fixing fiberglass db

[alwyze fishin]

thanks Grantspastor i will look int to it

[DownTime]

Depends upon how pretty you want to make it.Sand it,mix up some laminating resin, and put a piece of fibreglasss cloth over it.One coat resin, cloth ,and a top coat of resin.If you put the right amount of hardener in the resin you will have a waterproof patch.If you want to make it pretty it gets more involved.I would use at least a 60 ounce cloth depends on the size of the hole.PM me if you want more specifics.Resin comes in three types casting,laminating,and finishing.For a one time application buy a cheap brush and throw it away when you are done.Acetone is about the only thing that cuts the resin so try not to get it anywhere you don't want it. :smile:

JB

[ampersat]

Fix fiberglass with fiberglass.

Get yourself some System3 epoxy and some fiberglass. Sand out the hole and clear all the paint/gelcoat from the surrounding area, feather the edges down, mix up a small batch of the epoxy and apply it to the inside and outside areas of the hole. When it starts to get tacky to the touch press the fiberglass into it, then apply more fresh epoxy to "wet out" the glass (properly wetted out glass turns clear but you can still see the texture of the fiberglass). Make a sandwich out of it: a big piece on the outside that is three times as large as the hole, a layer that isjust slightly larger than the size of the hole (about to where you're feathered out the hole), a piece the size of the hole itself, another mid sized piece then another 3x piece on the inside. Cut them all before you get started and try not to fray the edges too much. The pieces in the middle fill in the space that is the thickness of your existing fiberglass. After it cures, sand it down lightly (don't expose the fiberglass itself, just smooth out the epoxy) and mix up another batch of epoxy. Lay it on thick and allow it to cure. This is called fairing. You'll never be able to hide the patched area altogether but fairing is about smoothing out the area. After it cures, sand it out as smooth as possible. You might have to do this step several times to get it to look the way you want. A can or two of spray primer will help a lot on this step because it sands easily and will show you where your high and low spots are. When you're all done with it, hit it with some more of the spray primer, wet sand it then spray paint it with krylon. It is the bottom of your boat after all and it's just going to get scratched up anyway. On the inside, you can go with Krylon or marine paint if you're really that worried about it.

There, you're all done. If you have a garage or other space you can make a mess in and not have to worry about the weather, you should be done in a week or so. If not, it will take you about five months because you'll always be waiting for dry days to get the work done. And inevitably, a large tree limb will fall in your yard and interrupt your schedule for about a month or so.

Or you could just carry a roll of duct tape with you for quick patches, at least until you learn not to hit that rock at the end of the mine field. No sense going to all that work just to ruin it the next trip out.

[ampersat]

Here's a thought: construction adhesive and a sheet of aluminum. It's quick and dirty, watertight and ugly. Fish love ugly boats, right?

[alwyze fishin]

thanks for all the help for now its going to have to be ugly man do i like being laid off

ampersat when i dont have my 18 month old daughter pulling every thing out and handing it to me i will email you

[ssteelheadsteve]

As the former owner of a Corvette Shop and glass boat owner I can assure you that the use of epoxy on fiberglass is a NO NO.If you had a Clackacraft they would repair it for free. Go to TAP Plastics for the correct resin and patch material.At that time you will need to make up your mind as to whether you want to gel coat the bottom or just leave exposed glass/resin.Gel coat works best with one resin.Bare glass requires a different resin. I strongly suggest you re gel coat the entire bottom. You will be amazed at how much faster your boat will be after a fresh application. Mine gets done about every 2 years unless I spend a lot of time on Valley rivers in the Summer.Umpqua and Rogue in the Fall are tough on bottoms.When adding activator/hardener.Methelethelkeytonperoxide (MKP).Error on the light side for a stronger patch/cure.A good gelcoat job at 60 deg should take about 3 days to cure. There are several reasons for this of which shrinkage is not the least.Good Luck

[ssteelheadsteve]

BTW Wear a mask,gloves,hat and eye protection when grinding out the area. Use a air grinder or high speed polisher with 36-40 grit disk.Feather out an area at least 3 times the size of the hole. I like wearing coveralls and taping the wrists closed.When done grinding go take a COLD shower to remove glass.It is very itchy and not at all good for you

[surebite77]

after you fix that hole, go buy a FRESH batch of a kevlar based coating material, lay it in lengthwise brush strokes (for better traction in the water) and don't even worry about the mine field. Go up your sides about 4 to 6 inches to protect that area too, and it looks sharp. Next time try to protect that bottom from the start and you will preserve the structural integrity of your fiby immensly not to mention the risk of putting a hole in the boat.

[alwyze fishin]

put a small hole in the boat (one of these days i will learn not to hit that rock at the end of the minefeild) what is the best way to patch fiberglass

[Grantspastor]

I'm not an expert at fiberglass repair, but I have repaired several holes over the years in my wooden driftboats with a great product called Marine Tex. It is very strong

[alwyze fishin]

surebite77

where would i find this kevlar based coating material