How do i fill these spaces??

[drewmitch44]

Im getting ready to glass the floor in and there is like a gap between the floor and the hull on the sides. How do i fill them? I was thinking of using some of that expanding foam that comes in cans and shaping it with a old cd to get the contour then glassing over the floor, foam and to the hull. i could just glass it like it is but that is going to make eather a hollow void there or the glass is going to sag whyle its drying. Ive added some pictures but they are not the best as they are from my cell phone.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

How about this?? I cut a few slices of PT ply verry thin and shaped it so it would fill the void. i can then glass it without worring about it sagging into the corners making a pocket. dont know if having those air spaces in there is ok or not. I just want to paint a perfectly preped floor. I added pics of a little section that i cut the ply and shaped it into place. The other pic is with a piece of glass dry over the area im talking about.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

ok i went ahead and did it! It seemed to work out ok. When it dries enough to see the shape its going to be, in about an hour or so, ill start with that whole side. I just dont want there to be a place where water acumulates. So i figure when i get the wholething perfectly flat and sanded im ready for the non skid epoxy paint. These pics are of it glassed in. The glass is still wet and clear but the corner is contoured with a old cd. So the corners will be smooth from the hull to the floor will be a nice contour. I plan on taking pictures the whole way through and posting them on here. If im doing something totally wrong someone will tell me. LOL

 

[gregtobin]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

You seem to be doing a good job here! How much effort you put into this may depend on what you're going to put on as the finish coat. Are you going to use carpet? I put in exterior carpet last year and I'd now recommend against it as it stays wet too long. I've seen a lot of boats with good epoxy paint jobs (some with grit to avoid slipping) and think I'd go this way next time.

If you're going with an exposed painted surface, I'd work on getting the floor as smooth and even as possible. I'm not sure how well foam spray insulation holds up. It seems kind of soft.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

Yea im using eoxy paint with the non skid stuff. Im going to piece in the ply as its holding up pretty good under the cured glass. Here are some pics of what im dong wih the rest of that side. Im happy with what im doing its a lot of work though and a lot of grinding involved with placing in the ply pieces. Like i said im going to post pics of the whole thing on here. Im about to glass these places in. Thanks for the input.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

Ok I went ahead and glassed in that whole side that same way. I ended up cutting quite a few of those thin strips of ply to make something the glass could rest on. It looks good. Really all im trying to do is make the floor meet the hull without there being a big dip. Its like a channel where the floor stops on the sides. Im painting the floor with epoxy non skid paint eventually. I already have the paint but im trying to prep the floor to look as good as possible. I will post pictures of the whole side glassed in tomorrow afternoon. I am going to start a shareaproject project. Thanks

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

Ok i glassed the whole left side and wondering what yall think? This is the whole left side. I have to do some sanding still but it is going to come out even and be much better looking after i paint then it would have been with that whole empty channel that it was. I was supprised about how strong it turned out. Im starting to get better with laying the fiberglass each time that i do it. I now am going to start the other side. Im taking it pretty slow and doing small areas at a time. Thanks guys for all your help!! The last picture is of the right side that i have not yet even started on.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

Noone is comenting. Is it something i said??

 

[mtnrat]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

I think nobody wants to tell you that to fill between the sole and the hull you should use a mixture of resin(whatever kind you are using), and filler. That is then contoured to the shape you want and the sole is then glassed to the hull.
I think that the pieces you are using should hold, but I am not an expert by any means. Here is a thread that gives some info.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=166314&highlight=filler+recipes .

 

[Jimmyz123_]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

I'm just love the step by step work that you have been doing. You are saying all the right things, don't worry about that. I think we are sitting here waiting for the finished project. I too put some out door carpet down in my boat, but I am now thinking in a year or two I may do something different with the floor. The first fish I caught using my boat splattered blood all over the place. The first thought in my head was, man, if only I had a deck that I can hose down. Keep up the good work, I'm loving the story.

 

[DarkeMaster]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

Don't worry, you start screwing up the job and I'm sure you'll hear about it..LOL

I think your doing a great job. Ultimately as long as the seal is watertight and the strips can't absorb moisture you should be in excellent shape. I would say "Job well done"....

D Man

 

[swimmin' for shore]

Re: How do i fill these spaces??

I think it looks like you've done a fantastic job with that, although I had to agree about using a resin filler for the edges. That's how I'd done it, and I was looking at that wood and thinking, now what the....?". No matter. We do a lot of different things and provided that something is well thought out and done correctly, they often provide the same result. What you've done is going to work, I believe, and that deck is looking fantastic. Good work!