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Megabiker98
06-14-2013, 09:45 PM
So ya a the title states my hull cracked right at the tip of the sponson to about dead center at the front, can't get a pic AT THE MOMENT as my boat is in our big boat, but m question is I know it's fixable, what do I need (down the the smallest thing), also what's the process of going about this. (Be specific cause I don't wanna screw this up!!!)

tlandauer
06-14-2013, 10:46 PM
Is the crack wide or you can nudge it back with just a hair line crack? The reason is that if the crack is along the seam of the two halves, like what happened to mine, I just cleaned away any loose gel coat and CA'ed the outside, "massaging" the seams so it was aligned. Then went inside the hull and ripped the stock flimsy floatation out and glassed the hull real well. However, the tip of my sponson wasn't cracked, it's a bit hard to glass there, there is a thread recently with another member, it's more at the sponson if I recall correctly. At the least you need FG tape ( Greatplanes http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0091p?&P=SM&C=RKB&V=GPM ) or cloth, good epoxy, either WestSystem or 30 min. Finishing Epoxy http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=dh-pt-40 ( those are the ones I use), I used two-part expansion form to fill the front of the hull.

Megabiker98
06-14-2013, 10:57 PM
It's a pretty darn big crack, I'll try and bring the boat up with me after the day on the water tomorrow! I don't really look at it that closely I just saw it and put it away so it wouldn't ruin my day. I have never worked with fiberglass or even epoxy for that matter, what are some tips/advice I should know before I just start working!?

tlandauer
06-14-2013, 11:19 PM
Well, if the crack is big, you might have to fill the crack with epoxy and sand it down to as close to the original contour as possible. I had a DF Sniper 45" that was damaged during shipping and the whole tip was missing! I used Epoxy to fill and tried to shape it, in hind sight, I will do it differently. The Epoxy I used was this:http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=dh-pt-39, it is much thicker and hard to sand to conform. I think the Finishing Epoxy is the ticket, however, it is very thin and will run, so you might have to thicken it by adding http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=dh-topr1090
I don't like to say anything that is beyond my direct experience/knowledge, so I will quit while I am ahead,:olleyes:
Go luck and I am sure someone with more knowledge will chime in!

Megabiker98
06-14-2013, 11:24 PM
Ok, we might go down to the boat tonight, if we do I will grab it and bring it up!

Megabiker98
06-15-2013, 01:14 AM
Darn, it's pretty dang big, if u want another picture just let me know, what angle and all that!

tlandauer
06-15-2013, 01:53 AM
Can you push it back ? as long as it can be "closed" , it should not be that big of a deal. I assume the outside is still good? Just where you are showing, right? It's easier to use CA, ( thick or medium, don't use thin one as it dries too quickly). Chip away any loose gel coat, and try to "massage" the crack ( w/o applying CA yet) , see which way you need to apply force, I would figure a way to "clamp" down the hull, you would have to use Glad Wrap to avoid tools being stuck to the repaired area though.
Better yet, fill the gap with Finishing Epoxy mixed with filler, if the hull is not too much deformed, just fill it in as smooth as you can, let cure, then sand it smooth. I think the CA method is dubious at this juncture, to be honest, that kind of repair is really meant for hairline/gel coat crack. You need to make sure any loose chips are taken away.
It is a little hard for me to judge the extent of damage without looking at the hull in person, I guess the real question is this: are there any other area of the hull suffers similar damage? It is always a weak link at the seams where the upper joins the lower . And these mass produced hulls don't have any reinforcement along the seams other than a paper thin strip of material than I really think is just a piece of paper, lol... I used FG tape to beef up the seam around the hull as much as I can, obviously not at the bow or under the "deck" where I can't get to, I used two-part form to increase rigidity.

TheShaughnessy
06-15-2013, 01:57 AM
Ok your not in as bad as shape as you might feel. PREP! Do a good prep job and it carries though. First thing I would do is tape off around the crack, this will stop epoxy drips and sticky fingers from messing up the finish. Gloves! Resin sucks to get on your hands. Take the sanding wheel on your rotary tool and using a low rpm setting sand the loose material out of the crack. You want to create a valley for the epoxy to fill into and have it feather out to the good paint. Clean the dust with acetone or alcohol. A respirator/mask isn't a bad idea either. I have been using the cheap bondo/ 3m resin and it works ok. Get a pack of acid brushes from harbor freight , that's what I like to use to mix and spread the resin in this type of situation. I use the fiberglass balloons mixed in with the resin to make it easier to sand, but you can get away with baby powder. I like a tooth paste like consistency to fill in cracks.

That should get you going. Oh yeah sand paper. 80 120 and 220 would be good to have on hand. Good sand paper is worth the little extra over harbor freight , just works faster and doesn't clog as easily.

Megabiker98
06-15-2013, 11:07 AM
@tlandauer the split is actually really hard to push it back so that it's even, I would have to press REALLY hard to get it even,
Now that I'm looking at it, i think it's almost easier for me to get a new hull and do all the correct steps to reinforce it the first time. Reason I come to this conclusion, is I have never worked with epoxy, resin, fiberglass, any of that stuff so I don't think the end result would be pretty at all

TheShaughnessy
06-15-2013, 12:27 PM
Where in CA? I might be interested in helping you fund a new hull. How much for your damaged one if you decide to get a new one?

Megabiker98
06-15-2013, 09:36 PM
Orange County, and let me think about it, probably though!