New Member With Questions

F

Flatlander

New Member
I just acquired a Sunfish (1974) which I plan to restore and have ready to sail next season. Over the last week I have read all of the threads in this forum, and a great deal of the other popular informational links. I still have some questions or need clrification on some issues.

1. Should I use epoxy or polyester resin to make any structural or leak repairs? I have been unable to find a definitive answer in any of the forums,
only references to both.

2. Has anyone had any problems with over-expansion when using aerasol
foam to resecure the foam blocks? It seems that too much foam could cause the deck or hull to bulge.

3. Should there be a plug in the base of the mast? Mine has no plug and I don't see one in any of the Parts Locator Drawings. It appears to me that with a little grit in the bottom of the step, the mast would be a 10 ft. by 21/2 in hole saw!

Thanks in advance for a neat forum and any feedback.

Curt
 
Curl:

Either type of epoxy would probably work, although I'm partial to West System Epoxy. A bit expensive, but I use this stuff on all of my restorations, and it is flawless, easy, but a bit expensive.

You can use their additives to get the right application and consistency.

You can get some ideas from one of my restorations at the following site:

The O'Day Javelin Project

I hope this helps you!

Dave :)
 
Curt,
There should be a Base Cap on the bottom of the mast. The cap only adds about 1/4" to the length of the mast with a lip covering the edges and about 3/4" going up inside. It appears to be made of a black plastic type material and is secured to the mast with small tapered pins or pop rivits. An adhesive (epoxy or 3M 4200/5200) can be used for extra security. By the way, the mast is actually 2.25" outside diameter.

So far, I have not experience any problem with over expansion with foam in the can. What excess there is, usually leaks out over the edge of the block. The Yahoo Group, Sunfish_Sailor, has photos in the file section of the interior of the hull with shots of the foam blocks.

I agree with Dave about West Systems Epoxy. Easy to get at places like West Marine or a local Marine Supply store. Others that come to mind are MAS, RAKA and System 3. Another source is out west but I do not know the name. Do a search for "Epoxy" here and check the responses. I have heard that polyester resins do not stick to epoxy, while epoxy does stick to polyester, so I "stick" with epoxy. Marine-Tex epoxy putty is the prefered filler for minor nicks and gouges. Good Luck.
 
The main reason for using expoy rather than polyester resin is epoxy resin is waterproof while polyester resin is hyrdoscopic (it attracts water) Polyester resins MUST be protected by gelcoat or marine grade paint for them to have any useful life.
Blistering you hear about a lot on boats is caused by the polyester hull resin getting water through cracks in the gelcoat and delaminating.

I also agree with using MarineTex for minor repairs. Sticks to anything clean, sands and forms easily, is waterproof, and practically bulletproof. They make it in an aluminum color as well as white and black. The aluminum color we've used to repair holes in outboard lower units that have been "holed". Stands up to the engine heat, grease, oil, and gas as well as the vibration.
As for the resin you can't go wrong with using The West System products. They also have cheap helpful manuals on fiberglass repair that are really good.

As to the foam, make sure you get a closed cell foam. Open cell foams act like a sponge. Not what you want inside the hull.
 
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