I removed all the sealant and the bow looks perfect under it! There must have been a leak, maybe at the seam under the aluminum trim, but I haven’t leak tested it yet. If so, I’ll pop off that front section of trim and seal the seam with epoxy.It is very satisfying to polish it up for the first time. Any thought on how you're going to repair the nose of the bow? Mine damaged in the same way, including the lip on the underside. I'm thinking marine tex epoxy, but is there a better way of going about it?
Thanks. I'd appreciate any advice you can give. The handle is solid as I can pick the boat with it and there is no play.I removed all the sealant and the bow looks perfect under it! There must have been a leak, maybe at the seam under the aluminum trim, but I haven’t leak tested it yet. If so, I’ll pop off that front section of trim and seal the seam with epoxy.
Post a pic of your bow damage and we can see what the best repair method will be for your Mini (and you don’t have trim or a seam to worry about, I love that about the Mini!)
There seems to be a filled hole next to the bow handle. The bow handle may have been moved, and possibly not secured to the wood backing plate.Thanks. I'd appreciate any advice you can give. The handle is solid as I can pick the boat with it and there is no play.
Nice job!This is my latest Sunfish. Oregongirl inspired me to clean it up before tucking it in for the winter. I’ve always been partial to the blue deck. This one polished up nicely with some elbow grease. Wet dry (1500), with warm, soapy water, then rubbing compound, then 3M wax and restorer. I divided the boat in 3rds and did it over 3 days. If I had a buffer it would really sparkle. The classic half-moon scratch across the rear deck from the tiller was greatly improved (tiller adjustment will be made) and the splashguard will be painted. I removed a ton of ugly sealant around it. I left the smallest strip, but in looking at pics I probably should remove it all.
Thanks, Clyde!Nice job!
Well a 40 grit flap disc sure does eat through the fiberglass/epoxy. Here are some pics. Should I continue to grind down? I take it this is going to take more than the West fiberglass repair kit. Lots of question as I'm new to fiberglassing, but obviously now committedThat bow looks like hell, but it can be fixed, no worries... you can do it without removing the handle as well, just start sanding & filing & possibly grinding until all that trash is gone, you wanna take the whole area down to glass so you can rebuild it, aye? In order to achieve the best possible bond, you want all that cr@p cleared away... that's half the battle right there, the rest will be fairly easy. You'll be working with several resin pots (in sequence, over time) as you rebuild the worst damage to the bow. Get the prep work done, maybe post some pics of the bow once that trash is gone... including that cr@p around the bow handle, that needs to go, though you don't have to take it clear down to glass in that specific area. Good news is that this repair is actually quite easy, you just have to rebuild that bow and shape the compound curve or rollover joint as you go.
This is where you find out just how good a sculptor you are!Well a 40 grit flap disc sure does eat through the fiberglass/epoxy. Here are some pics. Should I continue to grind down? I take it this is going to take more than the West fiberglass repair kit. Lots of question as I'm new to fiberglassing, but obviously now committedRecommendation on resin and mat, and amounts? The big question is how do I form the initial compound curve or rollover joint. . Thanks for any thoughts.
If you have an inspection port, insert a coffee- or candle-warmer inside the hull. An empty coffee mug (on either heater) will deliver radiant heat.It's getting cold in Iowa and I have an attached, but unheated 2 car garage. I'm thinking of putting up a tarp around the boat and running a space heater to hopefully get it up to temperature where things will harden in a reasonable amount of time. Any thoughts on fiberglassing during the winter or should I wait till spring.