Super Jet Crisis Mode, Hitting Bottom & Need Help

[Midlake Crisis]

This may be the oldest Superjet still living, an original 1990, and she needs some love. The red is paint, the grey is Marine-Tex, there are deep scratches in the SMC surface and some oily fuel saturation on the inside. I have epoxy and s-glass on the way and have fairing compound but need advice for method of prepping, repairing, and finishing the bottom. There is a 8-10" crack forming visible from the inside, and I may do some mods while I am at it; 3"chop, Rickterize the nose maybe.
Any suggestions?

 

[tor*p*do]

Get a good respirator

 

[MCrider]

My 90 is still around too, people always ask what year it is and I proceed with it's as old as I am!

 

[Vumad]

Drill the ends of the crack, sand and prep good, layup new glass. You might not get a good bond if you have fuel damage to the glass inside.

Bottom, sand with 80 to bare smc, clean good with acetobe, put filler in the gouges like cabosil, shape. If the hull is thin, put glass over the filler.

Doing your last layer of glass in conform cloth can make for a nicer finish that will reduce the amount of body filler required to remove the glass texture.

 

[Midlake Crisis]

Is a final finish of some kind necessary to prevent water absorption?

 

[Vumad]

Is a final finish of some kind necessary to prevent water absorption?

Not unless you sand into the fibers. The fibers should be fully sealed inside resin when you are done. You want to add filler to remove the texture of the glass. You do not want to sand into the fibers, which would both destroy the fiber and expose intact fibers to water. If you do expose the fiber, put another cost of resin on it.

It's a bottom, so hitting the bottom will gouge into the fibers and expose them, which could eventually cause wicking I guess. There's nothing you can really do about that except be nicer to your ski.

 

[willcastner]

Is a final finish of some kind necessary to prevent water absorption?

depends on who you ask. Resin is a sealer but if you are doing finish work it is very easy to sand into the fibers. I always seal any glass work I do with an epoxy primer. I do my work in a body shop but you can buy epoxy primer in a cant with an activator tab.

 

[Todd Grochowski.]

Steve I didnt realize you were at this stage on this build or having these problems. I have done fiberglass work before. I can come over some Friday after you get off work and lend a hand and some first hand advise. I have tools for this as well. I will require payment though water, and a bag of chips will be just fine .

 

[Midlake Crisis]

Steve I didnt realize you were at this stage on this build or having these problems. I have done fiberglass work before. I can come over some Friday after you get off work and lend a hand and some first hand advise. I have tools for this as well. I will require payment though water, and a bag of chips will be just fine .

Sounds great, thanks Todd! Maybe there is hope yet. . .

 

[Vumad]

Steve I didnt realize you were at this stage on this build or having these problems. I have done fiberglass work before. I can come over some Friday after you get off work and lend a hand and some first hand advise. I have tools for this as well. I will require payment though water, and a bag of chips will be just fine .

Man, thats cheap labor. My friends expect mountain dew and monster, and burittos from wawas or pizza on big jobs.

 

[Quinc]

If you have a steam/hot water pressure washer I would hit it with that first to get the fuel out. then lots of acetone (by the gallon at home depot). Also wear long sleeves. Fiberglass itch sucks..