Bondo on my Bow

[springbrook]

Hello Everyone
I am returning to sailing agter a 20 year absenice.
I found two sunfish sailboats for $450
One is in good shape except for the bow where someone has used what I think is Bondo. and the mast tube seems to have lost epoxy
Here is a few questions I have.

should I use a dremial tool to get all bondo off

Can I put epoxy back in the mast tube

What is the best book on fiber glass repair

 

[67stang]

Hello Everyone
I am returning to sailing agter a 20 year absenice.
I found two sunfish sailboats for $450
One is in good shape except for the bow where someone has used what I think is Bondo. and the mast tube seems to have lost epoxy
Here is a few questions I have.

should I use a dremial tool to get all bondo off

Can I put epoxy back in the mast tube

What is the best book on fiber glass repair

It looks like, maybe, Marine Tex on the bow. Are you suspecting a leak there, or are you just looking to make it look better? If it does not leak, and it is not coming off, then you could just smooth it out with a sanding block. As far as the "lost epoxy", again, if it passes a leak test, then you might be ok for now.

 

[Wayne]

One is in good shape except for the bow where someone has used what I think is Bondo...

"Bondo" is a confusing term for us old-timers. In the day it was an auto body putty used for fairing tool marks and ripples in a time when auto fenders got hammered back into shape by body shop artisans. You didn't dare lay it on very thick or it would just crack out and it was never suitable in a marine environment. Now the company has branched out the product line to include a whole variety of fiberglassing supplies...., but the old connotation always makes me shudder when it gets associated with boats.


That blob looks like someone shoved in a wad of Marine-Tex using a sling shot. Wattle & Daub boat building...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wattle_and_daub

and the mast tube seems to have lost epoxy

Actually, these (and most boats) are made with polyester resin. To make a boat with epoxy it takes exotic fabrics like carbon fiber and kevlar to keep the weight down..., and of course, the price goes way up. You can use epoxy resins for repairs, no problem, but what you are seeing in the mast tube is polyester.

should I use a dremial tool to get all bondo off

That would be the gentle approach if you intend to remove it. A sander or grinder are other options. I like 67stangs suggestion of leak testing first and if it passes just pretty it up.

If you do sand or grind on it, mask up with a good cartridge mask. If it is epoxy such as Marine-Tex the dust is nastier to breathe than polyester fumes. Being odorless it's easy to be lulled into complacency. Check the precautions for sanding epoxy at WEST.

Can I put epoxy back in the mast tube

Wouldn't hurt to apply either fiberglass polyester resin or epoxy resin. Exposed glass fabric is never good.

What is the best book on fiber glass repair

Fiberglass Repair and Construction Handbook by Jack Wiley
Fiberglass Repair: Polyester or Epoxy by Zora Aiken, David Aiken
The Fiberglass Boat Repair Manual by Allan H. Vaitses

The first two address specifics about the materials more, the last has pointers for boat specific repairs, but focuses on larger boats. You need to mentally scale back the approaches shown to a small thin hull to avoid turning simple repairs into monsters.

 

[davavd]

"What is the best book on fiber glass repair"

I have been using fiberglass & epoxy for more years than I care to contemplate, but I still find the West System website to be a treasure trove of how-to information.
http://www.westsystem.com/ss/
And it's FREE