[Public-List] Epoxy failure [was Steam bending Teak]

[George Dinwiddie]

Hi, Rachel,

Rachel wrote:
> 
> On Feb 3, 2010, at 3:33 PM, Robert Kirk wrote:
> 
>>
>>> Have you heard of any instances of failure due to creep of epoxy in
>>> sailboat construction or repair?
>>
>> Haven't heard of anything, but I doubt if there's much use of epoxy 
>> adhesive in loaded structural  things during boat construction, in 
>> today's fiberglass boats.
> 
> That's what made me think of cold-molded boats.  As I understand them, 
> they are made by layering thin wood plies with adhesive, and shaping 
> them into a hull.  I don't know if epoxy is always used, but I do know 
> it is used at least sometimes.  It seems like there would be a fair 
> amount of creep stress there, wouldn't there?

I'm not a marine architect, but my understanding is that cold-molding 
results in a plastic laminate that is wood-reinforced, rather than 
glass-reinforced like a conventionally molded boat.  In other words, the 
epoxy isn't acting just as an adhesive, but completely encases the wood 
strips.  The cellulose fibers give it tensile strength the way glass 
fibers do.

  - George

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