Bass Boat Hull Repair- Fiber Glass

[2lbperch]

Also, if you are using epoxy, it has to be painted. It degrades by the minute in uv rays and can't be gel coated. If you use resin, you can gel coat that, wet sand, and buff.

[FishingTheFL]

I got a salamander I was going to use to heat the section up good, have the liquids warmed up in the house un-mixed, then when the hull was nice and toasty, pull the plug, and start mixing and pouring.

All the cracks are from rotted stringers. Looks like I might go one step further and cut the main beam out too... I doubt they did a water proof job so the main beam is probably just as bad.

[Frogger]

FishingFL, I hung sheets /stapled on the ceiling in my garage to section off my hull so that I could use a kerosene heater and salamander to heat when I did my transom during that cold winter of 13. Could fire them up to get it to 80 than back them down. Left the bottom of the trailer open and garage door open a little for CO release. Don't want to be in danger of that. Keep the resins away from them as well.

[FishingTheFL]

Was kinda thinking I could leave it running while I did the little holes on bottom. Suns almost up, I'll grab some pics. Almost think the big hole I should lay piece of fiber on the inside, coat it, Let it dry then fill in the from the outside with the paste idea, sand it down and then stick a thin sheet over the outside.

Good idea or over kill? I'm working outside, no garage yet.

Edited March 13, 2016 by FishingTheFL

[2lbperch]

None of that is overkill. It will set up today. Gives you time to work with it.For a hole, cut a bunch of little pieces soaked in resin to fill it up. Stronger than filler and sands smooth without much difficulty.

[FishingTheFL]

How do I get this apart... holds the motor in place. The rest of the cable is jamming me up plus when I pulled the shaft threw the motor goes cocky eye and pinches the shaft. I need to go get bigger wrenches. .. tearing the nut up.

[lost a lure]

Cut it and buy new

[FishingTheFL]

I figured it would separate some how but I see how it comes out now. Its also pinched from gravity... First I gotta cut two fiber glass loops holding the steering cable up and throttle cables up. From there I can slide it back with some help... from there I gotta separate the hull to get to the transom and pull the rotted material out... then try to piece it back. Think someone said use a electric chain saw. I suppose that's quicker and I'm doing lots glass work anyway...

Buddy finally showed up to change my tire.. to bad it was worse then before... bit it holds air... Tire shop tomorrow....

[2lbperch]

If the inside of the transom is glassed, cut it out from the inside. Get the engine off and do it. I've got the tools, fabric, and epoxy. I also have some 1/2" sheets of marine plywood kicking around. The most important part of the transom is filleted edges from the transom to the hull. Any gap is a weak point. A new tramsom is not hard, just a couple afternoons of work. PM me if you want some help for a day. I want that boat wet.

[FishingTheFL]

Sounds good. Cutting from the inside might work. I appreciate all the help and after I get cleaned up a bit and extra set of hands sounds great.

When I paint it, I should do primer, paint, then gel coat correct?

[2lbperch]

You can't gel coat over epoxy. It will not stick. Epoxy will like rustoleum marine paint. That is very durable, lowes sells it by the gallon. This is the tool you want. Get a good bosch blade. The others don't last.

[FishingTheFL]

I was going to use epoxy to hold the stringers in place then wrap it with the fiber glass like the original design. I guess I can skip the epoxy and use the resin to hold them in place. I was thinking repainting the outer hull a different color to make it all uniform. I dint think I need epoxy. Maybe I will. Still working on the learning curve lol

[2lbperch]

Yes, stick with epoxy. That is liquid plastic. No gel coat for color. Epoxy is so strong, if you wrapped 4 fabric layers with epoxy around toilet paper tubes, that would be stronger than the original stringers in the boat. It's not the wood, it's the support structure around them. I use plywood for stringers because of the multi- direction of the wood. Leads to a hard ride cause of no flex. If you get flex, you get cracks=rotten wood= heavy. The strength comes comes from the shape around the stringers and 3 or 4 expanding layers of cloth over them is all you need. Each layer of cloth gets a 6 " overlap on each side. Get +45, -45, with mat or random backing, 15 to 20 ounces a yard. The stringers, floor, and transom will be bullet proof. Even if you use cardboard.

[2lbperch]

I forgot, stick whatever you used for stringers with your 3 coats of epoxy to the boat with 3m 5200 in a caulk gun. Takes a couple days to cure, but is concrete and permanent. Put batteries or anything heavy on them to hold it. Then 3 or 4 layers of fabric, small to big over them. Also. Drill holes and secure 2×4's to keep the boat square before you pull the deck off any bit. Be bad if the top won't fit back on after you spent $ and time.

[Xxx]

Just my 2 cents, when you grind or sand the fiberglass save the white dust, this makes for excellent fixing cracks or holes, mix the powder with your resin and hardener so it mixes like a paste. We used 2" masking tape, make a stop on one side or the other pour the mixture in then tape the opposite side try to get the side you see as level as you can. This is basically the same as cutting the hairs off a sheet of glass. We used this to fill air pockets that form in the resin after it sets up. Using the plywood glued and screwed together is definatly stronger then a single or double 2X6 or 8. For instance the stringers on my house are 28foot they consist of a 2X4 on the bottom with a 1/2" groove routerd out and a 9" wide piece of plywood in the center and a 2X4 on the top. My brother who was a boss and he claimed they are twice as strong a 2X12 and longer than any board out there. Now back to your prodject, if you don't want the resin to run, like if your working on the sides use the tape to make the resin stop running down. After its dry the tape will peel off. Don't use the blue tape, use the tan looking masking tape. Hope this helps you out. PAP.

[2lbperch]

I agree. No blue tape, worthless. Tan if you can find it. I have a 5 gallon pail of powdered glass and micro balloons, micros sands like body filler. Powdered glass sets up hard. Yes, tape & waxpaper pockets save work. Sounds like you've been there pap. Fair Haven Tuesday hopefully.

[Xxx]

Yea, I could say that!! LOL I worked for a custom corvette shop. I learned a lot from Gary, he showed me a lot of tricks to the trade. I used the paste theory to put new ribs on the bottom for a guy around home, he ripped the bottom ribs off the boat loading it on a trailer, that was a real prodject. You are a wealth of info also 2lbperch!! Can't wait till the board starts to get moving with posts this is the slowest I ever saw it. Good luck this spring, can't get enough, going up for brown trout soon!!

[FishingTheFL]

I plan on using Marine plywood for stringers and floors. I looked into the West epoxy system, some of the videos say just coat it good and it will be as strong as marine plywood?

I agree with you on the plywood and strength. I remove trees for a living so knowing wood strength and grain patterns determine cuts I make.

I think I'll stick with the original plan and get the marine grade plywood instead of cheaping out. They say it never rots. Rain today... looks like I won't be getting much done.

[Chas0218]

I had a crack in my hull not under a stringer or anything structural and ground out some of the crack to find water permeated thru. I used a grinding wheel and my grinder got out all the bad stuff then packed it full of that MarineRX (link below) this stuff hardens like concrete and has yet to leak again. This year I might be splitting my hull and working on my floors. and glassing in behind it some. I used this on my jetski to fix a large gouge in the hull that was leaking badly and even with all the pounding that hull gets never had an issue. 

 

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--marine-rx-epoxy-repair-kit-14-oz--13967450

Edited March 14, 2016 by Chas0218

[Xxx]

Yes Chase that stuff works wonders, I got a Sea Ray Seville given to me, I shoveled 2ft of snow out and fixed it up, but the block was cracked I had a machine shop do a internal pressure test on the block and it passed. The block was pushed out a good 1/2" I ground the metal all around the crack and I filled the crack with JB weld then went over the whole area with marine RX let harden put the motor back together with new stuff bearings rings ect had the head redone long story short I know that boat still runs to this day. The guy I sold it to is a hard core water ski dude I always see him going towards our local lake. That shyt works wonders, it will expand and contract with the metal, I think that's why it works so good!!

[FishingTheFL]

LoL. Great. Is it heat sensitive like the resin?

This is probably a dumb question but you use the epoxy to coat the boards for the transom then fiber glass over top correct?

[Chas0218]

Nope it is not (according to the label). I mean I haven't taken a torch to it but with it drying as hard as it does I am pretty sure it will char and that's about it.

[2lbperch]

Yes, you give them 2 coats each. Then use thickened epoxy or 5200 to glue them together. Usually 3 sheets of 1/2" marine ply. Clamp them together well onto the back of the boat. Before you put the 1st layer of cloth on, smush some thickened epoxy around the edges, use a spoon so you get a nice rounded edge for the fabric to follow. 3 layers of cloth on after that depending on the weight of it. Another little trick is to trace the plug hole out, hole saw a bigger hole in the plywood & fill it with epoxy. That way there is no raw wood around the bilge hole to start new transom rot. You can do that with the top of the transom also. Cut it a 1/2" short, before the fabric is on make a waxpaper dam, fill it flush to the top. That way the trim screws don't get into the wood, they are in the plastic. Keep the sun off of it. It will turn from clear to yellow in a day. Check out the forum "fiberglassics" lots of boat builds and detailed pics of what you need to do. They are old boats but fiberglass is fiberglass.

[FishingTheFL]

I meant temp as in cold. Good to know about the heat too. Worried the epoxy won't setup right if it a cold

[2lbperch]

If you use fast hardener in the epoxy mix you can work down to 50 degrees. Still needs 24 hours of temp 50 or higher to set up hard. If you are using med or slow hardener, wait till it's 65 out at least. It will effect the strengh. Do all you can in a buddies garage, like the transom pieces. Before you go crazy cutting everything out, support the bottom of the boat so the trailer bunks don't push the hull out of shape.