In past builds I've had air bubbles come up when I epoxy the fiberglass. Recently I've been seeing some Instagram videos from folks that build tables, etc with wood and epoxy where they wave a propane torch over the bubbles they get from pouring and the bubbles magically disappear. Would this work in a canoe build?

JD

I've always used my Wife's old Hair drier with good results ! It only cost me a new hair drier !
Yes, a torch will work.

Remember they are pouring, a table top epoxy. You are using a laminating epoxy, for a canoe or kayak, with a much short pot life,

The air bubbles form when the wood is warmed during the epoxy curing process. The air in the wood expands and outgasses.

Bubbles in your curing epoxy can be nearly eliminated by warming your canoe work space to 73’ prior to glassing. As you glass the canoe and through the day, allow the temp to drop ever so slightly. By the end of your glassing day, the space in the room should be about 67’ and then remain at least that temp over the next several days as the epoxy cures.

You will find the the issue with bubbles is almost eliminated.

The temperatures I mention do not need to be exact but are your best case example. Epoxy curing times are directly related to air temp. Those are the temps I use when glassing and they work very well and for figuring epoxy cure times by most epoxy formulations.

Cooler temps= slower epoxy curing.
Keep in mind that a great deal of heat is generated by the mixed epoxy in your mixing pot over a short amount of time. Getting it out of the pot and onto the canoe as soon as reasonably possible is very important.

Tom