Will this work?

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Cptkid570

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Oct 18, 2005
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I’m going to try to make a panel for a spot in my boat’s cockpit. I want it to look like it is fiberglass and from the manufacture, but I don’t want to mold it out of fiberglass.<br /><br />Will this work?<br />Take a piece of thin plywood, sand the plywood smooth, paint the plywood with fiberglass resin, sand the resin smooth, wipe with acetone, paint it with gelcoat, then wax/buff the gelcoat layer.
 
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Cptkid570

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Oct 18, 2005
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Re: Will this work?

I just want it to have a nice look to it. I don't want it to look like I just painted a piece of wood. I thought that paiting it with gelcoat as opposed to deck paint would help give it a better look.
 
Bondo

Bondo

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Re: Will this work?

Without some sort of fabric support,....<br />The resin,+ gelcoat will Crack in No Time........<br /><br />I'd use atleast a layer of Mat....
 
JB

JB

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Re: Will this work?

What Bondo said.
 
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Cptkid570

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Re: Will this work?

what will the layer of matt do? Make it more firm?<br /><br />What if I were to paint it with epoxy paint instead of painting it with gelcoat??
 
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Paul Moir

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Re: Will this work?

Cptkid570, the way I see it there's three ways to build your hatch.<br /><br />1 - Build a female mold just like the manufacturer's do. Then gel-coat & fiberglass.<br /><br />2 - Build a plywood hatch and cover with epoxy & paint or gelcoat. The plywood is the main structural component in this setup.<br /><br />3 - Build a plywood hat and build up fiberglass and then paint or gelcoat. In this the plywood simply holds the form until it's set, and seperates the layers for a sandwitch construction. You could, and probably would use polyester resin for the layup.<br /><br />#1 is too much work for one part. #3 can involve some expense and is probably more work than #2. I went with #2 when I built a hatch cover for a sailboat. Using principally plywood construction, I was able to make it both lighter and stiffer than the original hatch, which was one objective.<br /><br />The critical thing was to use a plywood that's got a decent finish and does not check. That rules out douglas fir. Cheap meranti served me well, but you'll need to find a reasonable thickness. The face plys were so heavily sanded they really hardly add any strenght at all.<br /><br />I went with paint rather than gelcoat for two reasons. It was a lot simpler to apply and it was less expensive. In retrospect, I should have added some white pigment to the epoxy, since the inevitable scrapes and scratches show dark wood. I didn't at the time to save money.<br /><br />I rounded my corners so that the hatch would appear to be fiberglass. The first comment I got when I installed the hatch was a complement on my glassing skills. There are a few "tells" for the initiated though, such as the four outside corners were finished sharp. That's a very bad idea if you're moulding with fiberglass.<br /><br />Here's how I did it:<br /> http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,93,00.html <br /><br />Hopefully that will be some use to you for deciding which way to go.
 
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epresutti

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Aug 14, 2001
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Re: Will this work?

cptkid570,<br /><br />How big is the panel, will it flex, does it need to curve? All may determine what material will work best.<br /><br />Take a look at the Pettit Easypoxy for what you are trying to do, as long as you prime and sand appropriately you will not see the grain, try a piece to see what you think, you may be surprised with the result with just wood and paint.<br /><br />Two coats of primer, sanded between, three if you like, and two coats of finish should work just fine.<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br />Ed.
 
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Cptkid570

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Re: Will this work?

The panel is about 5' by 2' (with a long hole in it - hopefully rounded), it would be replacing a storage area in the side of the cockpit of a 26' boat. <br /><br />I guess the flexibility & thickness of the wood would make a difference on whether or not I use paint or gelcoat. I didn't realize that gelcoat isn't too flexible (I guess it's kind of a shell) I was wanting to use a real thin piece of plywood so that it would be less noticible that I put a panel on there. I was hoping to make it look almost molded in there. The boat is a 1985 and I'm trying to get rid of as much vinyl as I can.
 
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santa666

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Apr 30, 2003
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Re: Will this work?

I did almost the exact same thing. My mid-cabin panel is 4'10" X 2'6" <br /><br />It covers the gas tank and replaced the teak one. I made it bacause I fish for Salmon and it can get pretty bloody and slimy in there...<br /><br />Yes, Its plywood, and no there's NO grain. Please do as the other posts say and make it with a layer of fiberglass, but DO NOT use matt, use a VERY fine weave CLOTH, like 10 Oz. <br /><br />Cut your panel a 1/4 inch too small all the way 'round. This will be made up when you wrap the cloth around the panel and by the paint. Use 1 layer of goo, let dry, the goo the CLOTH down. Goo over that when dry to fill the grain. I got a matching porch paint mixed by MENARDS! Yes, P O R C H paint. Not some fancy polypaint that's $50 a Qt. <br /><br />I put support struts of the same plywood underneath crossways as well. Make SURE to paint it THOROUGHLY, I went with 3 coats.<br /><br />Its stood up to 3 season of foot traffic, fish slime and blood and repeated scubbings with NO chipped paint.
 
studlymandingo

studlymandingo

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Re: Will this work?

Bondo what do you think about the gel with the kitty hair for just covering over a piece of plywood that will not be structural?
 
Realgun

Realgun

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Jul 31, 2003
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Re: Will this work?

No Kitty hair. That will make a mess. If you paint the hatch with epoxy and lay the cloth over it it will look real nice and the panel will be stronger. You will then fill the small dimples with another coat of epoxy. This will be very smooth. Then sand with a 220 grit paper. Prime it with some primer and a good epoxy paint not gel coat. You will be very happy with the results!
 
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andy6374

Lieutenant Commander
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Aug 4, 2005
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1,617
Re: Will this work?

If you already have the resin, go pickup up some glass. Sand it fair and then gelcoat it.<br /><br />Just remember, you can't gelcoat if you are using epoxy resin...get some polyester or vinyl-ester resin.
 
Bondo

Bondo

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Re: Will this work?

Originally posted by studlymandingo:<br /> Bondo what do you think about the gel with the kitty hair for just covering over a piece of plywood that will not be structural?
Click to expand...
What Realgun Said.......<br /><br />Kitty Hair is for Filling Big Voids,.... Not Smearing Thin........<br /><br />I Also prefer the Epoxy,+ Paint route..........<br />Altough,... On the Old Town Atlantis Project,.....<br />I'm thinking Epoxied Floor panels,+ Structures,....... And Truck Bedliner Stuff for the cockpit sole....<br /><br />The Atlantis was Cast with Many Textures,... Floor,.. Dash,.. Gunwaletops,+ Cabintop....<br />The Floor will be the Hardest to Match,..... That's Why I'm thinking Bedliner,.... Sprayed, or rolled.......
 
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garrett61

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Aug 13, 2005
Messages
159
Re: Will this work?

thats a large repair on a smaller size wouldnt a sheet of 3/4 in starboard work with just poxy?
 
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