OK, so I'm Sanding My Bottom...
- Thread starter Squidd
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David Pascoe is a surveyor, he doesn't repair boats. Any good repairer will provide a 10-year guarantee on his work. The procedure I outlined is not expensive or difficult. The repairer I know and work with has never had even one complaint, let alone a failure. This includes at least six boats built with Hetron, a fire-retardant resin, that is the worst example of blister formation in the history of boatbuilding. My boat has been blister-free and the hull remains dry more than 20 years after I performed the aforementioned repair procedure and products.
Furthermore, for about the last twenty years more and more boats are being built with a veil layer consisting of vinylester resin and CSM immediately within an external layer of polyester gelcoat (NPG ISO). And this type of laminate has proven to be a very effective barrier to water permeation.
de Graaf is wildly inaccurate in many of his statements.
I prefer to listen to those repairers who have a long history of competence in the real world of actually fixing boats, not just examining and talking about the ones that have failed. I know five independent repairers in this area of Maryland's Eastern Shore and they all follow the aforementioned procedure. Most have been in business for more than twenty years.
Here's a pic that shows the process I've described: A laminate surface after the failed gelcoat and failed mat were removed (R) and it's appearance following the application of new 1.5-ounce mat using VE 8117 and finished with Cook's sanding gelcoat (L). I did this work on my Sabre 28 and, while more difficult than simply rolling on several epoxy barrier coats, it's not a difficult process. Most important it's worked perfectly for more than 20 years.
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I will certainly take a look at it next fall (or the following) if my repair does not hold up...
I bring the boat home and have indoor facilities to work on it and lots more "off water" time than on up here in the great white north..which is why for now I have filled the divots and am in the process of fairing the bottom in prep for epoxy and hard biocide paint...
While I'd like to have her soaking in the lake all summer, one factor in my favor is it'll be "dry slipped" on the trailer/mast up and only dipped a few weekends this year so water intrusion is not a huge factor...
I'll continue to post pics as I go along...and certainly the "results" next fall -Good or Bad- when I pull her home...
That looks nice Robert, and your's is the first actual "repair schedual" I've been offered..
I will certainly take a look at it next fall (or the following) if my repair does not hold up...
I bring the boat home and have indoor facilities to work on it and lots more "off water" time than on up here in the great white north..which is why for now I have filled the divots and am in the process of fairing the bottom in prep for epoxy and hard biocide paint...
While I'd like to have her soaking in the lake all summer, one factor in my favor is it'll be "dry slipped" on the trailer/mast up and only dipped a few weekends this year so water intrusion is not a huge factor...
I'll continue to post pics as I go along...and certainly the "results" next fall -Good or Bad- when I pull her home...
Here's a link to an article about a blister repair job done by my friend Mark Lenox: http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/hull/bye-bye-blisters
I learned fiberglass repair from his father, Dave Lenox. I was experienced with resins, including epoxies, because of my occupation and had done more than a little fiberglass repair work with polyester and epoxy resins. However, Dave introduced me to CoREZYN and showed me the best way to work with it. That was in the early 1990s and I've been using CoREZYN VE 8117 for more than 20 years.
Good luck with the repair, I hope it goes well.
- Dec 30, 2009
- 680
What u need is about 10 cans of that tv wonder sealer they use on gutters, and then they show a screen door in the bottom of a rowboat, sprayed with the stuff and a guy floatin in it..Har har..REd
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The tent is not climate-controlled. It's completely open to the elements at both ends. Just another example of inaccurate reporting. VE 8117 can be used throughout the year in this area of Maryland. $10,000 includes his labor. I thought you were doing all of the labor.Yeah, see...This is the part that gets me...
I got a $3,000 boat...and a 5 month sailing season...
OK I have applied my first coat of filler to many of the deeper divots, I'm sure I'll do a second for the ones I missed...
Next I laid out my weapons for fairing the surface smooth...I would prefer the random orbital for the dust collection aspect, but the sanding pole with the abrasive screen is supposed to produce a smooth finish with minimal mess when "wet sanded"... My fall back is the 1/3 sheet orbital which is known to produce a smooth finish , but creates a lot of dusty mess...
I'll do test spot comparisons before I get fully into it to see which tool actually works the best for my situation...
Next I laid out my weapons for fairing the surface smooth...I would prefer the random orbital for the dust collection aspect, but the sanding pole with the abrasive screen is supposed to produce a smooth finish with minimal mess when "wet sanded"... My fall back is the 1/3 sheet orbital which is known to produce a smooth finish , but creates a lot of dusty mess...
I'll do test spot comparisons before I get fully into it to see which tool actually works the best for my situation...
I'm kinda likeing the effect of wet sanding with the pole sander and abrasive screen...
Going from filling to wet sanding is really blending and smoothing the surface without multiple coats of primer and glazing...(I've bondo'ed a lot of old cars up here in rust country)
I don't know if you can see it in the picture but the filler has been blended.faired down to surface level high spots are coming down and sanding scratchs are dissapearing...
All with minimal mess and from a comfortable standing position...Thanks for the tip Gary...
Going from filling to wet sanding is really blending and smoothing the surface without multiple coats of primer and glazing...(I've bondo'ed a lot of old cars up here in rust country)
I don't know if you can see it in the picture but the filler has been blended.faired down to surface level high spots are coming down and sanding scratchs are dissapearing...
All with minimal mess and from a comfortable standing position...Thanks for the tip Gary...
OK so I tried a second coat of clear epoxy today...
Clear over clear is still clear... I could not "see" what I was covering/missing so I stopped after a few sq/ft..
Spent the rest of the afternoon "scuff sanding" the dry clear coat hoping the sanding scratchs will guide me as I apply second layer...not totally convinced...
What i would like is to "tint" the next layer so I can "see" where/what I'm covering...
What can I add as a "tint".. I read on google a small amount of artist oil paint woiuld work, mixed with epoxy resin...I have some...any other suggestions...?
Clear over clear is still clear... I could not "see" what I was covering/missing so I stopped after a few sq/ft..
Spent the rest of the afternoon "scuff sanding" the dry clear coat hoping the sanding scratchs will guide me as I apply second layer...not totally convinced...
What i would like is to "tint" the next layer so I can "see" where/what I'm covering...
What can I add as a "tint".. I read on google a small amount of artist oil paint woiuld work, mixed with epoxy resin...I have some...any other suggestions...?
I don't know why I didn't think of it eariler...Carbon Black...about as inert and you can get...
Couple drops toned a batch black...just enough to see the new coating...
Two coats epoxy abour 12 to 16 mil barrier on top of fill and fair...starting to look presentable from what I started with...
Three days of "cureing" while I go off and watch the daughter graduate Nurseing School.. and then back to put two coats of hard Biocide paint on...calling it good for now...( I want to go sailing...)
Couple drops toned a batch black...just enough to see the new coating...
Two coats epoxy abour 12 to 16 mil barrier on top of fill and fair...starting to look presentable from what I started with...
Three days of "cureing" while I go off and watch the daughter graduate Nurseing School.. and then back to put two coats of hard Biocide paint on...calling it good for now...( I want to go sailing...)
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