fiberglass question

Goldy

I recently purchased a boat that has some 1/4 to 1/2 inch gouges in the fiberglass and I want to fill the gouges so I can repaint the boat. Does anyone know what to fill the scratches with? They dont go all the way thought the hull.

Follow up question, has anyone ever painted a boat? Can you simply use that blue 3m tape to make clean edges and a roller brush?

bacon.jay

You have to sand down the existing paint, down to the bare fiberglass of the existing hull. Then you have to get some of the woven or stranded fiberglass mat commonly used for autobody repair, and some fiberglass resin. You can get it pretty much anywhere I think though, like Lowes or Home Depot. If it's just surface scratches and it doesn't go all the way through the hull you can get away with just Bondo, also autobody repair gunk, and also available at Lowes or Home Depot. If you go this route, make ABSOLUTELY certain that the gouge doesn't penetrate the hull.

Tools you need to apply Bondo is a putty knife. Just mix the Bondo up on a piece of cardboard and slather it in the hole. After it's cured, just sand the area down and prime and paint. Can't help you on what to prime or paint with though.

Tools for the fiberglass mat is gloves, paintbrush, respirator (for sanding). It's good to check the inside of the gouge, sometimes you have to glass the inside too if it's bad enough. Overlay a piece of glass mat on the gouge, and "paint" the fiberglass resin onto the mat. The mat should soak up the resin and stick to the existing fiberglass. Wait for it to cure, and put as many layers on as you want or think that you need, waiting between layers to apply the next. After it's all cured, even out the rough spots with resin or Bondo, and then sand it down just like the Bondo and prime and paint.

Hays

Dude...helllllloooo! Boat???? Details!

Goldy

Hays:

Dude...helllllloooo! Boat???? Details!

well its nothing like yours but its my first boat and I'm pretty excited to get it in the water. I'll post pics on Monday.