Need advice on repair.

[pehrst]

Last year I used west system expoxy to repair a cracked hatch cover. I faired it and painted it with one part polyurethane and was fine. This winter, Boston area, has been extremly cold and apparently remaining moisture left over in the laminate expanded and it cracked again. What is the best solution to ensure that moisture is removed prior to reparing.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

[thefantasea]

Controlled heat works well to remove moisture from small areas. If the area is reasonably small, something as simple as a dark frying pan inverted over a crack on a sunny day will result in a significant increase in the temperature of the surface immediately beneath it. Just be sure to raise the edge a bit at one point so that circulating air can carry away the moisture as the heat causes it to evaporate.

How long? Depends upon how large, how wet, how hot.

A single thickness from a black plastic bag would probably work, too.

[peterpan2k]

Hi
West System isn''t necessarily the end all of all problems. Knowledge about the dynamics of a crack are helpful. Moisture may not necessarily be the cause of your crack. Drying can be just as damaging. Adding a couple inch wide piece of glass over tne filled crack maybe heplful. Glassing over the hatch will most likely permanatly cure the problem.
Jim