I have an 88 O'Day 302 with some fiberglass issues -- voids that have broken thru, a couple of puncture wounds in the deck and cockpit, etc. I need to fill the holes...then will sand and paint to match. These will be non-structural repairs. Any suggestions re: best and easist product to use? West System has the reputation but my local boaters world doesn't carry it. Will the MAS brand work as well? Will Marine Tex work to fill the voids and holes? Thanks for your experience and thoughts.
Success w/fiberglass repair?
- Thread starter Steve L22188
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What size holes?
I am obsessive/compulsive about repairing impact holes by removing all sign of the impact and patching with fiberglass and resin. Polyester is fine for that. After all that's what they used to build the boat. Small drilled holes may be filled with the putty of your choice. And in answer to your question MAS, System Three, and West are all excellent epoxies but should not be mixed as resins. You may laminate one epoxy over another cured epoxy, But don't use West epoxy with MAS hardener or any other combination of brands.
I am obsessive/compulsive about repairing impact holes by removing all sign of the impact and patching with fiberglass and resin. Polyester is fine for that. After all that's what they used to build the boat. Small drilled holes may be filled with the putty of your choice. And in answer to your question MAS, System Three, and West are all excellent epoxies but should not be mixed as resins. You may laminate one epoxy over another cured epoxy, But don't use West epoxy with MAS hardener or any other combination of brands.
Marine Tex
I'm a big fan of Marinetex & use it for just about everything but adhesives. It mixes easily into a smooth peanutbutter consistency and generally stays where you put it; unless you try to use great gobs of the stuff on a vertical surface, then it will sag. If you want flowable material, seeking out every crack & crevice, you want epoxy without fillers. Lastly, for surface cosmetics you need to apply gel coat on top of either one after they have cured.
I'm a big fan of Marinetex & use it for just about everything but adhesives. It mixes easily into a smooth peanutbutter consistency and generally stays where you put it; unless you try to use great gobs of the stuff on a vertical surface, then it will sag. If you want flowable material, seeking out every crack & crevice, you want epoxy without fillers. Lastly, for surface cosmetics you need to apply gel coat on top of either one after they have cured.
Marine Tex
I'm a big fan of Marinetex & use it for just about everything but adhesives. It mixes easily into a smooth peanutbutter consistency and generally stays where you put it; unless you try to use great gobs of the stuff on a vertical surface, then it will sag. If you want flowable material, seeking out every crack & crevice, you want epoxy without fillers. Lastly, for surface cosmetics you need to apply gel coat on top of either one after they have cured.
I'm a big fan of Marinetex & use it for just about everything but adhesives. It mixes easily into a smooth peanutbutter consistency and generally stays where you put it; unless you try to use great gobs of the stuff on a vertical surface, then it will sag. If you want flowable material, seeking out every crack & crevice, you want epoxy without fillers. Lastly, for surface cosmetics you need to apply gel coat on top of either one after they have cured.
Any good epoxy putty will fill non
structural holes, be plenty strong, and stick well. Marine Tex is a very good choice, but any two part putty that says it's strong will do fine. You can help epoxy putty stick if you brush on an epoxy resin or liquid epoxy adhesive first, and put the putty on while it's set but still sticky. If you really want to make it stick, put on the thinner stuff (resin or adhesive) and warm it wih a hair dryer or heat gun. Don't start a fire! It will melt into the fibres like candle wax and make a nice surface for the putty to grab. If you are really going to "paint" epoxy will not be a problem. If you plan to use gel-coat, it will not stick to the epoxy as well as it would stick to a polyester putty. Catch 22. The polyester putty won't stick in your holes as well as epoxy. Gel coat may stick well enough to be OK over epoxy, but it's not reccomended by the pros. Not a safety issue, however.
structural holes, be plenty strong, and stick well. Marine Tex is a very good choice, but any two part putty that says it's strong will do fine. You can help epoxy putty stick if you brush on an epoxy resin or liquid epoxy adhesive first, and put the putty on while it's set but still sticky. If you really want to make it stick, put on the thinner stuff (resin or adhesive) and warm it wih a hair dryer or heat gun. Don't start a fire! It will melt into the fibres like candle wax and make a nice surface for the putty to grab. If you are really going to "paint" epoxy will not be a problem. If you plan to use gel-coat, it will not stick to the epoxy as well as it would stick to a polyester putty. Catch 22. The polyester putty won't stick in your holes as well as epoxy. Gel coat may stick well enough to be OK over epoxy, but it's not reccomended by the pros. Not a safety issue, however.
If your going to paint
then Marine Tex is pretty good. But if your fiberglass is white (or grey) and your thinking of leaving the Marine Tex "natural" to make repairs I wouldn't recommend it. I made the mistake of patching some nicks and holes with Marine Tex thinking it was a close enough match, but after I faired it, it left amber colored rings around the repairs that can't be removed. I would recommend something like West System if possible. It is a better value for the money and with the pumps it is so easy to work with. I found it hard to get the right ratio of Marine Tex just because it was so thick. Also a few different people have told me that Marine Tex is too hard to use in areas that are subject to flexing. Apparently it can eventually lose its bond and pop off the area it was applied to. Maybe others on the forum can offer insight as to whether that is the case or not. Just my two cents, Manny
then Marine Tex is pretty good. But if your fiberglass is white (or grey) and your thinking of leaving the Marine Tex "natural" to make repairs I wouldn't recommend it. I made the mistake of patching some nicks and holes with Marine Tex thinking it was a close enough match, but after I faired it, it left amber colored rings around the repairs that can't be removed. I would recommend something like West System if possible. It is a better value for the money and with the pumps it is so easy to work with. I found it hard to get the right ratio of Marine Tex just because it was so thick. Also a few different people have told me that Marine Tex is too hard to use in areas that are subject to flexing. Apparently it can eventually lose its bond and pop off the area it was applied to. Maybe others on the forum can offer insight as to whether that is the case or not. Just my two cents, Manny
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