I was giving my boat a good cleaning today when I came across a small spot on my deck. I noticed it because the paint was worn off as it sat higher than the surrounding deck. It appeared to be a small bubble/blister in the fiberglass and when I pushed on it, it was a little soft. Figuring it for a small void, I got out my Dremel tool and ground away the fiberglass thinking I would have a small marble-sized hole I could fill with Marine Tex. It is a “splatter” finish non-skid so matching perfect isn’t a big deal.
Once I ground away a small portion, I found it to be a little bigger than I thought. The hole is a little over 1" in diameter and goes down about 1" until you hit dry foam. My question is, Once I grind away the the rest of the fiberglass over the void, what should I use to fill it?
I am hoping Cracker Larry and some others with this kind of expertise will read this. Any suggestions appreciated.
Thanks
This is the hole after using the Dremel tool to grind away all unsupported fiberglass and wet foam.
You’ve got an easy fix going there.
I’m supposing you don’t have an access hatch or anything close to the hole?
Either way, you need to have a backer or surface from which to start the build-up. Fist off, taper your hole further out. I would think the ground-out tapered surface should be at least 2-3 inches from the edge of the hole. You should have a area to repair at least the size of a small dinner plate. Get your backer in the hole and adhered to the bottom and then start the build up with resin and cloth.
If you were closer to Saluda, I would help you do this one evening.
Yes, it’s an easy fix. For backing the hole I would use 2 part expanding foam. Pour a little in there, let it expand out the hole, then cut if off flush and grind it down a little. Then you can build up the fiberglass from there.
Or bring it down here and I’ll fix it for you.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Thanks guys I really appreciate the information and the offer to help. I am pretty handy but and just smart enough to know my limitations and just wasn’t sure what to fill this void with.
A couple of questions. Where can I buy expanding foam (I only need a little bit) and, once that is in, should I cut a small piece of fiberglass cloth the size/shape of the hole and glass that in?
No access hatch nearby RDW.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
How large is the void that needs filling? West Marine carries the foam, but you will have to buy 2 quarts at least and you probably need about 2 ounces.
I’ve got some I can send you, I buy it by the gallon.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Clyo, GA. If you want to pull it down here and leave it a couple of days I’ll fix it for free. I need to get my pay it forward deed done for the week anyway.
I’d be glad to mail you some foam, no problem. I can send some fiberglass cloth too if you don’t have any.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:Originally posted by DFreedom
... once that is in, should I cut a small piece of fiberglass cloth the size/shape of the hole and glass that in?
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
No. You don’t edge match the repair to the hole. You might be able to punch the repair back through the hole. You need more bonding surface and a repair that can’t be punched through. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9hfpOCnzEs and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGr-OsUdf0A. As DF suggested, you need to taper the hole out a few inches from the edge of the hole. Then, with hole back filled with foam, start with a piece of glass an inch or so larger than the original hole and lay in layers. Each layer extends out a little further from the hole. If you have 3" of taper, then the 2nd piece would be 2" larger than the hole and the 3rd piece 3" larger (matches the perimeter of your taper). Sand and paint.
That way, you give the glass ample bonding surface and you won’t have to worry about landing on that spot and punching it back out.
I may just have to find the time to drag it down to Georgia but only if Larry lets me pay him. Better to spend that time traveling and have it done right.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
You need to grind back more of your deck surface. The ratio needs to be like 10 to 1 bonding surface to thickness of the laminate you’re patching. So if that top thickness of glass is 3mm, you need to be ground back 30mm. If you could laminate to both the bottom and top surfaces, you could get away with less than this.
If you don’t have that much overlap, you get cracks as all this area flexes in the future. It is especially critical for you to get a lot of overlap in a case like yours where it is a bit thin and not sandwich type cored.
If you didn’t want to use two-part foam to fill the entire void, which could end up being quite large, you could put wood or composite through the hole then up against the underside of the area and screw it temporarily to function as a support for the glass you will lay up. Either wet the wood or composite several rounds with resin and kicking off and rewetting or cover the wood with masking tape so that it doesn’t suck your resin out of the glass as it is kicking off- leaving you with another section of dry laminate, which is where your initial blister first came from I suspect.
quote:I may just have to find the time to drag it down to Georgia but only if Larry lets me pay him. Better to spend that time traveling and have it done right.
I don’t pay to advertise here and I don’t solicit business. My offer is free. Just pay it on forward is all I ask.
That job is so small that I waste more materials and time in a day than that repair will take. Maybe 4 ounces of epoxy, 1 square foot of glass cloth, less than 4 ounces of foam, a little filler, maybe a small backing plate. You can’t buy the materials in those small quantities. To buy everything you need will cost $200 and you only need $20 worth.
I can put you together a complete repair kit and send it to you and you can do it yourself, or bring it on down here.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Not trying to “belittle” your abilities, but it really sounds like you need help with this to make sure it is done right. If I was you, I would take it to Larry. I’ll offer you the same thing as far as fixing it for free, bring it to Saluda and I’ll help you fix it. I have all the materials and you can be involved if you like. Larry is probably closer and his abilities are far and above mine.
Like I said…I would take it to Larry.
Hey, I am married so you can’t hurt my feelings. I am a pretty capabale guy but I am also smart enough to know when someone can do it better. It is not a fancy or expensive boat but it is going to have to last me a for a few more years so I want it to be repaired the right way. I’ll hook up with Larry and see when would be a good time to drag it over to him. I truly appreciate both of you being so willing to help. That is what makes CF so great.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
I’ll take a look at my fouled-up schedule and give you a holler. We will come to some sort of arrangement regarding payment. I would insist upon that. You are too good a man.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
