I've been building a Midwest Coast Guard Motor Life Boat for the last few weeks. All wooden boat with a balsa sheeted hull, something like 30" long (+/- few inches). After several trips down the 'sand/fill/sand/fill' highway, I had the hull in what I think was pretty good shape. Time for fibreglassing!
Hmm. Never done that before. Sort of allergic to the resin. Work area exposed to the weather, so have to wait for a nice day. Nice day arrived, screwed up my courage, mixed resin+hardener, put on gloves, sorted out the glass cloth, began the glassing. First half, not bad, or as difficult as I thought. Second half, resin turned kinda 'warm jello-ish', not as easy to apply. Better hurry! @#$%, the cloth doesn't stay put very well. Done! Wait couple of hours. I don't think this is right, what's all those 'lumps', and why are the edges wavy and not stuck? Another couple of hours. Oh @#$%! What do I do with this mess? Treat self for shock. Treat self for disgust (favorite beverage in large quantities).
Next day. Well, there's gotta be a way of fixing this mess. 20 square yards of sand papaer later, it still looks like a dog with the mange. More sanding. Another treatment for disgust. Lets try another coat of resin! Mix the stuff and thinned it down some. Gloves, benidril for the allergy thing. Hmm, 'mange' disapearing, this might work! Several hours later, oooo nice shinny hull! Walk closer, what's those 'dimples' in the surface? ..... More sanding. Call sand paper manufacturor to have them put second plant on line. More sanding. Maybe if I let it set longer? Figure a couple of more days of drying should help? Trip to "Alamo Booze Palace" for more disgust medicine while I'm waiting. Sand paper shipment arrived, time to start sanding again. Have to stop to calm down the neighbors, they don't seem to understand all the screaming. "I build model boats! Screaming is normal!", what'a they know anyway?
Wind blowing, good! Gets all that fibreglass dust and sand out of the yard. It's pile'n up in the street though, oh well.
Got her sanded down, nice smooth finish! More resin, thicker this time. Figure if I sand half of it off, it'll be 'right'. I'll let you know what happened in a couple of days... After the "AA" meeting. I just love this... stuff!
- 'Doc

Nice Tell,...

Sorry to hear you are having trouble.[]
My first hulls were similar experiences. The sand paper helps.[:@]

Hello!!!!
Sorry to hear what is happening to you, call it getting experience
Maybe if you visit this place could be any help

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=329811

Have a great day
Escipion

Doc,
I had the same exact experiance with my first FG job. That was when I went with the West Systems line. I'm sure others are as good. BUT I have found the West product to be soooo easy to dispense and get a good ratio of hardner to resin. Just one pump of each and you can go, if you need to thin it just add some denatured alcohol. Might want to look into that on your next one.

Let me know if you are in the OKC area anytime, we can gather at the local pond.

Charlie

Escipion & Charlie,
Thanks to both of you, I do appreciate the encouragement. I have to admit that most of the problems that I 'usually' have are due to my own impateince, and this fibreglassing thingy is a perfect example. I read the instructions before leaving the store, knew that using less than the whole container of the resin was going to be a big problem in mixing, and 'knowing better', did it anyway. (I'll bet there's a lesson in that, huh? Sort of like sticking your finger in a light socket? The smart ones don't do that to start with. Then, there are some of us that have to try it more than once, just to make sure.)

Charlie,
If the 'local pond' means something like the local 'watering hole', I just might take you up on that offer! I've found that 'E.T.O.H.' is a pretty good cure for sandpapered fingers, and I think I'm going to have that problems shortly...
- 'Doc

PS - 'E.T.O.H.' = alcohol. One of those phrases used in my former occupation to keep people from knowing what you really said. Another example is 'H.P.C.' = 'High porcelain Content', or a 'crock of ****', which is the same thing as 'Ceramic Syndrome'. I guess I shouldn't give away professional secrets like that...

I invested $30 in an electronic postage scale, reasonably good to 1/10 ounce. I'm often mixing up batches of epoxy resin less than an ounce total for working a small area, never had a mix problem this way.
Pat M