Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

f4igrad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 13, 2006
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118
Ok, I am repairing a crack in my hull, evidently it wasn't too bad because there is no water damage under the floor. I accidentally cut through the hull with my circular saw though, so you can tell I am new at this.<br /><br />I have been using an angle grinder to grind down the fiberglass surrounding the crack. I was wondering how much I should grind it down before I begin the reglassing. I am afraid to get it too thin because I don't want to go through the hull, but I do want to make a solid repair. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks so much!<br /><br />BTW, I have done a lot of searches, but can't find anything with pics. Thanks!<br />
IMG_6578.jpg
 

Bondo

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Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

The Work Area has to be Rough Sanded,.....That's Sanded Clean,.. Not Thinner.....<br /><br />Anywhere you want the Resin to Bond To,..... Needs the Rough Sanding.......<br /><br />Don't worry about where you ran the Saw thru it,..... It'll just repaired right alng with the Issue at Hand........
 

f4igrad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 13, 2006
Messages
118
Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

one more question, how should I patch the floor after I am all done. The floor on the boat is great, no soft spots at all. Is there an easy way to just patch this area I had to cut up? I am wondering if I should have just tried the Marine epoxy before I started cutting up my floor.
 

JasonJ

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Aug 20, 2001
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Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

You don't have to grind any material away on the inner side of the damage, just rough it up about 5 inches all the way around, and lay a few layers of epoxy/cloth. On the outside of the damage area, you want to grind material away to form a dished area around the damage, then lay each layer a bit larger than the last until it is built up to the level of the rest of the hull. If you plan on re-gellcoating the damage for cosmetic reasons, you have to use poly/cloth for the exterior repair. If you don't care what the end result looks like or are painting the hull, then epoxy/cloth is fine. I had a gash in a similar area on my hull and repaired it only from the outside, because I had just layed a new floor with foam and was not going to cut into than new floor. <br /><br />As far as fixing your floor, you can soak some ply strips in epoxy and screw them in to form a lip all the way around the hole as best as possible. Use stainless screws and countersink them through the floor into the strips. Them you can cut new ply, soak in epoxy, and lay the new pieces into the hole. The new pieces will set on the lip you built. Then you screw the new wood in, countersinking the screws of course, and sheath the whole repair with epoxy/cloth ensuring all countersunk screw heads are covered. Then you just recarpet or whatever floor covering you are doing. Good luck...
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

you are going right. now you know what was there rather than it being in the back of your mind. you can screw some support strips around the hole, so they hang inside the hole. put the plywood back screw it down and reglass. use some mesh over the cracks.
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

keep you're post in one thread, they are easier to keep up with. and new readers get the history.
 

f4igrad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
118
Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

thanks you all, I will keep this thread going now. I am afraid I ground away too much on the inside of the boat, I thought I was supposed to. If I grind away from the outside of the boat now the hull will be totally gone. Should I just patch as much as possible from the inside and then use some Marine-Tek on the outside?<br /><br />Thank you all so much!
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

lay some glass in there and build it back up, run your glass out to overlap. that about all you can do.
 

f4igrad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Apr 13, 2006
Messages
118
Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

one more question. As I layer up the fiberglass, do I have to let each layer dry before I apply the next layer?
 

JasonJ

Rear Admiral
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Aug 20, 2001
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4,163
Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

You will get a stronger layup it all layers are layed up at once. This way the repair is curing and bonding as a single element, verses individually cured layers of material. I always do all my layups at the same time. That is how the hull is originally done, that is the way you should do your repair.
 

f4igrad

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 13, 2006
Messages
118
Re: Currently repairing crack in hull, questions

ok, what a day! I glassed the crap out of the hull, I am cautiously optimistic that it will take care of the leak. I glassed the inside and then I used Marine Tex on the outside, so I am hoping that the combination will get rid of the leak for good. The fiberglass stuff is amazing, it feels like concrete now that it's dry. The hull feels 10x more solid in the area I just glassed when compared to any of the other part of the hull. The float test will be on Tuesday...hope I don't take on water! If that works out, then I just need to find a working engine and I should be good to go. Thanks again for all of your help, I couldn't have done it without this board.
 
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