little holes in hull

[harveydoryguy]

i got a 73 harvey dory and she is in need of love which she deserves...
so i got these snaps that run down her haul that i drilled out with a 1/4 inch bit ....(they were rusty) and then sanded an area about the size of a quarter around the hole just getting into the 1/4 inch fiberglass...

what should i skim these with ? epoxy? bondo? bondo with glass? micro ballons? q cell? i want to get it good and i dont want them to pop out since she takes a beating going through the surf..

i have about 30 holes all over her from certin attachments.. some of them on glass that only a 1/8 thick or less....

thanks for the imput...
hope this one's not to easy

[jimslade]

Use a countersink bit to taper the holes and fill with a waterproof filler. (short strand glass fillers work well)

[harveydoryguy]

nice nice...a countersink bit...is bondo a waterprof filler?..whats a good waterproof filler then?? i sure this has been answersed but i cant get the search engine to run ...

what about a farring compound? should i use the filler like a farring compound?....will choped glass and poly resin work with wax paper covering it to insure it dries fairly flat?

do i have to sand a quarter sized fare around the hole?

thanks again
now if it will just stop raining
tj

[Deering]

Epoxy mixed with pretty much any filler (silica, saw dust, microfibers...) will do the job. Use a small rubber squeegie that you can get cheap at a paint or auto parts shop.

[harveydoryguy]

nice ...epoxy is less runny i.e. thin
how does it sand...will it clog sandpaper..

ive worked with expoy surfboards and ive used a
c? mix in the epoxy to get it to sand?

i also have a hole where the old tac was..
it about 3.5 inches across...how far should i fare it...
i would guess use a plywood backer? then fare with sander
glass and finish?

just taking a poke at it will this work...how do you guys do it
does anyone read the surfers journal?

thanks again tj

[jimslade]

Any body shop supplier should carry a short strand glass filler. I'm not a great fan of epoxy fillers they tend to clog up the sandpaper.

[harveydoryguy]

but if you can get the epoxy perfect ...no need to sand?

will the glass filler go in the holes that are not all the way through?
im going to fill tomorrow...

what about holes on over vert sirface? use the wax paper?

whaT about the product called marine tex?

[Deering]

For 1/4 inch holes you aren't going to have a sandpaper fouling issue with epoxy. Sandpaper fouling is caused by two things:

1) amine blush coating on the epoxy - it's a sort of waxy byproduct from the epoxy cure process with some epoxies. For small areas it's not a big deal, but you can wash it off with water and a scrubby pad after it's cured if you want.

2) The epoxy can be melted by the sanding process. If you have a sander that can be slowed down that's the way to go - dial the speed down a bit. But again, you are sanding really small areas so it won't be an issue. Change the paper if it clogs.

If you get the epoxy thickened up to a peanut butter consistency it will stick in the overhead holes just fine. If you want to put a coating over it, use a piece of poly sheeting - wax paper can react with the epoxy.

As far as I know, Marine Tex is a modified epoxy product. I would use straight epoxy with a filler like fumed silica or microballoons instead so I could control the thickness. Microballons (fairing filler) will make sanding easier if you need to.

For the tach hole, try filling it with a round plug of plywood, backed by plywood covered in poly. Then fill in the gaps with epoxy w/ microballoons. Once cured you can remove the backer (the poly kept it from sticking).

[harveydoryguy]

well ive got to say im a huge fan of epoxy...
thickened it up with some cobo sil and filled the holes..

and they feel reel solid...no stink,no waste,easy to work with.
ive always used polyester for surfboards...really stoked on epoxy
i used the west system and buy the measure'n pumps..

just alittle sanding and she'll be ready for paint..

thanks