DaveH6
Gluing the scarfs . .
The plywood 4' edges were wetted out with epoxy and then thickened epoxy was put down. A long straight edge was used to align the 8' edges of the panels and then the scarfed seam was temporarily tacked together. Wax paper, a strip of wood and then limestone blocks were put down. Yes, I know that an epoxy joint doesn't need much pressure for a good bond. Based on the amount of squeeze out I probably had about the right pressure on the joints.
A level concrete floor sure makes life easy.
Edit: 03/14/2012. A boatbuilding forum poster claims that when inspecting a home built aircraft with wood in it, the FAA inspects glue lines. If epoxy is used, the inspector wants to see a glue line that resembles the thickness of a pencil line . Too fat means unnecessary weight. Too thin means the joint will fail. For surfaces that mate tightly, I now judge my glue lines on this basis . Of course one should pose the question, how sharp was the pencil?
Edit: 11/8/2013: During the manufacturing process, wax paper can have an inconsistent application of wax. A second problem is the heat of the epoxy curing process may soften the wax. For these reasons, I no longer use wax paper to keep items from bonding to epoxy. I now only use plastic materials.
Gluing the scarfs . .
The plywood 4' edges were wetted out with epoxy and then thickened epoxy was put down. A long straight edge was used to align the 8' edges of the panels and then the scarfed seam was temporarily tacked together. Wax paper, a strip of wood and then limestone blocks were put down. Yes, I know that an epoxy joint doesn't need much pressure for a good bond. Based on the amount of squeeze out I probably had about the right pressure on the joints.
A level concrete floor sure makes life easy.
Edit: 03/14/2012. A boatbuilding forum poster claims that when inspecting a home built aircraft with wood in it, the FAA inspects glue lines. If epoxy is used, the inspector wants to see a glue line that resembles the thickness of a pencil line . Too fat means unnecessary weight. Too thin means the joint will fail. For surfaces that mate tightly, I now judge my glue lines on this basis . Of course one should pose the question, how sharp was the pencil?
Edit: 11/8/2013: During the manufacturing process, wax paper can have an inconsistent application of wax. A second problem is the heat of the epoxy curing process may soften the wax. For these reasons, I no longer use wax paper to keep items from bonding to epoxy. I now only use plastic materials.