Newbie with no previous boat experience

[DukesFin]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Tuneman:

Take some time to really educate yourself. I am not saying this to be rude, but you really need some education about boat construction/repair/restoration as well as some basic terminology.

Take a few days and read some of the longer posts on here that have pictures. Read EVERY reply. Some are silly, some are very simple posts explaining what is being done and why, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, some are questions about how and why someone is doing a particular "job". These posts are great as the replies get into the minutia of a particular job.

I've spent a LONG time on here just reading and educating myself and honestly, that is the best way you will learn. This way, when you really do "dive in" to your own project, you can post it with (larger) pictures and ask questions specific to your vessel and the particular job you are working on at the time.

I have learned that with a LOT of reading and even more patience and EVEN MORE $$$$$$$, you really can re-build an entire boat. It's not rocket science, but if you only have a little bit of knowledge, it can be dangerous for you, and anyone else you put on your boat.

If you love the boat (or love a project), do yourself and the vessel justice by reading a LOT before you get started... There is NOTHING that can't be answered on this forum!!!

Good luck and be sure to post more!!!

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Okay now that I have read probably 50 to 100 threads on fiberglass repaior and spent the last 2 days cleaning and chipping away old epoxy & fiberglass repairs from the same boat, I have returned with better photos and loads of ideas as to how to do this. But I still would like yopur input. Again - I acquired the boat & trailer for $50 (as is). The option to get a better boat is a no go at this time. I'd sooner take the time and learn how to fix up a boat on this one as it was next to nothing for cost and acquisition..

I think this boat has potential and I'm anxious to hear from people that feel the same. (I love a challenge and am not easily discouraged). The inside has lots of cracks and small holes that are gonna be fairly easy to repair I think. Now for what I have done so far on the outside...

Working from Bow to stern, here is what the hull looks like after I cleaned with scotchbrite pads and dishsoap and scraped/chiselled away previous fiberglass repairs (cuz they were just poorly done).

I haven't done much at the front as the worst of the holes are yet to come.

Here comes the first big hole. I started off by using my new Black & Decker 5" Random Orbit Sander with 40 grade sandpaper. I still ended up having to use a chisel to get at some of the drips and spills around the work the PO did.

On the right you can see where the first of the big holes is... More in the next post.

Again I can't stress enuff how I really want to make this boat water worthy, practical, enjoyable and then some... so if you think I'm wasting my time please refrain from "raining on my parade". I know I can get this accomplished and the other make-overs I've seen done here and on other sites have assured me that any boat can be refurbished, fixed, repaired etc. I'm looking for people that are inspired by my undertaking and are genuinely willing to give advice to help me see this become a reality.

Cheers and thanks again (in advance)

~Tuneman~

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Part 2:

Okay so as we move from left to right (bow to stern checking out the holes...)

I had thoughts like .... I wonder if I can just by a formed peice of polyurethane or prefab fiberglass in the shape of the center hull and cut away all the damaged stuff and just glass in a whole new hull? Anyone here have any ideas? Also can I find USCG grade expanding foam in liquid form from 'Home Depot' which is literally right up the street from me.

As you can see I cut away alot of the bad parts and sanded back the fiberglass to get a nice edge n bowl shape... (I know i have lots more sanding to do). But I also enjoy carpentry so I'm no stranger to sanding a plenty.

Here is where I started cuttting away and sanding which is where the boat sat on the trailer on the back roller and was tied down way too tight. This trailer is in no way made for this boat but again I'd love to be able to modify the trailer to accomodate this boat.
I'll include a pic of the trailer in part 3.

Here's a closer shot of the hole from above. You can see how the foam doesn't even go all the way through the hollow portion of the hull so I would definately like to replace it all. Now I'm gonna be heading out to Home Depot in the next hour or so... I'm gonna be buying epoxy & hardner (bondo brand is available at Walmart for $11.97 for 1 quart, they also sell epoxy gel. What's the difference between that and reqular liquid epoxy?) as well as fiberglass cloth in both biaxial woven & chopmat. I will also be buying Acetone & tons of gloves n rags. For measuring cups I'm probably just gonna use yogurt & margarine containers for mixing epoxy in. Also chip bristle brushes for epoxy application. Anything I'm missing? Oh and also a 20' tarp to cover the boat as I have no garage and I'm doing this repair job on the side of my house. I have all the prpotective gear already so thats outta the way. I may splurge and get a DA sander (price depending). God I love Home Depot.

Here's a shot from stern side and where the drain hole is... around the drainhole is cracked pretty bad... I have drilled through the transom to see what condition ythe inside wood is but I figured I'd tackle the hull first

Now onto part 3....
~Tuneman~

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Part 3... More Pix before I head to Home Depot:

Here's the 'god forsaken' boat trailer. I'd like to find a way to add runner wheels that the boat could sit on vs. the center hull sitting right on those hard rollers.... cuz any repair is just gonna get destroyed as long as the bulk of the weight of this boat (on the center hull) rides along the rubber rollers. the 2 large black rollers do most of the damage.

here's a close up of the drain hole at stern. Nice eh.

and here's the first of many of the repairs done by the previous owner that I removed.

Here's 1 of 2 pics of the damage on the inside of the boat that the previous owner attempted to repair

and here's the other....

So now that I've gotten some clearer photos... the damge is clearer to see and hopefully the way to go about repairing it is also in sight... I'm gonna make this boat into a watercraft to be proud of (either way). Your input & advise would be greatly appreciated.

In the meantime, home depot here I come. Cheers and look forward to the positive responses from the experienced boat folk here.

~Tuneman~

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Like YD said, slow down.

When you say Bondo Brand epoxy, do you mean Bondo brand polyester resin?

On this type of repair you're better off not removing all of the damaged glass, if you leave enough to keep the shape you need, it saves a great deal of time and work.

This type of hull is not all that durable and that's why it has all of this damage, so when doing any repairs this needs to be taken into account.

On the keel, start by sanding the area out at least 6 inches on either side and plan on glassing a large area, it will need to be several layers of glass and at least 6 inches wide almost from bow to stern. Depending on how much damage there is, may need to be wider.
On the areas where you have cut away all of the glass, you need to build some kind a surface so you can get back to a shape closer to the original one. If you can get to the other side, then masking, or packing tape will work fine, if not, then you need to put something in the hole to support the new glass when you put it in place. Polyester resin will dissolve most types of foam, but you can put tape over it to protect it, so you could shape a piece of foam to fit and then put some tape on it for a surface to glass over.

Since these boats tend to be structurally weak, any repairs will need to be oversized.


You will most likely need to remove all of the foam inside the boat, it tends to soak up water and never dry out, so check it carefully.

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

No it is in fact 'Bondo - Home Solutions' All Purpose Fiberglass Resin.

Most of the damage looks to be caused by the trailer it's been on as all the major holes are along the center hull of the boat. And this boat when tied down too tight would get crushed along that hull... the lowest pointy on this boat. I believe that with modifications to the trailer along with refiberglassing the boat .....it should be fine, no?

As for getting to the other side.... 2 sections of the boat in between the benches has a solid floor (i'm guessing fiberglass as well) over plus where the holes are all the way thru the hull are underneath 2 of those benches which are also glassed into the hull.

Nice, so by cutting away all the rotten and damaged fiberglass I've made more work for myself..... Great. Well I realize I'm gonna need to get all that foam outta there anyway as it is all water logged & rotten and due to the way the boat is closed in on the inside - the only way out would be from the outside bottom where i did the cutting I did, no?

I am aware I'm taking on a big job and am anxious to get the ball rolling... I appreciate the advice ondarvr, Really I do. So from Home Depot I Bought:
1 gallon of 'bondo' Fiberglass resin & 2 tubes of hardener
1 gallon of Acetone
1 pound of 'bondo' body filler & 2 tubes of hardener
3 pk of plastic spreaders 'bondo brand'
2 pks of 'Bondo Brand' Fiberglass Cloth, 8 sq. ft / 0.74 m2 / Cont.: 1 Pieza
1 pk of 'Bondo Brand' Fiberglass Mat, 9 sq. ft
50 pk of Latex Disposable Gloves by Stanley
Gold Bond Powder
6 chip bristle brushes... (I'm sure I'll need more)

I have the blister pkg plastic that kids toys come in that recquire sissors to open (a real pain at Christmas time). Will that work to support the glass over the foam? (where I've cut away the existing damaged glass). Now as for foam. I have loads of the 2 inch pink foam that comes in 4' x 8' sheets, if i use that and tack it in with 'Great Stuff' expanding foam that should do the trick, yes?
Again thanks for the advice and assistance... Everyone is telling me to slow down.... when I have barely even gotten started..... considering this boat sat up at my brothers for over a year....... I'm anxious to get it in the water or at least have it ready to use a bit in the fall.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

The reason people are saying slow down, is because you're getting ahead of yourself on some of the steps, or at least plans for the amount of experience and knowledge you have at this point. Do a search on some of the subjects you have questions on and you?ll find many pages of similar situations and the answers. Don?t use ?jon boat? in the search though, they are typically aluminum and the information will be of little value.

Like I said before, these are not strong durable boats, they were mass produced cheaply and not many of them survived after the first few years. The aluminum boat you linked is a much better starting point for a long lasting seaworthy (lakeworthy) craft.

You can still repair this boat and get some use out of it, but don't put any more time or money into it than need to get it on the water. Once you've used it a few times you'll be able to get a better idea if this boat will work for what you want to do.

The resin will be OK, but that brand tends to get hard very fast, making it more difficult for a rookie to work with.

The cloth is of little value in doing a structural repair, you need to get some 18, or 24 oz roving.

The mat will be OK.

You'll need much more glass and resin, so find a place that sells it in larger quantities, it will also cost less that way.

Many of these boats had a double hull with foam in between them, it can be almost impossible to remove it without making a big mess by cutting sections of glass out. If yours just has it in the seat sections then it will be much easier. The pink foam can be used to fill the seats back up, but resin will dissolve it, so it needs to be protected from the resin (in the liquid state).

There's another recent post on a similar boat, on that one the owner re-glassed the entire hull, which on most of these old boats is what needs to be done, the original glass work was just that weak.

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

The reason people are saying slow down, is because you're getting ahead of yourself on some of the steps, or at least plans for the amount experience and knowledge you have at this point. Do a search on some of the subjects you have questions on and you?ll find many pages of similar situations and the answers. Don?t use ?jon boat? in the search though, they are typically aluminum and the information will be of little value.

Yes I have noticed that most Jon Boats are made out of aluminium. Kind of annoying when trying to find other fiberglass jon boats or ways to fix this bathtub o' mine.

Like I said before, these are not strong durable boats, they were mass produced cheaply and not many of them survived after the first few years. The aluminum boat you linked is a much better starting point for a long lasting seaworthy (lakeworthy) craft.

Again I agree with you whole heartedly. But I learn from experience and whether good or bad (the outcome) I'll have definately walked away from this experience with some knowledge.

You can still repair this boat and get some use out of it, but don't put any more time or money into it than need to get it on the water. Once you've used it a few times you'll be able to get a better idea if this boat will work for what you want to do.

I figure once I've repaired this boat and gotten her wet, I may keep this boat for some of the smaller lakes around here that say 'no motors', or as a 2nd boat for my younger boys to use once I've found me a more suitable vessel for the wife n I.

The resin will be OK, but that brand tends to get hard very fast, making it more difficult for a rookie to work with.

Gonna be taking more pix of my progress today. Over the last few days I have ripped out all the old water-logged foam and installed new 2" construction foam glued in place with expanding foam. I have cut away most of the hull but have kept the pieces I cut away so as to hopefully be able to puzzle piece it back together with glass. (If that's possible) Now I have seen people on here mention using bondo to fill holes.... is that an option for me as well? Could I bondo some of the smaller holes, first and then glass over the bondo?

The cloth is of little value in doing a structural repair, you need to get some 18, or 24 oz roving.

Where is an inexpensive place to acquire these grades of cloth? the cloth I bough was 'bondo' brand and didn't give a number for the density of it. The cloth I got is the checkered weave and seems pretty strong. I figured I'd use that for the first couple layers then intermingle layers of mat in there as well.

The mat will be OK.

You'll need much more glass and resin, so find a place that sells it in larger quantities, it will also cost less that way.

Home depot is where I found the glass n resin and I bought the largest size they had. Again how much area (single coat) will this stuff cover based on the amount that I have purchased.

Many of these boats had a double hull with foam in between them, it can be almost impossible to remove it without making a big mess by cutting sections of glass out. If yours just has it in the seat sections then it will be much easier. The pink foam can be used to fill the seats back up, but resin will dissolve it, so it needs to be protected from the resin (in the liquid state).

I plan on using the plastic from kids toy packages and gorilla gluing it to the foam. It'll be easier to understand once I post more recent pix.

There's another recent post on a similar boat, on that one the owner re-glassed the entire hull, which on most of these old boats is what needs to be done, the original glass work was just that weak.

Would love to read that post. I have seen some threads where they have glassed the entire inside of the hull but not too many on glassing the whole outside. I'm aware that I am undertaking a task that most people would not bother with. But I don't believe in the word 'CAN'T' until I've at least tried. If it don't work... at least I tried. And I'll walk away knowing better for the next repair job. I am gonna be keeping my eyes peeled for a better boat this fall, once people realize they have no place to store it or just wanna upgrade. If anyone is on here from Iowa, Nebraska or South Dakota (Tri-state Siouxland area) that is interested in selling a 16-22 foot aluminum boat, trailer n motor for under $1000. drop me a line.

Again, ondarvr I appreciate the advice. I'll have those pix up this afternoon. Hopefully they will help to give a better idea as to how I'm going about this major repair job.

Cheers, Tuneman!

 

[chrishayes]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

You have not seen many posts on here like yours because NO ONE WANTS TO DO IT! A hull with that many holes in a Walmart boat like that is just something that sensible folks wouldnt do...not being rude just hoping to help you understand that what you are doing is well...kinda futile. Even if you manage to fill the gaping holes back in with the walmart bondo and glass, the type you are using is not going to hold up to ANY abuse...even just the weight of water pushing against it while underway. And the fact that you seem to know nothing about glass and resin leans me to believe you know even less than that about how to actually USE the stuff. Doing structural glass work is not something that just comes natural or through a few Q and A sessions on the internet. It takes a serious amount of learned knowledge, both book(internet) and hands on.

See,, the beauty of this site is that you can see the progress and work of others to get a head start on knowing what to do and what not to do and judging by the fact that you will not find another single repair similar to your own in this expansive database shows that it is one of those things that SHOULDNT be done. It is really a matter of life and death...for you and whomever you place in that boat. All I can say is, please when you finish this thing, dont only TAKE a life jacket...WEAR it!

Im sorry, but it needs to be said. I hope you take some of this to heart, it isnt badmouthing I swear. I have a inflatable boat that seats 3 and you can even attach a small 5hp motor to it. I will ship it to you if you pay the freight. REALLY!

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

And the saga continues.... Quite a bit of work on the boat has occurred over the last few days....

Since my last post I have cut away portions of the hull to get the rest of the bad foam out.... I then cut pieces of 2" foam in the shape of the hull and liquid nailed it to the center hull


Here you can see the shapes that I cut to fit into the hull at the front, as the hull extends towards the rear it changes shape so I used the pieces I cut away to follow the transition of shape change on the hull.


Here you can see how the stern side of the hull has a lower height and wider girth on the shape of the triangles. So a lot of this process was eyeballling the shape and altering it to fit.

Once the foam was all dry, I sanded the shape to the likeness of the original hull. I then set about using blister packaging [plastic] and packing tape to seal in all the foam so that it is not compromised any by the epoxy & resin, as ondarvr had suggested.. thanks.


An upclose shot of the plastic coated foam triangles. I pushed the plastic all the way down between the foam & outer hull as far down as it would go.


Here's a shot at my first crack at doing some minor fiberglass repairs. Some of the cracks and thru n thru holes have been patched on the outside and I followed the instructions religiously on the back of the "bondo" brand epoxy (for those that are doubtful of my capabilities with epoxy & fiberglass mat). For my first time I think it turned out pretty good.... This pic was taken after a couple hours worth of sanding with 40 grit sandpaper. The black around the glass is the original paint that was on the boat from before.


the entire front of the boat, sanded clean and ready for my next glass lay up.

There's a second part to this ............

~Tuneman~

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Part 2 of my most recent post.... so now that you've had a chance to see what I've been doing.... Now for the questions....

Yes I've cut away the hull to get the bad foam out. And I have kept the hull pieces that I cut away on the off chance that I may be able to use them in the repair for more structural support beneath the glass.


So here is the portion i cut away from the hull stern side.


Here is a pic with it back in place...


I had my son apply pressure to the cut away piece in it's proper place to show how close a fit I managed to achieve..... I'm happy with it .... so far...

My question: Should I glass in this piece that I cut away or should I just glass the hull from scratch over the plastic coated styrofoam hull?


Here's the bow side piece in place and my son applying pressure to show the fit on this piece.


Here's the bow end piece of hull beside the foam n plastic piece that I've built over the last few days. Again... I think it would be better to glass in the pieces I cut away for better structural support vs just glassing right onto the plastic coated foam. I understand most people would just junk this boat but I think I can get this baby back in the water... and if not.... it's been a learning experience and I'll have walked away knowing more than when I first got this boat.

~Tuneman~

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

You'll need to overlap each side of the rebuilt keel several inches, so make sure you cut the glass wide enough. It needs to be sanded with very coarse paper also (36 grit) and all old paint or other coatings need to be removed before any glass can be layed down. The keel will need to be several layers thick, 1 mat, 1 roving, 1 mat, 1 roving would be the minimum and it won't hurt to add a couple more layers over the point of the keel to keep it from wearing away when being pulled up on the beach.

I looked for the thread I mentioned about the person putting another layer of glass over the entire hull, but I couldn't find it, it was just in the last week or so too.

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

You have not seen many posts on here like yours because NO ONE WANTS TO DO IT! A hull with that many holes in a Walmart boat like that is just something that sensible folks wouldnt do...not being rude just hoping to help you understand that what you are doing is well...kinda futile.

And if everyone thought that way how far behind the times would we be now. I got a boat & trailer for $50.00 .... I've spent less than $100.00 in supplies so far and am quite happy with the progress.

Even if you manage to fill the gaping holes back in with the walmart bondo and glass, the type you are using is not going to hold up to ANY abuse...even just the weight of water pushing against it while underway.

Considering I bought the epoxy and mats at Home Depot. Which is where 90 % of the other members on here get their supplies from. I did the glassing on the holes and quite 'hot'

And the fact that you seem to know nothing about glass and resin leans me to believe you know even less than that about how to actually USE the stuff.

We all learn in different ways and I spent several weeks doing nothing but reading thread after thread on here (large projects... 1 that had 57 pages of banter from start to finished project.

Doing structural glass work is not something that just comes natural or through a few Q and A sessions on the internet. It takes a serious amount of learned knowledge, both book(internet) and hands on.

It's epoxy & fiberglass not rocket science.

See,, the beauty of this site is that you can see the progress and work of others to get a head start on knowing what to do and what not to do and judging by the fact that you will not find another single repair similar to your own in this expansive database shows that it is one of those things that SHOULDNT be done.

I appreciate the concern and I do plan on being very careful when it comes to testing the boat in local waters, leak tests etc. And to correct you it's actually the type of boat that I couldn't find, I have found other damages similar to mine on here and they were repaired just fine.

It is really a matter of life and death...for you and whomever you place in that boat. All I can say is, please when you finish this thing, dont only TAKE a life jacket...WEAR it!

Of course I plan on 'wearing' a life jacket, again Thanks for your concern.

Im sorry, but it needs to be said. I hope you take some of this to heart, it isnt badmouthing I swear. I have a inflatable boat that seats 3 and you can even attach a small 5hp motor to it. I will ship it to you if you pay the freight. REALLY!

If I wanted a dingy, I'd go buy one. My goal is to repair this boat and get it back on the water to fish with my wife n kids.

If nothing else you've given me the fuel to prove you incorrect. I will repair this boat and it will be safe and sea-worthy or I'll have learned through hands on experience so either way none of this is futile. I appreciate the input. Keep it coming!

Cheers!

~Tuneman~

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Tuneman I see you dove right in Bravo . I figure this will prove to be a good learning experiance so you will be ready when you decide to move up to a bigger boat . You will be able to start with a less desireable boat and build it back up. I still think you will be moving up quickly as that boat is honestly small for 2 adults and 2 youngsters . I do think it will make a nice little fishing boat though when you finish it .


Rick

 

[pb&jellyfish]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Keep up the motivation Tuneman. Even though you can find used jonboats in usable condition for a few hundred dollars, this is a good project to get you feet wet doing fiberglass repair. When I was a kid, we had one of these things which barely floated. We had a blast for years with it just paddling it out and pushing each other off it. Make it float and hang on to it; I'm sure you will get your money out of it eventually.

 

[keepNitreel]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Considering I bought the epoxy and mats at Home Depot. Which is where 90 % of the other members on here get their supplies from.

In what section does Home Depot sell epoxy resin in? At the H D locations where I'm from they only sell waxed poly resin, which is not good for layups because you have to sand it first before the next layup, which could make for a long day, also that stuff has a very short pot life. As for the mat, I did see that in H D but they wanted to much money for such a small piece, like $7 for 9 ft. I went to a tractor supply place and found the same mat for $3.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

(Quote)
My question: Should I glass in this piece that I cut away or should I just glass the hull from scratch over the plastic coated styrofoam hull?


View attachment 32025
I think it would be better to glass in the pieces I cut away for better structural support vs just glassing right onto the plastic coated foam.

~Tuneman~[/QUOTE]


Glass over the cut out section, no need to throw out good F/G.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Here's a link to the other thread I was talking about before, this boat was made with the same process as yours, only a slightly different design.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=317761

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

Rickairmedic, Yes I have come to terms with the fact that this boat won't be able to load up the whole family. But my 21 yr old son has shown an interest and has been helping out, so it may turn out to be a boat that he and I share and enjoy (as he likes to fish almost as much as I do). Not to mention a boat that the wife and will definately use to escape the little ones. We finsished sanding off the old paint n wax coating on the outside yesterday, we still have the hardware to remove today so we can finish sanding the areas around the handle and 'O' ring at the stern and random nuts and boat along the outside of the boat. Will hopefully have more pics in a day or two. Once the outside hull is done we'll be moving to working on the trailer so I have a place to hold the boat steady while it comes to working on the inside.
Thanks for following along and the vote of confidence. Fuel for the fire to complete this boat is definately appreciated.

~Tuneman~

 

[Tuneman]

Re: Newbie with no previous boat experience

pb&jellyfish,

I definately plan on it (as far as getting my money's worth.) When I still lived in Canada and used to go fishing on Little Lake in Barrie, Ontario; we used to rent a boat everytime we went fishing there and let me tell ya... I probably spent enough money in boat rental fees to buy 2 or 3 jon boats 'New'. So to be able to get a boat n trailer for $50 plus a couple hundred for supplies to fix it up.... i think I'm on my way to gettin' my money's worth already. Again thanks for following along.

keepNitreel:

I found the 'Bondo brand, All Purpose Fiberglass Resin in the same section as where paints and glues are. Again it may be the wax type (again I'm still new to this...) It does say on the side of the can that if you don't get the next layer on while it's still tacky that you'll have to sand between layers. I'm fine with that tho'. I'm no stranger to a little extra work and with 40 grit paper on my rotary sander... it goes qwik. The pot life on this is 10 - 15 minutes and I've been using a little less hardner as I'm doing this repair outside under the sun. temps have been 75-85 all week (when it's not rainin') so I've been using a little less hardner (than what the back of the can suggest) and so far so good. We have a store here called Bomgaars that deals with framing supplies as well as general tools etc (kind of a hardware store geared towards farmers) I wonder if they'd sell it for less than HD is selling it. Will have to check that out. Thanks for the tip.

ondarvr:

I plan on applying a layer of resin over the plastic shield I made on the hull and while still tacky placing the fbr/glss pieces onto that? Would you do a layer of mat or cloth as well before placing the fbr/glss into place? There is some give in there for a layer or 2 of cloth/mat. I'll definately follow your advice as to the number of layers. Thanks for that. And thanks for the advice as to glassing the original pieces back in. Oh and thanks for that link to the other 12' Sears glass project. His is coming along quite nicely too.

Cheers to y'all!

~Tuneman~