cheap fiberglass repair

[GT1000000]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Ok so i made the photo bucket account. Go there and search for squirrel30668

I tried and nothing...
Here is a better way...
open two tabs...one here, that you are going to reply in...
the other in your photobucket {P-B}account...
In your P-B acct. click on a pic you wanna post here...right next to the full size image, will come up some choices...
Click on the "IMG" tag, it will momentarily turn yellow and say copied...
Then come back here to your reply tab, right click in your reply box and choose "Paste"...there is your pic in your reply for all to see...

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Mobile Photobucket

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Mobile Photobucket

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Sorry if that still ain't right. Doin all this from a cheap android

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Mobile Photobucket

 

[GT1000000]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Pics are getting through, but I don't know enough about posting them through a phone to be able to tell you how to set them up to be able to see them bigger...they look really small to me and are hard to see what is there...you might have to get into the tools or settings of P-B to see if there is a way to re-size them...???

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

The only thing they show is where its been patched before and the white is where i sprayed just to be safe. The hole i mentioned is covered by the flex seal. Which i know does not last. Which is why Im here. Do i need to look at options of spraying filler into the hole ? Or fiberglass tape then epoxy on top of it? Im clueless

 

[GT1000000]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

OK, let's try and get you on the right track...
You are going to need to grind down the damaged area about 3-4 inches all around and create a kind of taper towards the hole...it needs to be down to good solid fiberglass...
Then you will need some CSM (Chopped Strand Mat) and fiberglass resin w/MEK-P...NOT from the auto parts store or home depot, but from a marine supply house...
You will then cut out progressively larger and larger patches of the CSM, starting a little bit bigger than the hole, and making enough layers to build up to the thickness of the original hull and until you reach the size of the area you ground down...
Then you will mix up your resin with the catalyst (MEK-P)...ad using a chip brush, start wetting out the pieces of CSM ad laying them in the hole, starting with the smallest piece first and finishing up with the largest...at that point you can slap a bit of paint on and call it done, or you can take it to the next level...
Here's sketches that might make it easier to understand...

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

So i cut the pieces of the mat first to fit right? Then use the epoxy on top of each piece one at a time?

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

And what do the prices of these two items cost. Also if i don't have a sander can i just use some sandpaper and elbow grease?

 

[GT1000000]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

So i cut the pieces of the mat first to fit right? Then use the epoxy on top of each piece one at a time?

Yes, pre-cut the pieces first...
You could use epoxy for this small of a repair, but I don't have any experience with it...

And what do the prices of these two items cost. Also if i don't have a sander can i just use some sandpaper and elbow grease?

You need to shop around in your area, use the net to try and find a local marine supplier...if not you can get an idea of prices by checking out these...
Fiberglass Boat Repair Kits - iboats
Fiberglass , Epoxy , Composites, Carbon Fiber - U.S. Composites, Inc.

And, yes...it can be done with sweat and elbow grease, just gonna take some time...if you have a Harbor Freight Tool store nearby, you might be able to pick up a real cheap electric Dual Action sander and some 40, 60, 80 and 120 grit sandpaper for around 30-40 bucks...might be out of your budget, but it is a tool you can use a few times in the future for other boat and non-boat related projects...:noidea:

 

[squirrel30668]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

Haha harbor freight? Our mall is a dollar general. We have one red light and 2 gas stations. But i catch your drift. Ill give this a try and repost in a few days. Thanks guy.

 

[mwe-maxxowner]

Re: cheap fiberglass repair

I read the pix posting thing and still don't get it. I do know how to send picture messages via cell phone

Are you using a smartphone, such as a Droid, blackberry, iPhone, etc, with internet access? Or a flip phone or something?