Sealing deck

[PiratePast40]

Re: Sealing deck

Check the local yellow pages for suppliers and call around to see where you can buy supplies. You might be surprised at what you find. Some CarQuest stores also have a paint supply store that has quite a bit of glassing supplies. Again, just keep calling around and asking. Do yourself a favor and keep reading threads here and checking web sites like US Composites for techniques.

You should be buying boxes of the plastic spatulas and might even look for a "bubble buster" roller for smoothing the surfaces and moving the bubbles out. One big issue to keep in mind about the bubbles left in the surface: Those bubbles are attached to nothing so they compromise the structure and leave areas for water to sit. You'll need to grind those out. It's really discouraging to have to go back and grind out your own work. Plus you have the insult of needing to clean up afterwards - believe me - I know :redface:.

Keep practicing but by all means keep reading. You seem to be moving forward pretty well.

 

[halas]

Re: Sealing deck

The poly resin is in the paint department under $40/gal.
I only saw small pieces of fiberglass cloth (don't buy it there).
You can get rolls of real fiberglass in different weights in your LOCAL Sherwin Williams or the Glidden stores (Called: "Glidwall System").
We used to buy them to restore old or rough wall surfaces.
Actually plasterd the fiberglass on the wall kind of like wallpaper. Handle it with care because it will make you itch for a while. I personally dont use that stuff any more I just use the spunbonded polyester, looks like heavy woven fiberglass without the ich.

You can get only the cloth but not the resin.
Ask for the local commercial S.W. store ( every area has one) where the sales people are knowledgeable and not just some kids off the street. If that does not work try Glidden.
The last time I bought that stuff was about 15 years ago at Sherwin W.
These day I hva been using the spunbonded polyester heavy woven cloth for wall restoration and recently on the 18' Starcraft Holiday's deck.

 

[trucktramp]

Re: Sealing deck

If you're having trouble finding fiberglass resin, mats, etc. check your local NAPA parts store or check in the yellow pages for automotive paint supply places. They carry all types of different fillers, resins, and can usually give you decent advice on their use. Finally, if all else fails, stop by your local body shop and ask them who their paint jobber is. Most use someone local that is willing to sell cash and carry small amounts. Good Luck.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Sealing deck

OK, so I realized I need ALOT more time and practice fiberglassing before I can be any good at it. I did 2 other small panels and realized its more trouble than its worth. Tons of air bubbles. I think my fiberglassing will cause more problems than any good it will do.

Its probably due to the cheap parts store cloth I am using. It seems very light. Once saturated with resin, it pulls and tears very easily. Everyone says to use a spatula to smooth it out, but that does nothing but pull on the cloth and tear it.

I just dont have the money to buy the good stuff. Plus, this boat is basically disposable. Its just a bayliner and will never be worth more than a grand.

I just want to get this boat DONE, OUT OF THE GARAGE, AND ON THE WATER!

So, I have decided to just coat the wood heavily with resin and call it good. With a good thick layer of resin, it should be well waterproofed and it does add some strength I think.

I will still have to use fiberglass to blend the panels back in with the rest of the boat. I think I'm going to use some mat instead of cloth for that.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Sealing deck

I hear what you're saying, so I agree to just coat the ply and get the boat on the water. A simple coat of resin will keep it water tight for a few years, at least as long as you plan to use it.

Those bubbles can just be ground out and apply resin over the exposed wood.

When I was using the Bond-o brand poly resin the batch size was typically only about 6 ounces. But I didn't chill it first. Next time I will give that a try.

When I did a big area, about 2ft x 4 ft, I mixed about 10 ounces and poured it out on the ply in one big long oval shape, then quick spread it with a 6 inch plastic spreader. You can cover a lot with a spreader fast. Then dropped on the cloth, and with the spreader, pressed the glass into the resin. That worked well. Got the idea from watching a guy make a surf board on TV and he coated the entire board, laid the glass, and finished the coat in about two minutes flat using a wide spreader. That guy was good.

 

[4runneradam]

Re: Sealing deck

I finally got the deck installed. I used mat instead of cloth to glass it to the existing work. Turned out pretty good I think. I can jump up and down on it and it does not move. Tomorrow I'm going to add another layer of mat just to be safe. Then I will start working on the transom. That should go pretty quickly compared to the deck work.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Sealing deck

If you are cutting the deck out around the seat boxes, then that will leave the seat boxes resting on the outer edge of the hull, and just foam on the inside near the stringer. With all the pounding the seats get in rough waters, some additional bracing is needed.

Mark's quite knowledgable here and chimed in on my project a number of times, but at least for me, my new seat boxes are fine where they meet the hull. The top of the seat box seems like its just hanging out there but I attached it to the hull with peanut butter (epoxy) with a layer of 4'' 6 oz tape...sat on that seat box while being pounded by 4 footers at the Straits of Mackinac and they're fine




Anyway, your work looks pretty good. I'd buy fiberglass fabric off ebay...found some great deals on surplus fabric. I had enough 18 oz left to cover my deck with it ...18 yards of 18 oz for $30...