Re: How to repair hole
Well, of course its not really possible to give any specific instructions without being there and seeing it but in general it would go like this for a good solid patch that will last as long as the rest of the boat.<br /><br />First off you need to go to the outside and give yourself a reasonable large area to hold it together. I will assume you have a grinder, if not it might pay you to get one. First you need to do some grinding on the outside. Take a grinder and remove material sloping towards the cut beginning about an inch away from the cut. Try to grid enough material away to be about half way though the hull at the cut, which would probably be about a quarter inch deep at the cut feathering out to nothing an inch away. Do the same thing on the inside. This will take less than 2 minutes on each side with a grinder.<br /><br />With that done go to the outside first and cut a section of cloth about a half inch wider than the trough you have ground out. Saturate the cloth and put it up in place squeezing out any excess resin. Now go inside and do the same thing. Let these two layers of glass set up until the glass itself is firm but tacky.<br /><br />For the next step precut about a dozen strips of cloth that are progrssively narrower and starting a little longer than the cut and getting progressively shorter until they are just the length of the cut.<br /><br />Now, using a cheap paint brush (not a foam brush) mix up a small load of epoxy and start putting the glass strips into the trough, painting on resin until you have full saturation without excess epoxy. Do one strip of cloth after another until the trough is almost, but not quite, level with the existing hull. Now put a section of saran wrap (any plastic wrap will do, over the glass and tape it over with duct tape. Then go inside and do the same thing, except you won't have to cover and tape it.<br /><br />Let it set up over night.<br /><br />Next day put some 36 grip paper on a sanding block. Pull the tape and plastic wrap off and roughly sand the area. Use the sandpaper and block to cut off any excess glass (if you have experience with the grinder you can go down to a 80 grit disk and clean it up with it) and make sure that all of the surface of the glass you put on is scuffed. Go inside the hull and using the grinder just clean it up and hit the glass in an area out from the work area about 3 inches on each side.<br /><br />Now, the good part. Mix up another small batch of resin. Wet out a section of cloth or matt about 4 inches longer than the cut and 6 inches wide. Use it for a top cover on the inside. First use a paint brush to wet out the area, put the glass onto it, and then finish wetting it out with the paint brush for a somewhat heavy coat. This will be your finish for the glass on the inside - you can sand it if you like but usually you wouldn't bother.<br /><br />Now, with the remaining resin mix up a paste about the consistancy of peanut butter by adding West Systems #404 high density filler. Using a plastic squeegee or even the cardboard from a soda box apply an even coat of the mix to the outside making sure that there is a bit more of it then necessary. Try to get it even and smooth. Let it set up. From there its just a matter of sanding the outside fair and finishing it to the degree you feel is necessary.<br /><br />I thought I had some pictures of this process in action, but about all I have is a beginning shot and an ending shot, which wouldn't be very helpful.<br /><br />Thom
<br /><br />fortunately,, no problem at all.. <br /><br />like BONDO said..<br /><br /> a little quadupal layer of cloth over the cut.. extendin' a few inches or more circumferance.. an a little marine tex on the outside.. it never happend...<br /><br />since the 'hole' is only 5 inches long a the width of the saw blade..
