fiberglass over steel?

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by boredman1, Dec 11, 2014.

  1. boredman1
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    boredman1 Junior Member

    has anyone ever put fiberglass over steel?

    seems to me like this would be more cost effective then repainting steel vessels every year or so to avoid rust.

    just a random thought, go easy on me :D
     
  2. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Yes, it is one of the standard coatings.
     
  3. boredman1
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    boredman1 Junior Member

    thank you, you are very helpful on this forum
     
  4. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    You are welcome. They are epoxies with longer elongation (flexibility) specifically formulated for coating metals. Sandblasting to white metal is ideal for adhesion and long life.
     
  5. pdwiley
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    pdwiley Senior Member

    It would be provided you could be certain that nothing penetrated the f/g layer and allowed salt water to get to the underlying steel. Applying the f/g in epoxy to white metal would give you the best adhesion but any pinhole is going to rapidly turn into a lovely rust blister, which is going to keep right on growing.

    I personally wouldn't do it, and I'm painting my hull at the moment. I hate painting.....

    PDW
     
  6. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I suspect the OP is thinking of cheapo type resins, not epoxy.
     
  7. waikikin
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    waikikin Senior Member

    Possibly so, but I'd imagine if he's asking the question that a search for knowledge is underway......
    I have coated a lifting ballasted keel with glassfiber & epoxy, my only further knowledge of that keel was at a slipping a couple of years later and it appeared to still be in good condition. Other than that I've seen it applied to pipework in tank spaces to ships & also around parts of an impressed current system, from memory of talking with the surveyor a "chewy"(high elongation?) epoxy resin was used, also applied to shafting joins/ over rope guard/fairings to stern gear/bearing area to a patrol boat.
    Jeff
     
  8. sdowney717
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    sdowney717 Senior Member

  9. WindRaf
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    WindRaf Senior Member

    by accounts it was cheaper build the boat in
    stainless
     
  10. boredman1
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    boredman1 Junior Member

    was that a joke? I don't get it
     
  11. WindRaf
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    WindRaf Senior Member

    try to add the cost of the steel + sandblasting + the cost of epoxi + the cost of the roving + the gel coat ...add all the hours of work need to assemble all ....and you maybe discover that to built the boat in inox was cheaper
     
  12. graywolf
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    graywolf Junior Member

    I can see using an epoxy paint on steel, but fiberglass?
     
  13. keith66
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    keith66 Senior Member

    20 years ago i worked on a steel motor yacht, she had been built by a big yard in west london. They had faired the ripply steel hull with many gallons of polyester body filler, car pud or bondo as you call it in the USA. It was coming off all over & we spent some happy weeks replacing large chunks all over, there was a lot of damp & rust if i remember! we used 20 gallons of pud. Probably all that held her together.
     
  14. nulik
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    nulik Junior Member

    can I also ask if it can be done over an aluminum boat?
     

  15. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Yes, you can coat aluminum with epoxy. I have repaired aluminum riveted boats with fiberglass laid in epoxy.
     
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