I am planning for a small deck delamination repair from below. The area is about 2feet x 1 foot wide.essentially it is on the side deck just forward of the forward shroud. I plan on cutting through from the bottom. Can anyone offer any tips on the removal of the 2'x 1' chunk of glass and plywood? Should I expect to chisel this out?
- Status
is it hard? Rotten?
If it was hard i would use an electric plainer and remove it layer by layer till im down to the glass, of if it was completely disconnected from the glass above, I would just edge cut it with controlled depth and pop it out.. If its rotten, get out the chisel and scraper, be sure to sand the underside of the glass smooth....
If it was hard i would use an electric plainer and remove it layer by layer till im down to the glass, of if it was completely disconnected from the glass above, I would just edge cut it with controlled depth and pop it out.. If its rotten, get out the chisel and scraper, be sure to sand the underside of the glass smooth....
Cut
I re-cored my entire deck however did it from the top. I cut the fiberglass in strips using a circular saw and peeled it off using a large flat chisel and hammer. Just cut it and see what you have. My core was balsa and it came out fairly easy. Very messy job though...lots of fiberglass dust so use fans, suits and resperators! Take the first step and see what you have. Good luck!
I re-cored my entire deck however did it from the top. I cut the fiberglass in strips using a circular saw and peeled it off using a large flat chisel and hammer. Just cut it and see what you have. My core was balsa and it came out fairly easy. Very messy job though...lots of fiberglass dust so use fans, suits and resperators! Take the first step and see what you have. Good luck!
Another method
I did a similar repair. In my case the core was OK but has just delamed. I drilled several 1/2" holes around the edges of the delam area into the core but not through the upper skin! Then I got a rubber cork that just fit and drilled a hole through it. Then I filled up an oil gun (from auto store) with penetrating epoxy and stuck the nose of the gun through the cork. Then I moved to each of the holes and pumped a total of two loads of the epoxy into the space. Then sealed all the holes with duct tape and put two 60lb bags of sand on the deck. It is now solid as a rock. Took a total of two hours. Some extra detail. I used a pair of metal cutters to snip the nose of the oil gun so that the epoxy came out the side of the tip instead of the tip of the tip. The tip is pushed up against the upper laminate. Also, put a tarp below the repair. It will leak, especially after you put the sandbags on. This repair worked great for me and is much easier to make look good.
I did a similar repair. In my case the core was OK but has just delamed. I drilled several 1/2" holes around the edges of the delam area into the core but not through the upper skin! Then I got a rubber cork that just fit and drilled a hole through it. Then I filled up an oil gun (from auto store) with penetrating epoxy and stuck the nose of the gun through the cork. Then I moved to each of the holes and pumped a total of two loads of the epoxy into the space. Then sealed all the holes with duct tape and put two 60lb bags of sand on the deck. It is now solid as a rock. Took a total of two hours. Some extra detail. I used a pair of metal cutters to snip the nose of the oil gun so that the epoxy came out the side of the tip instead of the tip of the tip. The tip is pushed up against the upper laminate. Also, put a tarp below the repair. It will leak, especially after you put the sandbags on. This repair worked great for me and is much easier to make look good.
Check link
I attended a seminar at the Philly boat show on epoxy. The speaker was an owner of MAS Epoxy in NJ. It was very informative and one of the topics was fixing a delam deck. He mentioned some good techniques. Most impressive was his offer for free help. He said whether you use his products or not, call and he will discuss your projects. BTY, their products seem to be very good. Give him a call and mention you heard about him from the seminar at the Philly boat show. Good luck
I attended a seminar at the Philly boat show on epoxy. The speaker was an owner of MAS Epoxy in NJ. It was very informative and one of the topics was fixing a delam deck. He mentioned some good techniques. Most impressive was his offer for free help. He said whether you use his products or not, call and he will discuss your projects. BTY, their products seem to be very good. Give him a call and mention you heard about him from the seminar at the Philly boat show. Good luck
This is what I would do, maybe
If it is a Catalina, the deck may be delaminated but I doubt the plywood core is rotted. It is probably just wet. I would do exactly what Randy K did. It must be dry. Nothing will stick to wet wood. Another variation of this is to drill a few holes size S on the low end of the delamination. Drill small holes around the border of the delamination for vents. Tap the larger hole1/8” pipe tap and screw in some grease fittings. Pump the epoxy into the delamination from the low side using a fill-able grease gun through the grease fittings. As the epoxy shows up in the smaller holes around the border, screw in a short sheet metal screws to seal up the vent holes. You want to fill the void from the bottom up to the top so it pushes the air out. Before inserting the last screw, place your weight on the deck. I would lay a piece of ¼” plywood down first than place bricks or a sack of concrete or whatever. You want the plywood to spread the load out so the deck doesn’t look lumpy. Put a bucket under the last hole so the epoxy that squeezes out will be captured. I would thicken the epoxy a little. It should be like the consistency of grease. After the epoxy cures, the screws will come right out. Do not put anything on the screws to help them come out. Anything you put on the screws like wax, grease, or oil will contaminate the hole and finishing the holes will be impossible. Once you unscrew the screws and grease fittings, using heat to help them come out if required, fill the holes with thickened epoxy. A little gelcoat over the holes and you’ll have almost an invisible repair. Be ready for the epoxy to come out anywhere you don’t expect it to.
If it is a Catalina, the deck may be delaminated but I doubt the plywood core is rotted. It is probably just wet. I would do exactly what Randy K did. It must be dry. Nothing will stick to wet wood. Another variation of this is to drill a few holes size S on the low end of the delamination. Drill small holes around the border of the delamination for vents. Tap the larger hole1/8” pipe tap and screw in some grease fittings. Pump the epoxy into the delamination from the low side using a fill-able grease gun through the grease fittings. As the epoxy shows up in the smaller holes around the border, screw in a short sheet metal screws to seal up the vent holes. You want to fill the void from the bottom up to the top so it pushes the air out. Before inserting the last screw, place your weight on the deck. I would lay a piece of ¼” plywood down first than place bricks or a sack of concrete or whatever. You want the plywood to spread the load out so the deck doesn’t look lumpy. Put a bucket under the last hole so the epoxy that squeezes out will be captured. I would thicken the epoxy a little. It should be like the consistency of grease. After the epoxy cures, the screws will come right out. Do not put anything on the screws to help them come out. Anything you put on the screws like wax, grease, or oil will contaminate the hole and finishing the holes will be impossible. Once you unscrew the screws and grease fittings, using heat to help them come out if required, fill the holes with thickened epoxy. A little gelcoat over the holes and you’ll have almost an invisible repair. Be ready for the epoxy to come out anywhere you don’t expect it to.
Great Responses!
Thanks for the responses on this posting you have given me hope for this project. Dan, you nailed the boat make, it is indeed a Catalina and I am going to try your method which is less scary than cutting a hole. If it dosen't work I can always go the more intrusive route. Axel, Thanks for the reference to the Mas rep. I will give him a call. Randy, I like the idea of drilling small holes rather than cutting one big hole. Regards to All, Slick
Thanks for the responses on this posting you have given me hope for this project. Dan, you nailed the boat make, it is indeed a Catalina and I am going to try your method which is less scary than cutting a hole. If it dosen't work I can always go the more intrusive route. Axel, Thanks for the reference to the Mas rep. I will give him a call. Randy, I like the idea of drilling small holes rather than cutting one big hole. Regards to All, Slick
wet core?
Having once cut a deck just to take a look at it, (trashed boat) We discovered the core plywood was wet through and through. You might want make sure yours is dry and not wet before you go to all the trouble of filling it with epoxy. I know several people that have cut the liner out on the inside then removed the wet plywood replaced it then the liner. Some trim was used to cover the cuts.
Having once cut a deck just to take a look at it, (trashed boat) We discovered the core plywood was wet through and through. You might want make sure yours is dry and not wet before you go to all the trouble of filling it with epoxy. I know several people that have cut the liner out on the inside then removed the wet plywood replaced it then the liner. Some trim was used to cover the cuts.
Dan, nice improvement!
I like the improvements you suggest for my method. You end up with smaller holes to repair. You are right about the epoxy showing up where not expected. I had epoxy drip out of a light fixture a foot away from the repair! Have one person on the deck doing the weighting and another in the boat.
I like the improvements you suggest for my method. You end up with smaller holes to repair. You are right about the epoxy showing up where not expected. I had epoxy drip out of a light fixture a foot away from the repair! Have one person on the deck doing the weighting and another in the boat.
wet deck
Hi slick Im fixing some wet deck on my C 30 1988. Its about 12 ' long on the stbd side from the water fill past the winch, nasty job .My boat was wet 6 years ago when i bought it .My servayer gave me bad advice.Now Im fixing the boat becouse I have some time to spend on it .Im moveing the boat from a lake 200 mls from the house to long Island sound NY 35 min from home and i had the hauler drop the boat in my yard .I built a 16x 34' garage around it in the drive way covered it with tarps put lights, outlets vacume system,We built a full walk way around the boat so we could work on the deck. We removed all the ss fittings. What we found was1/4" thick glass on top, 3/8 CDX plywood( Very wet ) a little soft, and a thin glass layer on the bottom thats it.Then there is the inside liner 3/8" thick at the rear lift point .The boat was wet but still very stiff and glued together.My boat cracked at the inside and out side toe rail. They filled the toe rail with junk ply wood and a soft bondo type stuff It seemed like they forgot the glass The only glass it had went around the toe rail about 1/6" thick. There where parts that had glass filler and they where ok.The ply wood was cut in peices about 5' long and the water just runs thru and wets the hole sheet .I had three sheets that came out on one side . The inside liner and out side deck were not glued and there where large spots with no glass .I recored with 3/8 ply wood sealed with epoxy and re glassed with biax cloth 7 12 OZ layers it is comeing out very good. I like the mas epoxy . Ive been heat ing the work with heating blankes and works good down to 20o I use lights hung off the roof to keep the work 65o then i dry it with the heating blankits for a few days at 70o I have a mohganey toe rail 2 1/4 wide x 1" thich with the ss stanshions comeing out.if your deck is still dry you can shoot epoxy in thru 1/6 " holes drilled in the bottom of the dimond pattern when dryed wash it with water wipe it with 202 FG cleaner then wipe 4200 in the holes I could never find the fixed spots John
Hi slick Im fixing some wet deck on my C 30 1988. Its about 12 ' long on the stbd side from the water fill past the winch, nasty job .My boat was wet 6 years ago when i bought it .My servayer gave me bad advice.Now Im fixing the boat becouse I have some time to spend on it .Im moveing the boat from a lake 200 mls from the house to long Island sound NY 35 min from home and i had the hauler drop the boat in my yard .I built a 16x 34' garage around it in the drive way covered it with tarps put lights, outlets vacume system,We built a full walk way around the boat so we could work on the deck. We removed all the ss fittings. What we found was1/4" thick glass on top, 3/8 CDX plywood( Very wet ) a little soft, and a thin glass layer on the bottom thats it.Then there is the inside liner 3/8" thick at the rear lift point .The boat was wet but still very stiff and glued together.My boat cracked at the inside and out side toe rail. They filled the toe rail with junk ply wood and a soft bondo type stuff It seemed like they forgot the glass The only glass it had went around the toe rail about 1/6" thick. There where parts that had glass filler and they where ok.The ply wood was cut in peices about 5' long and the water just runs thru and wets the hole sheet .I had three sheets that came out on one side . The inside liner and out side deck were not glued and there where large spots with no glass .I recored with 3/8 ply wood sealed with epoxy and re glassed with biax cloth 7 12 OZ layers it is comeing out very good. I like the mas epoxy . Ive been heat ing the work with heating blankes and works good down to 20o I use lights hung off the roof to keep the work 65o then i dry it with the heating blankits for a few days at 70o I have a mohganey toe rail 2 1/4 wide x 1" thich with the ss stanshions comeing out.if your deck is still dry you can shoot epoxy in thru 1/6 " holes drilled in the bottom of the dimond pattern when dryed wash it with water wipe it with 202 FG cleaner then wipe 4200 in the holes I could never find the fixed spots John
- Status