There was a hole in my hull

[rgranger]

As some of you know, I picked up a Rhodes 22 for only $250... YES! It need work

Today I started the final repairs on a hole I discovered once I removed the thick layers of bottom paint.

I have been following the advice from Don Casey's "Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual" If you DIY I recommend you get a copy of this book.

Anyway I attached some pics.

Today, I installed the backing plate. I had to use a rather sequitous procedure because I don't have access to the inside of the hull at the location of the hole.

I still have to complete the exterior layup and I'll post pics of that later.

r

 

[Merlin Clark]

Looks like a good plan!

 

[woodster]

i personaly think you have a good plan there and i like the way you toggled the back up plate to hold it in place while you bonded it to the inside of the hull....

regards

woody

 

[rtshinn]

This is very similar to patching a hole in drywall

 

[rgranger]

Thanks guys...

I can't take credit for it. I was just following a very well illustrated set of instructions from Don Casey's book.

I finished the outside of the hull just a few minutes ago. I could not take pics while I was setting it up because I had wet epoxy all over my gloves and didn't want to get it on my camera. The hole looks amazingly fair. I was really (pleasantly) surprise and was expecting to have to do a lot of grinding. As soon as things set up I'll take some more pics and describe what I did a bit more.

 

[rgranger]

I didn't mention that the string I used to pull the backing plate into place was dental floss. It is made from dacron so it is very compatible with epoxy resin.

 

[CalebD]

Clever approach.
What adhesive did you use that looks so black?

 

[Andrew A]

What adhesive did you use that looks so black?

looks like JB Weld from the pics

 

[rgranger]

looks like JB Weld from the pics

Yep! It is JB

So here is a pic of the next step. After the JB set up, I took my grinding wheel on my drill and reset the bevels on the hole so that they were smooth and fair. Then, I cut 10 oval disks from fiberglass cloth. Each disk slightly larger than the previous. And then I mixed up a few oz of epoxy non-blush resin and put it in a small tupperware dish. Then starting with the largest disk, I put it in the tupperware and poked at it with a plastic putty knife until it was transparent. Squeegeed out the excess resin and placed the largest disk onto a bondo squeegees (you can buy them at Walmart next to the bondo). I repeated this process stacking each smaller disk on top of the other -- all onto the plastic squeegee. I didn't take a pic but I made a drawing (see drawing). Then, using the squeegee I pushed the disks into the indentation on the hull and bent the squeegee to match the contour of the hull. Then while holding it in place I hit the epoxy with a hair dryer to get it to kick, removed the squeegee and I was done. It is almost fair. I think I could have cut one additional disk of cloth and it would have been perfect but I was afraid of having to grind down a bulge. There is a slight indentation in the very middle of the patch and I'll fair that up with some JB weld.

 

[kenn]

Looks like a good approach. Thanks for the pictures.

Questions... why the JB Weld instead of just using the same epoxy to glue the backing patch into place? Also, why not fair the job with epoxy + microballoons? Isn't JB Weld a b!tch to sand?

 

[rgranger]

Looks like a good approach. Thanks for the pictures.

Questions... why the JB Weld instead of just using the same epoxy to glue the backing patch into place?

Also, why not fair the job with epoxy + microballoons? Isn't JB Weld a b!tch to sand?

Good questions.... The epoxy arrived this week in the mail. I didn't order any microballoons The JB was in my shed already. I needed some thickened epoxy so.... it seemed like a good way to go. I have been using JB to fill little nicks and dings for some time now and I have not found it hard to sand. The microballoon approach is probably a better (cheaper) way to go. I was just using what I had on hand.

 

[woodster]

Good questions.... The epoxy arrived this week in the mail. I didn't order any microballoons The JB was in my shed already. I needed some thickened epoxy so.... it seemed like a good way to go. I have been using JB to fill little nicks and dings for some time now and I have not found it hard to sand. The microballoon approach is probably a better (cheaper) way to go. I was just using what I had on hand.

if its below the water line use codicil instead of micro balloons as the can hold water

regards

woody