OK, so I'm Sanding My Bottom...

Squidd · #1 04-17-2012

But I'm from the Midwest and not so sure what I'm looking at...(all we paint out here is houses barns and tractors...)

Is this supposed to be so "lumpy"...

Doesn't look like any "paint" I've ever seen before... It looks "thick"... like an 1/8" thick and like it was put on with a spatula and back brushed with a whisk broom...that's just the "Red" layer...

And it's "Soft" almost chalky or powdery...some of it flakes off (in the blistery ares and the "layered" areas.. and then the rest is stuck on tight...

Below that is a light blue/gray also "Thick" powdery layer...

I think it had popped blisters as well and then the red went over that...

Below the Gray is a greenish chopped fiberglass layer that is hard...

The whole thing down to Glass is almost 1 1/4" thick...

But you can see some of the red also goes all the way down to the glass matt..

So what do I got here and what do I do with it...??

I'm thinking continue sanding all the blisters/bubbles down to the green glass matt and then fair and fill with some sort of epoxy/poly "filler"...?

Then fair the bulk of the bottom to smooth out the "lumps...

Prime (type) ??

Bottom paint...

What I'm looking for is advice on getting it to the "primed" stage...There's enough arguments/threads on bottom paint choices already...

Thanks in advance...

jfdubu · #2 04-17-2012

Wow Squidd, it look s like you've opened a real can of worms. My guess it this boat as been filled and faired,, and fillled and faired,,, and filled and faired again, and not once was it done right.

I couldn't begin to tell you all the steps but you have to get down to a firm foundation. I hope you got a good deal on the boat.

Squidd · #3 04-17-2012

The "gel coat" if there is one is whats throwing me...

I would assume the ablative coat(s) would be soft and when sanding I should "hit" a hard coat layer (gel coat) but it just kind of mixes and blends with the gray coat and then bango...glass matt...??

Here's a couple more shots...where you can see glass and depthe of "gray matter"

Blisters aren't "watery" blisters more like air bubbles between layers...and then when they open, they kinda peel away at the edges to become open "sores"..

Some in the red just down to gray... and some in gray that were covered by red...

And a couple that went thru both layers down to glass matt

Faster · #4 04-17-2012

Pretty cool pictures of the surface of the moon!!

What are you using for this job? Looks like a very aggressive abrader, I'm a little worried you're going too deep. Some of these spots look well into the laminate.

Huge fairing job ahead!

Squidd · #5 04-17-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfdubu

Wow Squidd, it look s like you've opened a real can of worms. My guess it this boat as been filled and faired,, and fillled and faired,,, and filled and faired again, and not once was it done right.

I couldn't begin to tell you all the steps but you have to get down to a firm foundation. I hope you got a good deal on the boat.

Deal wise I'm doing OK... bought it at auction for under a grand, hauled it home for under a grand...and have it rigged and readied to sail for just a little over a grand (lottsa work on my part)....So depending on what the bottom takes I'll be on the water well under 4...

I'm not looking for a 30 year repair or "investment"...

I want to do it "well" and reasonably economical for now...I don't think I'll be going down to glass and re gelcoating the bottom, I just want to get it faired, waterproofed, hard coated and back in the water...

Squidd · #6 04-17-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faster

Pretty cool pictures of the surface of the moon!!

What are you using for this job? Looks like a very aggressive abrader, I'm a little worried you're going too deep. Some of these spots look well into the laminate.

Huge fairing job ahead!

60/80 grit in 5" random orbital...

There are some deep grooves in the glass but you can also see the red in grooves that were there before I got to it..

bljones · #7 04-17-2012

Squidd,

Ditto what jfdub said.

If you want to be in the water this season, forget you saw what you saw, mix up some slightly thickened epoxy, slather it on the exposed mat, roll it out, mix up some fairing compound, slather it on, sand and shape it, cover it with some barrier coat, bottom paint and go. In the fall, soda blast it and spend the winter cleaning it up.

mitiempo · #8 04-17-2012

Squidd

You don't have to re-gelcoat it. But you have to get rid of the bottom paint from the previous 3 decades or so to get any fairing material to stick to it. Apparently no previous owner bothered.

I don't think it would be very expensive - a lot of work though.

After the bottom paint is gone, fill any dips with thickened epoxy, fair with epoxy mixed with low density filler, a coat or 2 of straight epoxy and then bottom paint.

mitiempo · #9 04-17-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by bljones

Squidd,

Ditto what jfdub said.

If you want to be in the water this season, forget you saw what you saw, mix up some slightly thickened epoxy, slather it on the exposed mat, roll it out, mix up some fairing compound, slather it on, sand and shape it, cover it with some barrier coat, bottom paint and go. In the fall, soda blast it and spend the winter cleaning it up.

That's the quick fix.

MedSailor · #10 04-17-2012

Since you're sanding that super toxic stuff, I assume that you have all 147 permits that are required and that you've conducted fish impact studies as well using EPA certified salmon psychiatrists....

:-)

MedSailor

PS That grey matter looks like the real fiberglass of your hull. Me thinks you went a little too deep there. Perhaps a lighter grit sandpaper would be better?