Finally got mine!

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

SR--yes, just be careful not to dislodge your patch. easier to carefully "scrape" large amounts of excess off with a putty knife, but leave a little to sand down so you can get flush surface unless you're covering your gunwale with something that will hide all sins....vinyl/Nautolex, durabak/Coatit, white roof coating, etc

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

I like the look of a shiny coloured gunwale platform and I know I would make a mess of any other treatment. I'll be filling those holes. I'm thinking, after reading the hints above, that maybe stick the metal plate under, wait for it to dry, then fill the hole with a bit of JBW and smouche level. Now to find some aluminum bits. I used to have stacks of those weights at the bottom of vertical blinds, but no more. Cut with a hack saw?

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

I wonder whether I could just cut up some beer cans to get aluminum patches. ??

 

[Captmills]

Re: Finally got mine!

I just used aluminum flashing, cheap, thin, worked fine...beer can might work too, FREE! well sorta

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

i like something a bit more rigid than flashing or beer can, altho that would prolly work. i used hunks of another tinnie in my yard. the flat 1/16"x2" bar stock they sell at bigbox stores like Lowes and the Despot will also work nicely

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

Funny how many products I've been completely unaware of just sitting there in HD . . . so I picked up a narrow piece of bar stock. Not expensive either. Also funny how many tasks I can think of doing to put off getting back to the seemingly endless job of sanding the hull! Had to re-org the garage since those $39 PVC shelving units are back in stock at Costco. Best value ever!

 

[Captmills]

Re: Finally got mine!

i used hunks of another tinnie in my yard.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Finally got mine!

Hey Sunset, from experince if you don't rough up the patch material and underside of the hole with some 100 grit sand paper they will pop off on you, at least that happened to me.

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

Hey Sunset, from experince if you don't rough up the patch material and underside of the hole with some 100 grit sand paper they will pop off on you, at least that happened to me.

I'm going to have to innovate some kind of a tool to get up there inside the gunwale - up near the helm it gets very narrow. Too narrow for my hand and too deep for my fingers. I wonder whether anyone has tried to use a strong adhesive to hold the patch material in place . . . . ?? Whether it might be more forgiving of the surface it adheres to.

 

[rheagler]

Re: Finally got mine!

I glued a couple aluminum patches on with 5200. Held them in place with masking tape while it cured.

 

[Rainbow hunter]

Re: Finally got mine!

Welcome to the Starmada Sunsetrider. You'll find a bunch of very helpful guys hanging out here. Been meaning to say hi for several days, but been up to my AH in boat issues my self.

Anyway, a bit of body work info is called for here. Take it from a guy who has brought lots of sheet metal back to life with all kinds of plastics. Here's how to fill those sheet metal holes with JB or bondo or whatever your using. The backer is just there so your working material will not disappear through the hole. Once the filler has hardened the backer is useless. SO, rough up the back side of your hole with some 80 grit paper. Doesn't take much. Cut a backer out of some light weight material of any kind, whatever you have handy. Could be plastic as well as metal, but beer can will usually be too light. Put a piece of duct tape across the backer with a couple of inches overhanging each side. Then smear a lite, but clearly visible coat of vegetable oil on the business side of the backer, or in a blind panel, wrap a piece of wax paper around the backer. JB, or what ever your using, won't stick to oil or wax. Put the backer in place using the tape to hold it in position. Now scrape a bit of prepared filler material into the hole using enough pressure to get some on the back side. Then, using another piece of backer or just some wax paper cover the hole from top side and hold it there with the heal of your palm and push up on the underside backer to spread the material into the scuffed area. A little bit is enough. Now, use your putty knife/scraper to remove excess from the top. Don't try to get it perfect; wait for sanding time to do that. Let material set up for about 20 minutes and then remove backer. Now let it cure completely according to instructions and then sand. There is no need to use JB on topside holes that are not going to be submerged. Any good body filler without glass fiber in it will work just fine as long as you remember to paint it.

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

Thanks for the info RH - it's good to know the what and why of these things so you can improvise depending on the sitch. Like in my case where I don't have good access to the underside in some spots. So I don't have to get too wrapped up in making sure the underpatch sticks.

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

me, i just gave underside a good wipe with scotchbrite/xylene and patches seem to be stickin OK thus far.

RH, your plan is good for small holes---screw holes and the like----but you'll need a backer for the big ones (rod holders, fuel fillers, antennas, etc). also, i find i have usable tubes of JB weld around more frequently than i have a half used can of bondo that hasn't hardened up...

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

I'm going to attack those small holes along the top of the gunwale as soon as the blessed rain lets up. (boy do we need that rain!!) I have both JB and Bondo so we'll see how she goes. In the meantime I've been trying to get info on other issues such as what undercoat and finish paint to get, and I have found a Cdn product out of BC called General Paints that have a (non-polyurethane) marine paint going for $25/quart. Limited color selection, but that seems to be the problem with all these paints.

But a bigger issue re-raises its head as I start planning for the deck. I have spent untold hours perusing the resto threads and can't seem to pinpoint how this is done: I am going to use spar varnish on the 1/2-inch plywood for the deck (not epoxy/glass). Will cover the deck with waterproof vinyl (Dek-Master). I can't figure out how those restos which do not install sideboards interface the deck with the alum walls to prevent water from getting below the deck. Perhaps I will be required to install sideboards . . . ?? The boat came to me with exposed untreated plywood and no interface to the walls, yet had minimal rot and the bare decks were in pretty good condition. Am I over- or under- thinking? Can anyone point me to a resto thread that explicitly addresses this?

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Finally got mine!

For alum boats water going sub deck is AOK so long as you provide for drainage to the bilge.

 

[Captmills]

Re: Finally got mine!

The down side to no sideboards is that not only water will run through (not a big deal) but everything else will too, dirt, leaves, fishing hooks ect. not to mention there will be a gap that may not look real clean between the floor and the side...2 cents worth...

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Finally got mine!

Yup ^^^ what he said.

My Islander deck and side panels are built out like a bath tub, everything will shed to the stern into the bilge. My Sea Nymph doesn't have side panels so water (and everything else) will shed all directions.

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

I've gotten to the point where the sides and top are sanded and the superfluous topside holes are filled (I used the epoxy putty-like stuff, tucked into the hole and spread out about an inch around, and sanded. Quick and effective, and will be invisible when painted.) I need to post pics with wife's Windows laptop because the Forum doesn't like to upload from Linux. Soon come. Anyhow, I've sanded the sides and top with 100- then 150 - orbital, and it all feels really smooth with no alum coming through. Very nice painted base. I've roughed up the interior walls with 100 and wiped down with acetone.

So it seems my buddy slash boat mech is also able to order Pettit products and will pass them along to me at dealer cost. So i'll order the Easypoxy Undercoater 6149 for the sides and top (right?) but how much??? Two quarts?

And my plan for finish coats: 2 quarts Easypoxy gloss white and 1 quart kelly green. I will add the green to the white to get the sea-foamy green color I want for the top and a stripe below the gunwale. Following the advice of Woodonglass I will add thinner and hardener according to his specs and sand with 220 between coats. Again, I don't know how much enamel paint I should order. Any input would be helpful.

As for the sidewalls I figure I can always add them later on if I feel like doing it. For now I am thinking of changing from the Ducan Dek-Master vinyl to the Ducan Roll-Dek http://www.ducan.com/deck-coating/default.php and they supply an aluminum flashing to finish the edges. I will make sure the below-deck water channels remain clear.

The interior walls themselves: I am hoping to find a spray-can application of some kind that results in a nice textured finish. ??

Tomorrow: if no rain I will apply the Gluvit (precautionary) and buy the 1/2 inch decking ply and insulation/flotation. Bad time of the season to find noodles. Maybe Toys R us . . .

Comments/ corrections welcome!

The bottom - hang me if you like, but it is still smooth, white and shiny and I am just going to leave it alone!

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Finally got mine!

I was buying my plywood and they had 2.5 inch blue styrofoam, so I just went ahead and got 3 sheets of it. Can't find hardener anywhere so I guess I'll have to resort to marine stores for that and for SS screws. I also found a couple of spray cans of stuff that looks like stone when applied. I tried a test spot and it looks pretty good!

 

[barato2]

Re: Finally got mine!

assume the stone-like stuff is Fleck-Stone or something similar. nice finish but you'll spend a fortune getting good coverage on something the size of the boat hull.