Then smooth it flush with the wood’s surface and quickly remove any excess before the epoxy begins to cure.įinally, allow the mix to cure thoroughly and sand down your filled cavity. Make sure the cavity is filled with this thickened epoxy. Next, use a squeegee or mixing stick to trowel in the mix. Adding 406 Colloidal Silica, 404 High Density Filler or 403 Microfibres will get your epoxy to a peanut butter consistency, which makes it perfect for gap filling, filleting, fairing putty and bonding uneven surfaces. Then thicken your epoxy with a high density filler. When you’re certain the area is dry, wet it out with a mix of WEST SYSTEM 105 Epoxy Resin® and 205 Fast Hardener®. Once you’ve excavated your small cavity, prepare the surface as usual, making sure the area is thoroughly dried out to prevent any further moisture damage. A larger volume will produce an exothermic reaction, causing it to heat up and significantly weaken the epoxy. This certainly saves time but is only suitable for small areas – approximately a 12mm layer or a volume the size of a golf ball. The simplest method is to fill the cavity with an epoxy/filler mix. Method 1: Filling smaller cavities with epoxy The size of this exposed cavity will determine which of two filling methods is the most appropriate. You should be left with a clean cavity with solid wood exposed on all sides. A chisel is the best tool to excavate all the weak, crumbly wood. Start by removing all of the wood which has been noticeably damaged by rot, making sure to extend well away from all sides of the apparent damage. This means that, before you decide, you need to excavate the area so you know exactly what you’re dealing with. The method you should use depends on the size of your cavity.
There are two filling methods which are recommended for treating localised dry rot. In this respect, a dry rot repair made with epoxy can genuinely be ‘better than new’. Not only does it restore the structural integrity of the material but it also totally replaces the water, forming a barrier against dry rot happening again in the future. When that happens, epoxy is the perfect solution. It’s no wonder, then, that repairing small areas of dry rot is possibly the most common wooden boat repair. Whenever that happens, dry rot is likely to develop. In the bilges, behind cupboard doors, at the bottom of the chain locker or under the bunks it’s a simple fact that wooden boats contain numerous small, often isolated areas with poor ventilation that are likely to trap moisture. Fortunately, when the worst does strike, you can rely on epoxy to save the day. Dry rot is the natural decay process that causes wood to discolour, crack, shrink and – worst of all – lose its strength.
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