Hull Restoration

[supermunn5]

New owner in the process of restoring my hull. Just need a couple questions answered. I have searched but have been getting some contradicting results. So figured to get answers specific to my case. I sanded my hull with 80 grit so far. I would like to repair the keel as well and the previous owner tried laying new fiberglass down and it looks kinda bad. How do I remove the old epoxy on the keel he used so I can redo that. Now that the sanding is done, what next, liquid barrier or Marine Tex? Then I would assume paint. Pretty much I am looking for some steps and products suggestions for each step from sanding on. Thanks, Ben

 

[DanB]

How do I remove the old epoxy on the keel he used so I can redo that.

Remove that earlier repair by sanding it back to where ever it needs to begin again from.

Now that the sanding is done, what next, liquid barrier or Marine Tex?

How you fix the damage depends on what’s broke. Small hole can be ok with a plug of epoxy putty, big break could require more. If you broke a pickup truck frame a butt weld is probably not the way to go. Bridging the break with an equally strong overlapping reinforcement would be more like it. Because boat performance depends on a smooth outer surface and these boats have thin hulls, bridging is all done on the inside. Would you elaborate once you sand it back and can survey the problem more closely?

Then I would assume paint. Pretty much I am looking for some steps and products suggestions for each step from sanding on.

The general process for refinish jobs is to first select the kind of paint then follow the preparation called for by planning progressively - - A quality finish needs an even, smooth surface. To achieve an even smooth surface all the imperfections need to be filled and faired. To fill all the imperfections repairs need to be completed, and so on and so on. This supplier carries just about every good brand of boat paint. ( http://www.jamestowndistributors.com ) I don’t personally care where you shop, but it’s a good place for looking over the types and read up on their preparation requirements. Polyurethane deck paints are probably the best bang for the buck. As you look at individual brands take a look at the tabs for more info. Some have How To videos. At the bottom of the web page is a link list to a library of how to stuff. Not quite as good as a book on boat refinishing, but close.