Russian Typhoon Submarine

Part 2 - Taping / Glassing

Why use duck tape? Because epoxy resin (WestSystems) doesn't stick to it. Polyurethane Resin will melt the polystyrene foam and it smells terrible. Additionally, Polyurethane Resin will not cure below 60°. The WestSystems Epoxy Resin doesn´t have a smell and the #205 hardener (fast cure) will cure down to 40°. Ok, so why the duck tape? Whelp, after fiber glassing and cutting the hull in half, I plan to remove the polystyrene foam and duck tape very easily. Time will tell. Some folks have told me to simply remove the foam using a urethane or petroleum based material such as gasoline, but I opted not to have the melted goo which would result from such an effort.
	fiber glassing the hull was straightforward but time consuming. I used 2 layers of 6 ounce cloth and 1 layer of heavier mat for strength. Several coats of resin and much sanding were necessary to obtain the smooth surface for priming.
Why use masking tape? Because epoxy resin (WestSystems) runs, runs and runs some more (I learned the hard way!) After the resin has cured a bit, simply remove the masking tape. If you wait too long before removing the tape, a sharp razor blade run along the edge will do the trick.
	If I had it to do all over again, I would not have used the fiberglass mat. The mat seemed to go every which way when using a brush to apply the resin. The cloth was much easier to wet out, and it made for a much smoother finish. In any event, allot of sanding is required to get a smooth finish for priming (the next step.) Next Step - Part 3 - Priming / Marking

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