Fiberglass work question

[Ranz1]

Looking for info from fellow jetters....... Sorry i have to post here but i think the "How To Section" is a waste of time and worthless :mad: .
Im in the process of redoing my transom. I am replacing the inner glass and wood, Leaving the outer shell. How can i fill the holes left from my speedo pickup and straps? How do i seal them so no water gets in? The boat has a terrable paint job and will be getting repainted in a couple of years so i am not looking for a color mathed, ultra perfect primer, paint or sealer. Thanks, Ant

[copperrat20]

how many holes and how big are they?

[Ranz1]

There are 6 in the transom, but id like to fill the holes in my swim platform (CVX20) and there are about 20 holes there after removing the teak strips. One hole is about a 1/4" and all the other holes are just screw holes. I also have a a cut out from a radio i like to fill. Ant

[copperrat20]

On my sanger what I did was fiberglass the inside first. Then I used this stuff called cabaseal. Cabaseal is basically ground up fiberglass. It is in the powder form. You mix it with resin until it gets thick like bondo or putty. Then you fill cracks and crevises and holes with it. Then I glassed over that. I used it on everything. From filling the transom edges, to filling holes, to replacing my floor. I also used it for shaping the edges of my floor or for buildup, then I glassed over it for strength. You can buy it by the bag at your local fiberglass store. Hope this helps.

[Mighty Thor]

Yeah, I pulled the boards on my CVX 20 and then filled the holes with silicone RTV. Used the boards as a pattern to cut some 2" wide no skid tape and put the tape over the holes. Looks neat and clean. What the heck is that extra 1/4 inch hole for anyhow? ventilation? seems like a good way to fill the boat with water that wont dry out. Anyhow I used regular RTV but you can get stuff mixed to the color of your choice at most paint and large Home Improvement stores.
If you are looking for a more permanent fix you can radius the holes and fill them with a small fiberglass patch made up of shredded mat and resin. After it cures just finish with filler, sanding, prime and paint.

[lucky]

stupid of me to ask - but thats a good size chore - if you feel comfortable doing that - then the rest is easy - once you have the new plywood bonded in, and the glass in , go to the back of the boat take a small dremel or grinder and bevel/ feather the edges out and then take resin saturate the ( plywood ) in the transom ( you should still see it ) then take a piece of cloth slightly bigger then the hole and work severel pieces staggering the joints until its "built up enough " then sand flat - use a good primer /sealer - sand and match color / or gel coat it ? --- walla -

[Ranz1]

Since the screw holes are small (1/8" maybe) cant i just mix a little resin and just put that in there? Then for the 1/4" speedo tube just cut up some fiberglass as small as i can and stuff it in there? Or is this not the right way to do it? I dont want it to crack or become a visable F*** up after a few years through the paint or gel.
What is a good a good primer /sealer, gel coat stuff, (what evers better) to keep the fixed areas from getting screwed up until final paint is done (will be a couple of years)? Names and were to get it.
What is this Marglass stuff???

[Mighty Thor]

Actually, for just filling the small holes, a good quality epoxy or JB weld would probably serve better than the resin because it will form a stronger bond with the rest of the surrounding material. The key to any of it is a clean bonding surface. There are a series of posts in the "how to" forum about filing and smoothing a fiberglass dash and that should help with the Radio hole. I have the same problem but I am considering making the hole bigger and forming a dash box. I would love to see some pictures of your CVX. Is it the blue one that was pictured a while back concerning cutting out the foam? I am a virgin when it comes to boats but I took one look at this old beat up Glastron and had to have it. Now my wife is trying to have me declared incompetent, but I can beat the rap cause I was like this when she married me. Buyer beware and all that.

[Squirtin Thunder]

To do small jobs the best thing I have found is at the hobby shops. I got this stuff called micro ballons and mixed it with the amount of epoxy that was needed to do the job. The stuff snaded well and fills great. And one real good thing about hobby type epoxy is that it is designed to handle fuel(not gas) so it is much more perminent. and then use glass and resin to finish the job.
Jim

[ssanddemon]

I will say one thing for the CVX guys, we love our POS'es! I used some of the Poxy Putty I had left over from the pump install to fill the swim step holes. It's basically thick epoxy. Sanded flat real easy. Then coated the dish of the steps with Rhino lining. Works great, looks great!

[ssanddemon]

A caution here Ant: Make sure you are applying the filler to a CLEAN surface. I used a drillbit slightly larger than the swim step holes to get rid of the crud in them.

[Jake W]

Lucky has you covered.
Jake

[badrat]

All the fillers mixed with resin works great , but I have found that stuff called kitty hair, made by evercoat works better than anything else I have found,, it is available in short or long strand, short strand will work best for what you are doing, it is mixed with hardener just like filler, and should be mixed very well,, its a little harder to mix because it is real close to the same color as the hardener, I used it to fill the exaust holes in the transom of my boat, along with wooden plugs, its chopped fiberglass mixed with resin, usually available anywhere that body supplys are sold, make sure all the serfaces are real clean and dry, Good luck BILL

[Backtanner]

Just curious but I thought the trick was to resin up a wood dowel of same size as hole, plug, and sand smooth when dry.

[Ranz1]

Well i think i have a idea of what to do to fill the holes.......BUT what am i going to use to seal the fiber glass from the elements (dirt, water, ect)? Should i just use some rattle can stuff or a gell coat repair kit? What are the steps for gelcoat (what kind of primer,prep, ect)? Were do i get the stuff?

[Jake W]

You would only want to use wood dowls if you are filling holes in a stringer.I would not use any bondo ect to fill holes or the exust holes it will srink up after you paint or gel the boat you might not see it at first but it will in the long term.Like lucky said take a 4 inch grinder and feather the hole out and use matt and resin to build it back up, then sand smooth.I bought my gel from Paints plus in Stover Mo because I live in Mo.they know their stuff 1800 472 4551 someone in your area might know of a place closer to you.They can color match what ever color you have.I would not recomend it but you can brush the gel on and sand it smooth if you do it this way put several layes on first then sand very easy and it will trun out.Gel will needs 4 things the Gel, wax sol ,catalist,styrene.It would cost you less than 50 for all of the stuff you would need to to gel your steps.Some on hear will not agree with this but do not cut your gel with acetone go the styrene route acetone breaks down the gel.
Jake

[Bow Tie Omega]

Acetone and PVA is another option rather then the styrene, it has been used for years upon years with zero problems.

[Jake W]

Bow Tie why do you guys like to use Acetone and PVA?It is not about if it will work it is how long the gel will keep its sun resitant properties.Not saying whos wrong it is just what I have been told.
Jake

[Jake W]

Ranz1 if you do not want to mess with the glass work why don't you cut some alum strips or what ever ,that will match the old wood that was on the steps I am asuming it is a cvx and it has the flat steps on the back rite.
Jake

[Bow Tie Omega]

JakeW, was not trying to hammer you, in fact, quite the opposite. I was told that using the acetone to cut the gel makes shooting the gel easier. Was also told that there was no advantage to using styrene compared to acetone/pva. Like you said, that was just what I was told, by Havasu Barney. After shooting the bottom of my boat, filling in a couple of cracks on my gel and watching Brendellajet do the same combo with zero complications, I was sold. Just trying to point out there is more then one way to skin a cat. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

[Some Kind Of Monster]

Sorry i have to post here but i think the "How To Section" is a waste of time and worthless
FYI You posted in the right spot. The How To section is NOT for questions.

[Jake W]

Bow Tie no misunderstanding at all you answered my question Hav barn said Acetone and pva makes shooting it easier.I wonder what makes it easier to shoot because the wax sol and the styrene are just as thin as the acetone it might be a flow out thing?But it sounds like Brend jet had a fair amount of orange peal.But you are rite thear is more than one way to do things.
Jake

[Bow Tie Omega]

He actually did not have to much (he is my brother), a little here and there, which is to be expected, mine had it as well, alot worse though, was told that had nothing to do with acetone/styrene, but more a prep/construction issue, I would have had it no matter what we used. I guess the finished product is what is most important. Yes, I was talking about it flowing out of the gun. Always nice to get different ideas and opinions, after all, that is how we learn, right? Good talking to you man...joe