Favorite Epoxy/Resin Fillet Fairing gel coat combo

[Munson]

I just finished sanding the whole box again and wiped down. Instead of tape in the corners and I fitted a triangular tape to secure all 3 corners at once.
So the top lip that hangs over the bow of the boat I plan on drilling 3 holes into the boat and using lag bolts from underneath so there are no visible holes.The inside tabs that form a triangle is where I will drill holes on each side and carriage bolt to the boat.Then I was going to 5200 around the perimeter as a caulk and maybe some between the box and the boat.

 

[Munson]

Now that the glass is down and curing, the pattern of the cloth is not fully covered by resin meaning that the glass fully absorbed the resin but does you can feel the print with your finger.I’m sure I’ll have to sand but the question is how much?Just enough to rough up the high points of the weave?Then Fair, then prime?

 

[missinginaction]

You'll fill the weave now. Probably two additional coats or resin. If you can lay on the additional coats within a day of the previous coats it will give you a chemical bond. This is when the second or third coats chemically interlink with the previous coats making a stronger coat or lamination. Once you get the weave filled you can pretty it up with 120 grit down to 220 if you're fussy. Then prime and finish.

Just a thought on the 5200 you mentioned. There isn't anything inherently wrong with 5200 but if you ever want to remove that box for any reason it will be a bear to get off. You may well end up destroying the box in the process. If you can, through bolt it. You can probably use 1/4-20 stainless steel machine screws. For a little extra insurance 3/8-16 machine screws are a little heavier. Since this box will be stressed consider placing extra thick stainless steel fender washers under the screw head and under the ny-lock retaining nut. Here is a good source......Fender Washers Extra Thick 18-8 Stainless Steel https://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/18-8-stainless-steel-extra-thick-fender-washers-p/1000-5.html

 

[Munson]

You'll fill the weave now. Probably two additional coats or resin. If you can lay on the additional coats within a day of the previous coats it will give you a chemical bond. This is when the second or third coats chemically interlink with the previous coats making a stronger coat or lamination. Once you get the weave filled you can pretty it up with 120 grit down to 220 if you're fussy. Then prime and finish.

Just a thought on the 5200 you mentioned. There isn't anything inherently wrong with 5200 but if you ever want to remove that box for any reason it will be a bear to get off. You may well end up destroying the box in the process. If you can, through bolt it. You can probably use 1/4-20 stainless steel machine screws. For a little extra insurance 3/8-16 machine screws are a little heavier. Since this box will be stressed consider placing extra thick stainless steel fender washers under the screw head and under the ny-lock retaining nut. Here is a good source......Fender Washers Extra Thick 18-8 Stainless Steel https://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/18-8-stainless-steel-extra-thick-fender-washers-p/1000-5.html

The weave has an oily (amine maybe)feel to it.So no sandpaper under 24hrs ?I can fill the weave ?I just want to confirm.The weather has been damp between 40-55 degrees

 

[missinginaction]

The weave has an oily (amine maybe)feel to it.So no sandpaper under 24hrs ?I can fill the weave ?I just want to confirm.The weather has been damp between 40-55 degrees

That's certainly possible with some formulations. Amine blush can be simply washed away then continue filling the weave. Read that epoxy book and you'll understand.

 

[fallguy]

Warm water and dish soap for amine blush.

I don't trust leaving exposed endgrains and prefer to glass them. The glue and wood and epoxy all have varying cte amd glass seems to keep them more uniform.

Epoxy does not cure well below 60F. You might want to move the project inside or put a small heater in the space.

 

[Munson]

The weave has an oily (amine maybe)feel to it.So no sandpaper under 24hrs ?I can fill the weave ?I just want to confirm.The weather has been damp between 40-55 degrees

So you don’t recommend 5200 at all? Even if it was used to caulk the perimeter? If the 5200 is in an accessible area like a perimeter I should be able to score it to remove.

 

[Munson]

That's certainly possible with some formulations. Amine blush can be simply washed away then continue filling the weave. Read that epoxy book and you'll understand.

I have read the book; it is a little difficult trying to absorb and apply all of the info without messing up. I'm trying to rush a little bit I think.I thank you for your help.I automatically thought if it was dry to touch and shiny then it needed to be sanded.

 

[fallguy]

No. You can use a 4200 uv caulk.

5200 is best below water and 5200 takes a week to dry or more...

 

[missinginaction]

Try to relax a bit Munson. I know that you want to finish this up but IMO it's best to just resign yourself to the fact that this stuff takes time. The best approach is to lay on a coat and walk away until tomorrow.

As I said, there isn't anything inherently wrong with 5200 and it has it's place. I used it a few times in the restoration I did years back. Yes, you might be able to score it but it won't release anything like caulk. It's an aggressive adhesive and stronger than the glue in the plywood.

If you are absolutely positive you will never need to disassemble that box then go for it. Often though a few years down the road people find themselves saying "I wish I had used something else.".

In this case I agree with fall guy and 4200 UV.

MIA

 

[Munson]

So, I took off the old access panel and noticed the wood on the bottom portion of the door is soft:rotten. Can I drill a few holes like git rot and inject epoxy? This project is turning into a nightmare.

 

[Munson]

Warm water and dish soap for amine blush.

I don't trust leaving exposed endgrains and prefer to glass them. The glue and wood and epoxy all have varying cte amd glass seems to keep them more uniform.

Epoxy does not cure well below 60F. You might want to move the project inside or put a small heater in the space.

I used fast epoxy from west system that has a working temp of 40 degrees.Since I hope this worked in my favor.I would have
Liked to go with the other 2 suggested by Mia but the gentleman from the shop he suggested never responded.West System was the fastest to respond to me so I went with their products.
I didn’t want to use water and an abrasive pad because some of my glassing had holes that I thought the water may have pooled in then would have been trapped after a new layers of resin was set down.
I wiped the surface with alcohol then lightly sanded (not to the fibers)then wiped again.

 

[Munson]

No. You can use a 4200 uv caulk.

5200 is best below water and 5200 takes a week to dry or more...

Ok 4200 it is, thank you

 

[missinginaction]

Repairing old boats (or worse restoring them) is a nightmare by definition. This is why we all drink too much. It's all about the attitude. Try and be patient.

Back to your project. The rotted wood you found. It's inside the opening and the trim piece is screwed to it? Git Rot and other similar products are not something you want to use in an area that is subject to any loads. I'd really need to see it but if it's not under any stress, if it's just there holding the trim in place perhaps you could simply remove it and secure your trim with some machine screws. A machine screw is going to use a nut with a nylon insert and a couple of washers to clamp the trim to the boat. My guess is that the manufacturer just ran some wood screws in there and eventually the backer rotted out.

Take a breath. Look at it this way, you're getting an education. This is a pretty small project and you're already calling it a nightmare. People do restorations and tear boats completely down to bare hulls. Of course we suffer from OCD and there is the whole alcohol thing going on.....our families have written us off as eccentric or just crazy. Sometimes I need to do some epoxy work. I'll text my son and ask him to park outside the garage. He text's back just two words. "Boat parts?" He's learned over the years.

You'll get there. Think it through. Sleep on it.

MIA

 

[fallguy]

So,I took off the old access panel and noticed the wood on the bottom portion of the door is soft:rotten.Can I drill a few holes like git rot and inject epoxy?This project is turning into a nightmare.

No.

Rotten wood in an access panel really must be removed. Take a few snapshots and we'll see if we can help. If it has a gasket and such, there may be some way to remove only the rotten core and repair it. Git rot is not really the answer.

Git rot is something you can use on a small piece of wood that is problematic to remove, is dry, and gets painted or sealed. I have used it or cpes in the past on dry rot of a small portion of ply hull with a gunwhale above where the only alternative was to remove the plies of the hull under the gunwhale and replace with thickened resin, etc. But the repair area was literally like 1/2 sqin and dry.It is not meant for a rotten door core. And, your core is likely wet. GitRot won't displace the water. And the rot will continue.