Rebuilding a Neglected 78

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dclarke

New Member
I found an old Lazer Hull in a feild and bought it cheap. My nephew and I are going to rebuild it over the summer. So, I'm sure this will be the first of several posts.

4 Questions to start:

1. The deck is separating from the hull in the middle for about 3 feet. I don't think I can separate it completely...any thoughts on reattaching it??
2. What should I use to fill in the small dings in the hull, very few of them and not very deep.
3. Can you use automotive paint on the hull?
4. Is the boat filled with foam? or hollow? There seems to be a little give when you press on some parts of the hull.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
OOOPS Sorry, make that Laser...don't hate me.

dclarke said:
I found an old Lazer Hull in a feild and bought it cheap. My nephew and I are going to rebuild it over the summer. So, I'm sure this will be the first of several posts.

4 Questions to start:

1. The deck is separating from the hull in the middle for about 3 feet. I don't think I can separate it completely...any thoughts on reattaching it??
2. What should I use to fill in the small dings in the hull, very few of them and not very deep.
3. Can you use automotive paint on the hull?
4. Is the boat filled with foam? or hollow? There seems to be a little give when you press on some parts of the hull.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Click to expand...
 
The hull-deck joint is important. At the factory it is attached with polyester resin. You can use that or epoxy to fix it. Try to clean out as much of the old guck as you can, get a clean bond, and clamp it a lot to try to get the curve absolutely true. You can do an on-line search on "laser hull-deck" or similar for tons of stuff on how to do this

Laser hulls are lightly built. Even a new hull has some give. Too much softness, though, means the hull is pretty well trashed. Go to some club or place where there are a bunch of new lasers and feel them (gently -- it's hard on the fiberglass to go thumping it or flexing it with all your strength) and compare to yours.

The hull is made of uncored glass, except for a couple of stringers that run along the bilge in the mid part of the boat and underneath the cockpit towards the back; the stingers are foam about 1/4" thick. The deck and cockpit floor are foam-cored glass.

A very common failure is for water to get into the foam and then for freeze-thaw cycles or hydraulic pressure to separate the foam from the skin, at which point the boat gets limp and floppy. Search online for "laser deck delamination" or similar and get lots of advice.

Good luck!
 
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