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Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/
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Author:  Pitchlynn [ Wed Sep 05, 2012 10:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

After painfully drilling about 100 holes for a delam repair on my starboard inner hull I was saddened when 8 oz of git rot disappeared in one hole. We found it later inside the hull. Pretty much all of it ran through the inner skin and collected inside the hull as found through a port hole in front of the fwd pylon. Question is how did to get through a supposedly intact inner skin and how do I stop it so I can fill the delam with git rot? Has anyone every seen it seep through the inner skin as if it where dry?

Author:  MBounds [ Fri Sep 07, 2012 8:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Either there was a crack in the inner skin or (more likely) you inadvertently drilled through the inner skin when drilling one or more of the holes.

Find the hole(s) that caused the leak - use a probe (toothpick) to methodically go through and see if any of the holes go all the way through. When you find them, plug them with thickened resin.

If there's a crack, you're in trouble. The only way I know of to fix that is major surgery. You might be able to fix it with thickened resin, but you've got to find it first.

Author:  Pitchlynn [ Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Duplicate post

Author:  Pitchlynn [ Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Thought I replied to this already but don't see my post:

I'm able to see the inner skin through the port hole. I don't see any drill throughs and it almost looks like there is a wet spot where the git rot was injected. I think it dripped right through the inner skin. Not sure how it got like that maybe not enough resin from the factory or maybe this is some sort of water or freezing damage.

I thought about poring epoxy in through the port hole and rolling it to wet out the skin before continuing with the git rot. But I can't get to the whole area because of the flotation blocks in the hull.

I've read a few accounts about injecting "great stuff" foam instead of git rot or expoxy. I'm tempted because of the cost. Does anyone have any expirience with this? Is there away to remove the existing foam core to make room for the new foam?

Author:  Pitchlynn [ Sun Sep 09, 2012 9:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

I decided to try injecting a cheapier epoxy that I happen to have about 20oz of. I figure if it worked I would just pump as much in there as I could and at $76 for 1.25 gal it would be worth it. The epoxy is jeffco 1307-lv (low viscosity) used in building composite aircraft. I made it about 12" down the repair and was getting vented export from surrounding holes. At the rate it is drinking it I will need about 90oz to finish. I started at the other end of the 5 foot long soft spot so I can't look on the inside to see if it is dripping through. Even if it takes a whole gallon it won't add that much weight to an old boat.

This morning the test spot is nice and firm. After a few days of curing I think it will be solid! Gona check on Monday for some expired epoxy that can't be used on our planes but will still works just fine.

Author:  srm [ Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Pitchlynn wrote:
I've read a few accounts about injecting "great stuff" foam instead of git rot or expoxy.


Not a good idea at all.

sm

Author:  MBounds [ Mon Sep 10, 2012 4:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Pitchlynn wrote:
I decided to try injecting a cheapier epoxy that I happen to have about 20oz of.

Pitchlynn wrote:
At the rate it is drinking it I will need about 90oz to finish.

Pitchlynn wrote:
. . the 5 foot long soft spot . . .

Pitchlynn wrote:
Even if it takes a whole gallon it won't add that much weight to an old boat.

Those comments just make me cringe.

A five foot long soft spot is the beginning of a parts boat, not the beginning of a massive repair job.

Even if you do "fix" the soft spot, it's unlikely the repair will last very long. Delamination is like cancer - unless you get every last bit of it out, it will continue to spread. The bigger the soft spot, the more likely it is that you will not get it completely fixed.

Author:  Pitchlynn [ Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Well maybe I'm wasting my time with it but I'm paranoid about buying another boat since it seems to happen to so many of them. I thought mine was solid until I stood on the side to right it.

The Jeffco epoxy I used is "cheapier" but it is the epoxy of choice at work where we build $1.5 mil airplanes with it. It cost about $75 for 1.25 of epoxy/resin. So not much cheapier than west coast which I think I saw for around $100. And I will paying dealer price for it whenever I find out what that is.

I injected a gallon (which weighs about 6lbs) tonight and finished the whole reapair which grew to 8 ft by the time I inspect the boat more. Still have to work on the typical soft spot in front of the pylon. I can see the expoxy dripping through the inner skin all the way down the repair. Which eplains were some of it is going. I probably should have used the wood screw technique to pull clamp the inner skin in.

Oh well, may get a little more time her!

Author:  Pitchlynn [ Thu Sep 13, 2012 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Here are some pics so you can see how big the repair is and also the epoxy seeping through the inner skin. If I had used git rot most of it would probably have drained down into the hull.

Image

Image

Author:  hobiesrock [ Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Pretty strange how that inner skin is letting the epoxy ooooze through. Maybe Hobie ran outta resin? :lol:

Author:  Pitchlynn [ Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Delam repair leaking past the inner skin :/

Took my repaired boat to Waldo lake here in Oregon and had a blast! I'm calling this repair good for now. Hope it last for years to come.

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