Awkward repair- help

[Chris024]

Got a crack in my hull in a awkward spot, how should I repair this? Do I have to fiberglass on the outside? There's an old glass repair just below this spot, can I get into the seam well enough to repair this from the inside?

Never done fiberglass before but figured this should be doable.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I would want to pull that pipe and get some working room but basically yes you want to work from the inside and reinforce the side of the ski

 

[Chris024]

I would want to pull that pipe and get some working room but basically yes you want to work from the inside and reinforce the side of the ski

Yes, pulling the pipe now, do you think i can just leave the ouside alone? don't want to worry about paint/gelcoat so i'm hoping to just do the inside well and call it good

 

[fastgtfairlane]

I'd pull the engine, tank, and waterbox. Then you can easily lay the hull on its side and work on it. I'd grind out the old repair, fill in the bond line on the inside and add 3 layers of 8oz cloth over the entire area top and bottom to reinforce everything. Once that's done you can grind the outside smooth and fill it in with some fairing filler.. since you've never done glasss work before, consider doing some research on the products you'll want to use as well as watch several videos from YouTube.. glass work isn't too difficult but there is a process to do quality work and you can quickly make a big mess that will waste lots of time and materials if not followed or shortcutted. Or using the wrong material for the job.. I taught myself how to do glass work in that same manner. There are some good build threads on this forum that have lots of useful information on doing glass work. Surface prep is half the work making sure the surface you're glassing is sanded and clean of dirt and grease.

 

[Roseand]

Drill out the end of each crack so it doesn't spread. Take a chisel and hammer and see how well the repair is bonded. It looks like crap, not sure I'd want to lay more glass on it.
Couple ways to go about it but filling the bond line with thickened epoxy and laying some biax over the top overlapping the bond line should take care of it.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I'd pull the engine, tank, and waterbox. Then you can easily lay the hull on its side and work on it. I'd grind out the old repair, fill in the bond line on the inside and add 3 layers of 8oz cloth over the entire area top and bottom to reinforce everything. Once that's done you can grind the outside smooth and fill it in with some fairing filler.. since you've never done glasss work before, consider doing some research on the products you'll want to use as well as watch several videos from YouTube.. glass work isn't too difficult but there is a process to do quality work and you can quickly make a big mess that will waste lots of time and materials if not followed or shortcutted. Or using the wrong material for the job.. I taught myself how to do glass work in that same manner. There are some good build threads on this forum that have lots of useful information on doing glass work. Surface prep is half the work making sure the surface you're glassing is sanded and clean of dirt and grease.

Dirt , grease and dust , after you do any grinding blow the area off with compressed air to remove the sanding dust then wipe the area down with acetone or lacquer thinner to assure it is clean enough to be bonded to.

 

[fastgtfairlane]

Biaxial can be used however it's very heavy and soaks up a lot of resin. It's also more difficult to work with for laying on a curved surface. I've had better results and lighter repair that is just as strong with more layers of 6 or 8 oz e or s glass. The total weight of say 4 layers if 6oz e glass would be 24oz, same cloth weight as 2 layers of 12oz biaxial cloth however, much less resin is used. More resin actually makes the layup more brittle not necessarily stronger. Lighter layers will be easier especially for someone who has little to no experience with glass work. Personally, I like the 2+2 twill 8oz glass cloth for reinforcement on the sides as it lays flat very easily around curves and is also a strong weave. I've also seen good results with biaxial cloth with someone who is seasoned with glasswork..

 

[Roseand]

12 Oz Biax without the mat backing is pretty easy to work with too.

 

[fastgtfairlane]

Dirt , grease and dust , after you do any grinding blow the area off with compressed air to remove the sanding dust then wipe the area down with acetone or lacquer thinner to assure it is clean enough to be bonded to.

I also will sometimes use a tack cloth as well right before applying the resin.

Another trick I've learned and have had excellent results with at the end is using a layer of peel ply after I've layed up all of the cloth and applied last coat of resin. Then use a dry 4" roller to help remove any last air bubbles. Once the resin is cured, removing the peel ply removes the amine blush that's left from the curing process and helps relieve a lot of sanding at the end..

 

[fastgtfairlane]

12 Oz Biax without the mat backing is pretty easy to work with too.

Yeah I've tried that too. It worked OK for me on completely flat surfaces but had issues with it pulling up around slight radiuses. It could have very well been operator error as well haha. But yes biax without the mat is definitely easier to work with but it's still very thick and takes a lot of resin to wet out.

 

[Roseand]

Yeah I've tried that too. It worked OK for me on completely flat surfaces but had issues with it pulling up around slight radiuses. It could have very well been operator error as well haha. But yes biax without the mat is definitely easier to work with but it's still very thick and takes a lot of resin to wet out.

You're bringing back memories lol I haven't touched biax in a decade. It's a pain in the ass at first. I used to wet it out on a piece of cardboard and squejee the resin out before actually putting it on the ski.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

You are spot on on the peel ply , it leaves an excellent surface for rebonding and saves a lot of sanding and needless cleanup and it's damn cheap.

Part number and prices were copied from www.UScomposites.com website which is an excellent source for anything composites related ..

VB-P56150

60" Width 1 to 24 yards

$5.85/Yd

 

[fastgtfairlane]

It was probably the single best piece of advice I've ever gotten doing glass work.. it also helps hold the laminate down while the curing process of epoxy can cause the laminate to slightly lift.. I noticed several benefits to the peel ply.

 

[Chris024]

Thanks for all the tips and help everyone! Ended up doing 3 layers of 8oz, thickened epoxy in the bond line, and ground out/filled with thickened epoxy on the outside. I think it turned out not bad but time will tell lol. I hadn't heard of peel ply, good tip for next time but had to get it done before the weekend.

 

[SUPERJET-113]

Yes, metton is not your friend, reinforce the whole hull ASAP. At least reinforce the sides and under where the handle pole mounts. If you really ride it hard it has to be done or this will happen over and over.

 

[fastgtfairlane]

I'd recommend grinding those ribs off as well so you can. Reinforce the entire side bonding the top and bottom together.