I went down to the boat last weekend to do some touch up paint and found a couple of dime-sized dings in the leading edge of a foam swing keel. Glass is punctured and I was worried about water intrusion into the foam core. So I mixed up some Marine Tex and filled the little holes. Question is, will that do it? Do I need to glass over these little spots? I was just gonna sand and paint but don't want to be too lazy...thanks for any insight.
- Status
Drew, nothing wrong with Marine Tex
it is a very easy product to work with. I just did some dings on my boat too with Marine Tex. I am going to paint over them with epoxy paint. It is over kill but it can't hurt.
it is a very easy product to work with. I just did some dings on my boat too with Marine Tex. I am going to paint over them with epoxy paint. It is over kill but it can't hurt.
Marine Tex
Marine Tex is pretty good. I have used it some and never had a problem with it coming off, or leaking. You do need to check on the paint you use, as it is my understanding that some of the paints will not stick well to epoxy.
Marine Tex is pretty good. I have used it some and never had a problem with it coming off, or leaking. You do need to check on the paint you use, as it is my understanding that some of the paints will not stick well to epoxy.
It is just me but if the glass is broken I always
grind out the break and put in new glass. That way if the damage happens again I won't have overlapping dings repaired with fairing compound. I should add that I have the tools and material and repairing damage is how I make a living.
grind out the break and put in new glass. That way if the damage happens again I won't have overlapping dings repaired with fairing compound. I should add that I have the tools and material and repairing damage is how I make a living.
Ross, we are talking about dimes size dings
maybe be smaller and 1/8" deep. I have seen a boat yard repair 2" around 1/2" deep in the forward v under the anchor using this method. That said, I don't have any experience at all working with fiberglass on that scale not do I own the tools. I would concede this issue to you based on your experience Ross. Drew, it is my opinion that Ross method of repair is overkill and I clearly state this is only my opinion.
maybe be smaller and 1/8" deep. I have seen a boat yard repair 2" around 1/2" deep in the forward v under the anchor using this method. That said, I don't have any experience at all working with fiberglass on that scale not do I own the tools. I would concede this issue to you based on your experience Ross. Drew, it is my opinion that Ross method of repair is overkill and I clearly state this is only my opinion.
When I was drying my keel and filling voids with
filled resin I was drilling 5/16 inch holes into which I pumped resin. When it was set I ground a shallow depression around the hole and laid in a couple of thicknesses of glass mat. I took glass out with a drill, I put glass back in. Over kill? maybe. unnecessary? perhaps. Good workmanship? your call. I will continue to do it my way.
filled resin I was drilling 5/16 inch holes into which I pumped resin. When it was set I ground a shallow depression around the hole and laid in a couple of thicknesses of glass mat. I took glass out with a drill, I put glass back in. Over kill? maybe. unnecessary? perhaps. Good workmanship? your call. I will continue to do it my way.
Higgs, I have used West epoxy, Shell oil company
epoxy, Evercoat epoxy. I have used it with fast cure hardener and slow cure hardener. I have used waxed polyester resin and wax free polyester resin. With epoxy I can make a strong repair and come back the next day to sand it. With polyester resin I can make a strong repair go and have a cup of coffee and come back and sand it. For what it is worth I installed my engine stringers with epoxy and glass. Several hundred hours of engine loading and they haven't moved. The old stringer had rotted they were Douglas fir, the new ones are all heart black locust.
epoxy, Evercoat epoxy. I have used it with fast cure hardener and slow cure hardener. I have used waxed polyester resin and wax free polyester resin. With epoxy I can make a strong repair and come back the next day to sand it. With polyester resin I can make a strong repair go and have a cup of coffee and come back and sand it. For what it is worth I installed my engine stringers with epoxy and glass. Several hundred hours of engine loading and they haven't moved. The old stringer had rotted they were Douglas fir, the new ones are all heart black locust.
How did we get to filling voids???
You way off topic. The scope of this topic never include filling voids. We were talking about surface dings! That is one of the main problems here. We go off scope.
You way off topic. The scope of this topic never include filling voids. We were talking about surface dings! That is one of the main problems here. We go off scope.
Waffle Filling voids was only the reason for
needing to repair the surface. I drilled a hole to enable me to fill a void. Then I needed to repair the hole. I was not satisfied with just pluging it with filled resin. I put a patch on the hole TOO! If you have violated the integrity of the glass you will not return to the original strength with a repair made with only filled resin. You must replace the broken glass. It is not that much work to do the repair versus just doing a fairing. I found places on Bietzpadlin that had been repaired by your recommended methods and I found them when I could see daylight through the cracks in the spackle.
needing to repair the surface. I drilled a hole to enable me to fill a void. Then I needed to repair the hole. I was not satisfied with just pluging it with filled resin. I put a patch on the hole TOO! If you have violated the integrity of the glass you will not return to the original strength with a repair made with only filled resin. You must replace the broken glass. It is not that much work to do the repair versus just doing a fairing. I found places on Bietzpadlin that had been repaired by your recommended methods and I found them when I could see daylight through the cracks in the spackle.
Thanks
for the input. I think I'll stick with Marine Tex for now. These are dings, after all, on a swing keel that is ultimately sacrificial. Expensive, sure, but not catastrophic if it has to be replaced. Thanks everybody.
for the input. I think I'll stick with Marine Tex for now. These are dings, after all, on a swing keel that is ultimately sacrificial. Expensive, sure, but not catastrophic if it has to be replaced. Thanks everybody.
Good Drew, I hope we answer the question for you
Marine Tex is fine. Don Casey answer a question like this and said Marfine Tex work but he would use a thichen Epoxy mix instead. Marine Tex is an Epoxy putty. People should not advise people to take a grinder to their boat for a ding.
Marine Tex is fine. Don Casey answer a question like this and said Marfine Tex work but he would use a thichen Epoxy mix instead. Marine Tex is an Epoxy putty. People should not advise people to take a grinder to their boat for a ding.
Waffle if you ever learn to listen more and speak
less you will gain much. I perceive that your skills with tools is quite limited so you seem to feel that everyone must suffer the same short comings and should avoid repairs that require more than a bandaid.
less you will gain much. I perceive that your skills with tools is quite limited so you seem to feel that everyone must suffer the same short comings and should avoid repairs that require more than a bandaid.
Ross, just so you know
some time ago I was a Naval engineer for the Ship Yard. One of my duties was installing cable penetrations on ships. We have to reinforce the penetration with like material to enforce structure integrity. I have no experience with fiberglass but will say you are a little off base with this call. There is no room in a ding for fiberglass cloth material to begin with. Are you suggesting covering the entire keel? I your case, if you had voids and they may have filled with water, and the water may have froze thereby cracking the keel. I would agree that filling the void with epoxy and fiberglass over the cracks would make sense. Anyone doing this should have experience working with epoxy. There is a lot of heat generated from the mixing epoxy; therefore it is not advisable to fill a large void at one time (done right dangerous). The purpose of this thread was to address dings and preventing water migrating into a foam keel. If water had gotten into the keel and froze the keel would have cracked. I would recommend a fiberglass repair only in the case of a badly cracked keel. This is the same story for foam rudders.
some time ago I was a Naval engineer for the Ship Yard. One of my duties was installing cable penetrations on ships. We have to reinforce the penetration with like material to enforce structure integrity. I have no experience with fiberglass but will say you are a little off base with this call. There is no room in a ding for fiberglass cloth material to begin with. Are you suggesting covering the entire keel? I your case, if you had voids and they may have filled with water, and the water may have froze thereby cracking the keel. I would agree that filling the void with epoxy and fiberglass over the cracks would make sense. Anyone doing this should have experience working with epoxy. There is a lot of heat generated from the mixing epoxy; therefore it is not advisable to fill a large void at one time (done right dangerous). The purpose of this thread was to address dings and preventing water migrating into a foam keel. If water had gotten into the keel and froze the keel would have cracked. I would recommend a fiberglass repair only in the case of a badly cracked keel. This is the same story for foam rudders.
Waffle , How is the ding prepared for filling?
Next, how is the excess filling material removed to leave the surface fair? I plainly stated that if glass is broken it should be repaired. Drew stated that the glass was punctured. 2 Ounce chopped strand mat builds about .025 inches per layer. A piece of glass the size of a quarter will bridge any broken glass and be much less cost or trouble than replacing a keel at some future date. May I presume that you got your Naval experience at the Brooklyn Navy yard?
Next, how is the excess filling material removed to leave the surface fair? I plainly stated that if glass is broken it should be repaired. Drew stated that the glass was punctured. 2 Ounce chopped strand mat builds about .025 inches per layer. A piece of glass the size of a quarter will bridge any broken glass and be much less cost or trouble than replacing a keel at some future date. May I presume that you got your Naval experience at the Brooklyn Navy yard?
C'mon you guys...
Let's not squabble. It does go to show, though, that if you ask two sailors a question you're bound to get at least three opinions...
Let's not squabble. It does go to show, though, that if you ask two sailors a question you're bound to get at least three opinions...
structural vs cosmetic
A dime size ding is not going to make the structure unsound. It may let water in and that might be a problem later so it needs to be attended to. What you have is cosmetic. Just use something that will make the repair waterproof and fair and you will be OK.
A dime size ding is not going to make the structure unsound. It may let water in and that might be a problem later so it needs to be attended to. What you have is cosmetic. Just use something that will make the repair waterproof and fair and you will be OK.
- Status