Fiberglass Repair & Painting? (Bayliner)

V. Green · 04-25-2002, 06:21 PM

Does anyone here know what the best way to repair fiberglass would be? I have considered using fiberglass cloth and epoxy but I thought that I had better check with others before I make a potentially big mistake.

On another note: Can you paint a fiberglass boat and expect the paint to stick. What about epoxy paints?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

ampersat · 04-25-2002, 06:31 PM

now, you aren't the guy that was taking his sweet time at the meldrum boat ramp, are you? :grin: :grin: :grin:

i'd give a call the any of the fine boat shops around and see what they'd recommend. if you use the wrong stuff, it'll pop off like bondo body filler. as for getting paint to stick, a good sanding and some primer is key. maybe two part epoxy paint, maybe regular. i dunno. again, a good call for the boat shop. hopefully someone here will come up with good info here. i really just wanted to get that first crack in.

Pilar · 04-26-2002, 07:22 AM

V. Green, what are you repairing? Boat damage? Blistering?

Epoxy is good but it limits your choices ever after. FRP will not stick to epoxy. Most gel coats can be rubbed out, waxed and shined up. Even badly oxidized finishes can be made to look new with a few bottles of Meguiars. I would paint over fiberglass only as a last resort or for non foul bottom paint on a moored boat.

Hoosier Daddy · 04-26-2002, 07:37 AM

ampersat beat me to it.... :grin: :grin:

DK · 04-26-2002, 08:47 AM

v.green, your urethane auto paints will work just fine, just be carefull what type of primer you use, dp-40 i found works the best, do not use any primers that are not epoxy, regular primer will hold water,and sand really good,suggest useing a clear coat over your color that way it will clean up real nice with bon amy and shine for ever, did a 14ft 10 years ago and still looks new, dk

V. Green · 04-26-2002, 09:56 AM

My brother and I picked up a 24' Bayliner that has a seap from a guage (sp?) in the bottom. I would like to seal this area before we return the vessel to the water.

As for painting we were wanting to change the trim color to something more palatable.

AngleThis · 04-26-2002, 02:17 PM

I gutted to the outter shell and relayed most of my hull, bilge pocket wood layers, one stringer and all, and patched several holes in my Bayliner hull last year, ...a 200 hour job, so I can probably help.

First, what kind of repairs are you talking about?... external or internal? down to the wood or no? how big of a fracture, and how deep? Fore or aft? You can relay/build up with cloth and resin, or you can use a fiberglass putty, either long or short strand, depending on the type of repair. In either case, the fracture must be completely drilled and/or ground out, all surfaces to be bonded must be 100% dry as a bone and course scuffed, or the patch may pop.

As for painting fiberglass, as with all high quality finishes, your prep work is the key. You'll want your final sanding to be with 360 grit wet/dry paper, sanded wet. Use at least two individually sanded (with 220 grit) primer layers, three coats for the first, two for the second. Use prepsol (avoid substitutes) generously, wiping dry with a very clean dry cloth, immediatly before you paint. This removes all oils from the preped finish and is key to the success and life of a paint job.

Epoxy and urethane finishes are very hard and durable, but possibly too rigid for fiberglass. If your hull is newer, it is thinner and flexes a lot. Throw a serious flex on epoxy in cold weather and it will spider web crack (cheque) to pieces....and I would NOT want to have to strip a hard topcoat like that off of fiberglass for repainting.

I would instead reccomend a top quality marine paint. They are extremely non porous, very flexible, and if sprayed correctly, produce a great shine with minimal orange peel. But you will need to put off the painting until we have a hot dry week, as they harden very slowly and require warm temps to do so. Colorama Paints makes a suberb product called "Super Yaht", but I don't know where you would find it up here. Probably any high end expensive external marine paint will do. One with fungicide in it is also a good idea.

Feel free to email me with specifics on this job for more detailed suggestions on the repair work.

[ 04-26-2002, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: ********* ]

Bounty Hunter · 04-26-2002, 11:46 PM

I'm a fiberglass rookie so I find the $2.99 fiberglass repair manual at West Marine very helpful. All kinds of info depending on the needed repair. They are fairly helpful and knowledgable there too if you talk to the right guy.