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  • Steve says:

    your the best

  • Aaron says:

    I just found your channel and I love it. Thank you so much for all of this info and entertainment!

  • Howard Dowding says:

    The comprehensive technique and tips has given me the confidence to start repairing the hole in the bottom of my 30year old boat (which the family have happily sailed for the last 25 years).

    Thank you

  • Steve Self says:

    Love the videos! My question is how to handle the same repair but in a situation where the panel cannot be flipped over to always be working on a nice up-side horizontal surface.

  • Steve S says:

    Finally…. Some one who knows what they’re doing.
    Seen many YouTube videos and this is the best I’ve seen so far.

    Keep publishing….. Will keep watching.

  • Brad W says:

    Andy – After the initial layer of fiberglass and resin had hardened, you started applying the other layers. Do you have to let each of these additional individual layers harden before you apply another layer? Or can you do all the additional layers at once and let them harden together? Thanks.

    • ~Andy says:

      Hi Brad, not when using laminating resin 🙂 The whole point of that type of resin is that you don’t have to do much (if any) prep before laying up additional laminations. You can keep piling the layers on (within reason). However for everything to fully cure you will need to add some kind of surfacing agent (pva, wax, etc)..

      • David says:

        Hi Andy,
        I have been trying to understand how each successive layer (glass laminates, fairing then gelcoat), adheres to its predecessor. I see from your videos that you only use laminating resin and gelcoat, all polyester based with no wax. At the end of this episode, you finished the repaired glass laminate surface with PVA. Since this cures the surface and takes away the tacky finish, how does the P14 fairing compound, (and later the gelcoat) adhere to this surface? Is the P14 fairing compound also a laminating type?
        In trying to follow the theory I am getting a little confused. It seems that once a layer is cured, you would not be able to add any further layers.

        Thank you for the informative vidoes. I enjoy them a lot. 🙂
        David.

        • ~Andy says:

          There are two different ways that layers bond. Mechanical and chemical. When using laminating resin, the bond with successive layers is chemical. If the surface was allowed to fully cure, it would need to be cleaned, sanded with a coarse grit paper and cleaned again before laying up any new material. The sanding / scuff marks create a “tooth” for the next layer to hold onto (this would be considered a mechanical bond). Hope this helps!

  • Neal Gyulveszi says:

    Andy, I will be reducing the number of seacocks on my sailboat. I have a question about your method. I have seen on the West System process where they put the largest cloth down first then each layer is smaller. Do you have any supporting technical data to resolve this issue. My hull is really thick, it’s a CSY and they were over built. I have seen two for and two against each method.

    I can see where each layer on your process grips the hull. On the other method the first layer holds onto the hull and the rest hold onto the single layer. I need the ‘Hull Truth’ !

    Thank You
    Neal

    • ~Andy says:

      This is something that I always see varied opinions on. I look at it logically; if the largest layer is put down first, all the successive layers are depending on that single bond for the strength of the overall laminate. If it fails, all the layers peel off in one big chunk.

      If the glass is put down the way I do it, each layer has bonding surface. It just makes more sense.. No technical data to offer, it’s just what makes sense to me 🙂

  • Steve S says:

    Watched last year this same video…. Did my patch work as you explained. Everything went fine for me though this season UNTIL…… I got into some unexpected rough water.. Pounding and pounding the boat…. When I docked, I realized my patch from last year failed. That’s when I did some more studying on your you tube video and realized I had used the wrong type of resin. Duh…… Kind of like reading a bible scripture the hundredth time….. ahhh… Now I understand…… Thanks. By the way, I hit the wave so hard, my 24ft, cuddy cabin went airborne. Scared the S….. Stuffings out of me.

  • Mark B says:

    Andy, thanks for the great content.

    Would making an airtight seal by taping plastic over the patch with duct tape be adequate to allow curing?

    Also, I have a boat that has hole where the keel rests on the trailer roller. The previous owner attempted to repair it with no success. I will be patching from both sides. The hole is currently about 3″ long x 1.5″ wide, so the prepped hole will be a good bit larger. Will using the 2 different types of cloth provide enough structural strength for the patched area to continue to rest on the trailer roller?
    Thanks,
    Mark

    • ~Andy says:

      Unless you have the part under vacuum, using a plastic film won’t work too well for curing the resin. Best to either add wax to the final resin coat or use PVA. If you’re using CSM and 1708, providing you have enough layers applied yes it will hold up just fine. CSM, 1708, csm, 1708, csm, csm on each side will be more than adequate. You may have to adjust the number of layers (maybe more, maybe less) to match the existing thickness of your hull.

  • DUEY Wright says:

    I purchased 1986 19 foot bayliner this summer. My first boat for a 57 year old..bought from one owner family.. Had a basket ball size hole, he said big rock, in back third on right lower side..looks like patched it up with bumpy pudding..
    Question is.. It sounds solid.and he told me it doesn’t leak..but for my first boat. I would like to make her look good. Do I remove all the work someone did, or do i sand down where I can put a couple of layers of top strand and finish off? The rest of boat is minor scratch some a little deep, but great shape.
    She will sparkle when I’m finished.
    Found your videos in November 2014 . I sure thank you. I have them all saved. I watch many many times. Looks like you have a great shop. Wish I was 30 years younger
    Many thanks, and wish you best

    • ~Andy says:

      Most likely the repair just needs to be finished 🙂 Sand it smooth and check again to make sure it’s solid. Fare it in, paint or gelcoat and get out on the lake!

  • Alessandro says:

    Hi ANDI! Is a pleasure to see your videos.
    I would like understand this:
    PVA is used to harden and cure more rapidly polyester?
    Thank you

    • ~Andy says:

      Hi Alessandro!

      In order for polyester resin to fully cure it needs to have some kind of a coating or film that will act as an air barrier. This film could either be a thin coat of PVA, or by adding a wax additive to the resin on the final coat. Without finding a way to seal the surface from air the resin will not fully cure. It will still get hard, but if you try and sand it, it will be somewhat sticky. This is referred to as a laminating resin. Resins that have a wax mixed in are then called finishing resins. They are both the same resin, one will just fully cure, the other will remain tacky for the next layup.

      PVA doesn’t effect how fast the resin sets up, all it does is create an air barrier to allow the resin to fully cure 🙂

      Hope this helps!

      Thank you!

  • Christopher says:

    If I use “total boat” white gelcoat with wax to seal my poly resin, do I add the MEKP to it before I brush it over my glass repair? Also where do I get the little sprayer for the PVA that you used in this video? I can only find the PVA in the gallon jug but can not seem to find any applicator.

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