
5.4.2 Laminating a patch away from the damaged area
A panel section also can be repaired by using the existing skin as a form to laminate a
patch panel and then bonding the pre-formed patch in, in one piece. The size of the
patch should include the damaged area plus an 8-to-1 scarf beyond the damaged area.
Tape a sheet of plastic over and beyond the area you wish to use as a mold surface. An
adjacent area that is curved slightly more than the damaged area is an ideal mold
surface because it compensates for veneer springback during molding (Figure 5-20).
After laminating the appropriate number of veneers to equal the size and thickness of
the damaged section (plus scarf), prepare matching scarfs on the damaged area and the
patch. Then bond the patch into place using the procedure described previously in
Section 5.3.2.
5.4.3 Laminating a new skin over an old skin.
Repairing Hull and Deck Planking 39
Figure 5-20 Laminate a replacement panel using the surface next to the damaged area as a
mold.
The technique of laminating one or more veneers over an existing hull has breathed
new life into many boats that otherwise would have been given up for dead. The
thickness and species of the new skin depends on how much strength is left in the old
skin. If the hull can be supported in the proper shape, the new skin could replace the
function of the old skin entirely. After you’ve established the total thickness and type of
wood, determine the thickness and number of layers of veneer. As a rule, use the
thickest and fewest layers of veneers that can bend and clamp to the tightest curves on
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