> I HAVE A BOAT PARTLY FINISHED THAT STILL NEEDED 2-3 MORE COATS OF EPOXY TO
> FILL IN THE WEAVE IN THE FIBREGLASS CLOTH WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO WORK ON IT
> FOR A FEW WEEKS. SINCE I CAN'T SAND IT DOWN VERY WELL WITHOUT SANDING THE
> CLOTH AND WEAKENING IT AND SYSTEMS 3 SAY SUBSEQUENT COATS OF EPOXY WON'T
> ADHERE UNLESS THERE IS A MECHANICAL BOND CREATED, I AM AT A BIT OF A LOSS
> AS TO HOW TO PROCEED. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. TOM

Tom,

I would suggest that you wash the hull with only very hot water and a lint-free cloth to remove the amine blush. If the fiberglass is the least bit unsaturated with cured epoxy, the possibility exists that detergent may remain in the weave and interfere with a good subsequent epoxy bond. A light sanding of the glass will only slightly weaken the glass cloth. As for washing with acetone, System Three discouraged the use of any solvents as a wash in, THE EPOXY BOOK, a tutorial that it published. All solvents leave a small percentage of residue after evaporation. Even small concentrations of residues can interfere with the bonding of one epoxy coat to the next. Ricci