300/440/550 paint,gel,glass repair???

[rschap1]

I will have to get some pics up, but....
When I got my pair of 1995 550sx's last year, one of them had some minor cracks in the nose.
I stripped the paint off, ground the cracks out a lil', filled with 2 part epoxy, finished with automotive type orange "laquer"putty...then enamel white paint.
During the last couple rides the paint has cracked, looks like the putty let loose, and starting to flake.
Hoping to get it fixed better over this winter.
Last year I bought some laser printable vinyl and made my own decals using Paint.
Luckily the nose stickers are small enough that it does an OK job.

Now I am wondering what I should use over this winter to do a better jog that will last.
Is aerosol white enamel an acceptable paint to finish?
How about Marine Tex instead of the epxoy and laquer putty?

Appreciate any help or advice
THANKS ! ! !

 

[iveexcaped3]

in the auto world for fiberglass repair or fiberglass sub boxes we use stuff called kitty hair filler..... its body filler with fiberglass in it..... once its harded its a bitch to sand though.

 

[rschap1]

I am kinda hoping for the opposite...
Of course, looking for an easy way out.
The "cracks" are pretty minor. Just a little bit bigger than what you would refer to as hairline.
Really thinking I need something just to finish off with. Something better or better suited to water than the orange spot putty.
And...of course I am wanting it to be easy to sand.
Don't ask for much do I?
That is whay I was wondering if anyone had feedback on Marine Tex. They advertise that as being hard as steel, but easy to sand as wood....


Appreciate it, but I think Kitty Hair is more of a product than what I need here. More like a scratch filler, less structural support.

THANKS !!

 

[davy87nj]

this is a good question. i dont know the answer but you should ask in the composites section of the forum. Probably get a lot of imput there. I have marine tex'd a couple holes someone drilled in the bottom of my hull just temporary. It dried pretty fast and hard. And it sands very easily. I dont think its going to be great for stress cracks though.

 

[iveexcaped3]

well i called my buddy the owner of Laveycraft boats. he said the true correct way to do it is grid out the crack little bigger than the actual crack, refiberglass it with matt (may reqire multiple layers) you want to build it higher than the actual hull so when you sand it down itll all be even, then apply body filler(best stuff ive used is called zgrip, easy to sand and strong hold), paint it, then reclear it automotive clear coat is ok.

 

[rschap1]

Well I got some pics last night.
Looks like the expoxy stuck...just not the laquer putty.
Plan is to strip and sand it down again over winter. Maybe print another decal or both soon...

 

[screaming440]

you have to grinde out that damage or the crack will grow.

you have to bevle it back a few inches then fill it in with cloth and resin.

sand it level as posible and them finish it with fiberglass gelly.

the bondo stuff from walmart works fine.

prep is everything. just like paint you need the surface to be rough or the repair will peal up. i use an air grinder with 36g to prep for glass.

 

[rschap1]

Pics do make it look worse than it really is.
A couple little splashes of gas seemed to loosen the paint right up and lift it off the spot putty.
I do have a little fiberglass repair kit at home with a small pice of mesh cloth, some gel, and hardener; Bondo brand but fiberglass stuff.
I have not done much with fiberglass resin or gel, but thinking I will get rid of the epoxy and spot putty from last year and try to use the gel/resin from that kit.
Really the cracks aren't thru anything and even once I grind it all open and wider into fresh material, there isn't enough gone to add cloth or anything. I think (hoping) I just need the right material for a little fill.
Really hoping for a few more months of riding then bring it to the garage for this repair at the end of the season, so it may be a while, but I will post up more when I get at it.

THANKS again !!!!!

 

[screaming440]

it is probably way bigger than you think.

its going to crack again unless you do it right.

use the cloth and resin and be done with it.

 

[rschap1]

grinding/digging

I will certainly grind and dig out as much as I need to in order to get to s0olid stuff.
What I did last year held up for most of this season, but I hear ya ! I do not want to do it again after this !
Appreciate it.

 

[iveexcaped3]

you do it correctly every thing works out
you try to cut corners you constantly run into issues then kick yourself for not doing it right the first time.
save yourself the trouble and do it correctly the first time and you wont need to start another thread next year when the same issue occurs

 

[rschap1]

Got the little 2" disc sander out last weekend and opened up the front of the ski.
Only had enough MEK peroxide hardener to get first layer on.
Ground way past what looked to be cracked and hopefully everything will end up plenty strong when all said and done.
Really I have only played with glass and resin a couple times and never had very good results.
Hope this goes better. Pics should show what I ended up doing pretty well...
Plan is to show some nice finished ones eventually too.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Got the little 2" disc sander out last weekend and opened up the front of the ski.
Only had enough MEK peroxide hardener to get first layer on.
Ground way past what looked to be cracked and hopefully everything will end up plenty strong when all said and done.
Really I have only played with glass and resin a couple times and never had very good results.
Hope this goes better. Pics should show what I ended up doing pretty well...
Plan is to show some nice finished ones eventually too.

So you are not going to use epoxy resin and do it right I take it ?

 

[rschap1]

Honestly I am not familiar enough to know the difference in resin.
I have a small "Bondo" brand fiberglass repair kit.
It had a sheet of mat, bottle of resin, and tube of the MEK hardener.
Not the best materials??
Guessing it has to be better than the previous fillers I used, but not the right stuff?
Would this stuff work, or I should I start over???

THANKS !!

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Start over Polyester resin will not bond to SMC, use epoxy resin from US composites

www.uscomposites.com

 

[rschap1]

The nose is SMC??
Looks like it was fiberglass...there is "fabric" in it.
Is there a certain type of fabric or mat that is better for this?

THANKS again !

 

[WFO Speedracer]

All SMC has fabric in it, that is the way it is made, yes the whole ski is SMC, polyester resin will adhere to it about the same way Bondo adheres to a Bondo spreader. At this point I suggest you do a search on google and put in the website x-h2o.com, this has literally been covered to death here.

 

[rschap1]

Will do.
Thanks !

 

[rschap1]

I finally made it to West Marine before the holidays.
Debated between ordering at US Composites and hitting the local West Marine store.
After pricing stuff, shipping, knowing I only need a pretty small amount of stuff...
I got some packs of their resin and hardener.
Now I need warmer weather before I start fixing this thing back up.
Come on spring time
Thanks for the help and advice again!!

 

[Random?]

The small fiberglass kit from walmart doesnt bond to skis. Walmart does sell the right stuff hat does work. Its made by bondo. Its like 14$. Comes in a metal rectangle can with a plastic cap on top that has a little tube of hardener in it. Get that and the fiberglass matt (around 6 bucks) and thats all you need.