Could Use Some Advice on Fillers

[minaret]

Originally Posted by spraygun

I hope I never go to a body shop that uses news papers to fill dents.

You sure do! Those guys are hacks. Newspaper and Bondo is the "Mexican Special".

[vientoman]

System three quickfair is hard to beat. It's spendy but for me, ease of use makes up any difference in price gained by mixing up your own goop from the multitude of fillers. I wish I knew their formula.

SilverTip QuikFair - System Three Resins, Inc.

[DiverChick71]

So the Duraglass would be good to use on deck after sanding to fill in cracks?

[minaret]

Originally Posted by DiverChick71

So the Duraglass would be good to use on deck after sanding to fill in cracks?

Using anything to grind and fill cracks is a mistake. They will come back eventually, guaranteed. They must be ground and glassed for a permanent fix. However, if you must cut corners and simply grind and fill instead of glassing, as so many do, then Duraglass is your number one choice. Much better than epoxy.

[DiverChick71]

I saw those comments earlier. Grinding down to the glass and seeing the cracks in the glass means damage. So my question is this...(and I realize I sound like a complete novice...I am) When you glass them, do you sand and sand until the cracks disappear and then glass over? Do you cut out a section and make a "patch"? How do you get the thickness uniform?

[AbaftAndBaffled]

Originally Posted by DiverChick71

I saw those comments earlier. Grinding down to the glass and seeing the cracks in the glass means damage. So my question is this...(and I realize I sound like a complete novice...I am) When you glass them, do you sand and sand until the cracks disappear and then glass over? Do you cut out a section and make a "patch"? How do you get the thickness uniform?

Mum and I use angle grinders and flap discs, grind the area back until the damage disappears. Fiberglass has what I can only describe as a 'healthy' color when there's no cracks in it. You want it to be a gradual slope into the ground area; no deep, thin gashes. Once you get down to the undamaged stuff, you can start applying glass. Here's an example of the area we'd grind relative to the crack (though don't mind the giant void inside, that's probably not going to be under your deck):

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by toddedger

Atoll is right! Never use anything but epoxy for something that is structural. Epoxy has a superior chemical bond, and if you need to thicken the epoxy for something structural use 403 filler. What ever the case if you don't properly abaid the surface first to give the bond some tooth you're just wasting time and money.

Opps...now you've done it...I said that on another thread and all the scientists came after me (and some weird blow-hard on a power boat). But yes...I prefer epoxy to poly and sleep quite well...thank you.

[DiverChick71]

Originally Posted by AbaftAndBaffled

Mum and I use angle grinders and flap discs, grind the area back until the damage disappears. Fiberglass has what I can only describe as a 'healthy' color when there's no cracks in it. You want it to be a gradual slope into the ground area; no deep, thin gashes. Once you get down to the undamaged stuff, you can start applying glass. Here's an example of the area we'd grind relative to the crack (though don't mind the giant void inside, that's probably not going to be under your deck):

You haven't stepped on my bow. :-) A cavernous void. :-). But probably not around most of the cracks.

[capttman]

Everyone has opinions here, doesn't really matter which glass product you use in today's world they are mostly all good. The thing to remember is that you can epoxy over fiberglass but you cannot fiberglass over epoxy; it does not adhere. That's fact. Now opinion, if your structure is fiberglass stay with glass.

[Saltyhog]

Originally Posted by capttman

Everyone has opinions here, doesn't really matter which glass product you use in today's world they are mostly all good. The thing to remember is that you can epoxy over fiberglass but you cannot fiberglass over epoxy; it does not adhere. That's fact. Now opinion, if your structure is fiberglass stay with glass.

I have absolutely no idea what this means, so here is a picture of a bunny with a pancake on his head!

[Celestialsailor]

Crack me up!

[MarkSF]

Have some West System epoxy along with a selection of the fillers (I like 407 for scratches/chips, 406 to stop epoxy from running).

But cracks need dealing with differently. They nearly always are due to excessive flexing of the area, which means that the area needs re-inforcing with fibreglass ABOVE the original strength, in order to reduce the flex.

"abaftandbaffled" is on the right track, although that area should really have some stiffening added below.

[Celestialsailor]

I'll just add that although cracks may be too much flexing, often times the gelcoat in the area had been applied too thick in corners and such. If you are going to do a gelcoat match, polyester resin/glass has to be used, because as fore-mentioned, gelcoat cannot go over epoxy. If the area is truly flexing, a permanent support system should be added to the inside of the boat. On more than one occasion I needed to ad a decorative knee or Mahogany laminated beam.

[DiverChick71]

Originally Posted by Saltyhog

I have absolutely no idea what this means, so here is a picture of a bunny with a pancake on his head!

HAHAHA! I just spit my coffee thru my nose and my boyfriend gave me "the look" because I couldn't stop laughing.

Don Casey talks about reinforcing below as well. Since I ripped the headliner out...that works for me! Love his books. Pictures! I've always said "Do it right or do it twice." I want the best fix. In sure some trial and error will be involved but appreciate all the input (and comic relief)

[capttman]

It means anything will stick the pancake on the bunnies head LMFAO