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| Slight hull damage http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=49569 |
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| Author: | chrisb123 [ Sat Oct 12, 2013 11:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Slight hull damage |
I have found this damage on my boat, how do I repair it? It's about the width of a coin Picture |
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| Author: | srm [ Sun Oct 13, 2013 5:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
It's probably just a gouge in the outer fiberglass skin. I would first use the coin tap method to see if there is any localized delamination (tap on the surrounding area with a quarter, if it sounds "crisp" then no delam, if it sounds "dull" then there's delam). Assuming no delam, use a dremel tool to remove the damaged fiberglass and taper grind back the gelcoat and fiberglass about 1/2" to 1" all around the damage. Then cut out one or two plys of fiberglass cloth (6 to 8 ounce cloth) and laminate in a patch using polyester resin. After the resin cures, fair in the edges of the repair and use Formula 27 filler to fill in the fiberglass weave and any imperfections. Wet sand the area fair using progressively finer sand paper up to at least 320 grit. Then shoot with gelcoat. Or you can do it the easy way (i.e. the wrong way) and mix up a batch of Marine Tex putty, smear it in the gouge and sand it fair. Its not the proper way to repair, but it's the way many people would "fix" this. sm |
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| Author: | chrisb123 [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
The gouge isnt very wide or deep. What's wrong fixing it the wrong way? Could I fill it with just polyester resin and a thin piece of fiberglass or fiberglass powder |
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| Author: | srm [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:15 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
chrisb123 wrote: What's wrong fixing it the wrong way? The fiberglass skin that was gouged/ fractured is a structural skin. Smearing putty in the gouge is not a structural repair, so it will not be as strong as the original construction. The putty will likely eventually fail and allow water into the core which will lead to delamination down the road. Again, lots of people would advocate just using putty and being done with it, but that really isn't the right way to fix the hull. |
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| Author: | chrisb123 [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 4:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
ok, so whats the easiest way to apply gelcoat |
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| Author: | srm [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 6:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
chrisb123 wrote: ok, so whats the easiest way to apply gelcoat For a small area, you can brush it on and then sand it down fair, but it won't have as good of results as if it's sprayed on. Spraying is best. So if you're not worried about having it look perfect, I would just brush it on. If you want it to look perfect, then probaby best to have a professional do it since they will have the necessary spray equipment and the skill to match the color. sm |
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| Author: | SNovak [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 8:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
chrisb123 wrote: ok, so whats the easiest way to apply gelcoat I've had good luck using Preval sprayers for small repairs (available at most hardware stores). Thin the gelcoat with styrene (acetone works, but is supposedly more prone to "orange peel"). buy a couple of the power canisters for the sprayers, and practice on scrap before you attempt the boat. And WEAR A RESPIRATOR! SRM's right that color matching is time consuming, but if you're patient it's not too hard. I have a repair I did this spring that I have a lot of trouble finding the edge of, because the color is so close. I use the method outlined in section 2.2 of the following guide: http://www.westsystem.com/ss/assets/HowTo-Publications/Fiberglass-Boat-Repair-and-Maintenance.pdf If you're planning on buffing/compounding the hulls, make sure you do it before gelcoating (and then remove any wax that was in the rubbing compound), otherwise your patch won't match the unoxidized gelcoat. I got my color additives and styrene from http://www.uscomposites.com/; they seemed to be the best price. |
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| Author: | Tim H16 [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 1:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
You might want to look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwrjmyBR7c8 I've used this technique several times on my H16 and powerboat. |
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| Author: | chrisb123 [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
The area is small and im not too concerned about getting it perfectly smooth or looking good. I'm just after getting it fixed so it does not cause more problems |
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| Author: | srm [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
Tim H16 wrote: You might want to look at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwrjmyBR7c8 I've used this technique several times on my H16 and powerboat. If it's only the gelcoat that's damaged, then that is an acceptable repair technique. If the damage is more extensive, then all you're doing is covering it up, not fixing it, so its likely that you could run into issues down the road. If the outer fiberglass skin is damaged, then it needs to be repaired with fiberglass, not just covered over with resin and gelcoat. sm |
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| Author: | chrisb123 [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 3:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
It's difficult to tell if the fibre glass is damaged It's about the width of a coin |
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| Author: | MBounds [ Mon Oct 14, 2013 4:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Slight hull damage |
The first layer of glass, laid on the gel coat after it's sprayed into the mold, is matting - so the next layer of woven cloth won't "print through". You can clearly see the cloth weave, meaning the first layer of glass has been damaged. For this repair, I would very carefully sand away the rough edges with a Dremel tool without going into the foam. Chop some glass fibers and mix with polyester resin to form a very viscous paste, then slather into the wound and tape a plastic sheet over it to compress and smooth it. Sand smooth and shoot with gel. Wet sand, buff, polish. It's a 2 beer job. |
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