Filler Curing Time ?

[thechief]

Some of you may have read some of my posts early during this process.I have a 16' old town with sponsons. I filled the hull the 1st week in February then attached and filled the sponsons 1 week later. I worked in a garage that only had heat while I worked . It is just a small propane heater. In a few days it will have been 10 weeks curing. Temps were over freezing much of this winter in the garage but was still cold unless I let the heater run. the last 4 weeks temps have been all over 50s to 90 degrees. I've been rolling the canoe out into the sun whenever it's worth while all along to bake in direct sunlight.lately its be so hot a can't touch the hull it's so hot. I've done the finger nail test on the stem, it seems cured. My concern is the space between the hull and the sponsons where there are 2 layers of canvas. When I filled the sponsons I was generous applying the filler at the area's where the sponsons attach to the hull letting filler run down in between the hull and sponsons until in ran out on the bottom along the lower length of the sponsons obviosly rubbing smooth the filler that ran out the bottom onto the hull. Id say this space recieved more filler than anywhere else plus I couldn't run it in. I thought the all bare canvas should be covered with filler. I have no way of knowing or testing the dryness of the filler in that area between both sponsons and the hull. I'm ready, mentally to begin the finishing process. Do you think 10 weeks is enough or any other suggestions?

 

[mccloud]

I filled and hung up a canoe in the basement where the temperature stayed around 50 all winter. After 8+ weeks I tried to sand and found that the top of the filler was hard but underneath still soft. Some 'skin' came off. I moved it to the black asphalt driveway, where it was baked in the sun for weeks, and eventually got hard, fully cured through. Sounds to me like you have done all the right things, and I would give sanding a try, but be attentive it there are soft spots, and avoid those. Keep baking it in the sun. Tom McCloud

 

[thechief]

Thanks Tom, now that were into warmer weather I'm going to hold off another week or so. The hull get too hot to touch. It's hard to be patient after working my but off all winter. I guess all the more reason to wait I surely don't want to mess up now