Fiberglass patching details?

[archcycle]

I've spent some time searching and learned a lot of the basics of fiberglassing and played around with some matting and epoxy and am ready to do some patching on my center console but would really appreciate some detailed advice on the job.

The CC is fiberglass and white gelcoat. it has three 3/8 holes from switches and a 3.5x7" hole from the VHF radio. The radio placement wasn't as great as I had expected when I first installed it and I'm putting in a fused switch panel. Now all of those holes are in the wrong places.

What's the best way to go about this? I've found a 3M product listed in some posts on here with long and short cut fibers mixed in and assume this would be ample for the switch holes, but those holes are only about 1" above the VHF radio hole, and about 1" below the top of the console. Should I just make this into one big hole and patch that?

I wish I wasn't at work or I'd take a picture, but they're like this:

__________________________
|
|------O----O----O
|-----____________
|----|
|----|____________
|
|

So what's my best bet for having this come out clean? I know i'm going to have to match some gelcoat which doesn't bother me, but I am not clear on how much or how thick it's supposed to be on top of the matting I will need to fill in the large radio hole. So far I've only worked with a gelcoat patch kit from West Marine for some scars on the hull.

 

[oops!]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

i would just put something else in the area.
or a piece of plexi over it.

you can place a piece of waxed cardboard over it, glass it from the back, then add filler to the front fair, spray with gellcoat. and fair and polish.

however.....white is not white.(there are a bazillion shades of white)....to match the gellcoat will be a real pita, and unless you can match the white, you will allways see it.

we have a running joke when getting white gellcoat....what color of white is it?....transom white or bilge white? the reply is chameleon white.

 

[archcycle]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

Yeah I'm aware that it'll be visible and unmatchable, but that's not such a big deal. I'll be mounting different things in the area anyway taking up some of the patched space and after a year in the sun, some beer spill mildew/mold, and the rest of the things that fishing does to a boat, it'll probably look just fine

What spray gel are you refering to? The stuff I used was a mix.

 

[archcycle]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

i would just put something else in the area.
or a piece of plexi over it.

you can place a piece of waxed cardboard over it, glass it from the back, then add filler to the front fair, spray with gellcoat. and fair and polish.
.

Thanks the waxed cardboard is what I think I'll do here. Good tip on doing it from the back! By plexi over it, are you suggesting having a clear hole in there? Yuck.

 

[oops!]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

if you use black plexi and paint the back of the plexi black....you cant see thru it.


and the spray gell means spray (or shoot) some gellcoat on it.

 

[archcycle]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

Ah.

Do you have any thoughts on the bondo with glass fibers mixed in with it? That seems like a really iffy shortcut, but this isn't exactly going to be load bearing.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

Another option would be to use a thin piece of Starboard material, cut and edge routed. You can cover the whole area in one shot. Just a few SS screws and your done. Plus you can still put other stuff in through the starboard.

 

[archcycle]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

I'm not familiar with starboard material. Are you proposing an alternative to the fiberglass patch?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

Here ya go

http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...ct.do?pid=4145&familyName=King+Starboard+3/4"

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

Another option if you have the resources is an Aluminium face.

Basically make a cover plate for your panel out of oh..lets say 3/16" or so alum.. cut out for your cluster ( or whatever ) .. prime, paint then mount.

YD.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Fiberglass patching details?

Yes, instead of messing with the fiberglass just cover the whole thing with a single piece of starborad. Especially since you might remount something in the same location.

Yacht Dr. suggestion is the same accept using a thin piece of aluminum instead of the starboard.