Best Inexpensive Option For Wood "Filler"

[San_Diego_SeaRay]

Not sure I've phrased my title correctly, so I'll just explain what I'm trying to do. I have a 1982 SeaRay Sundancer I'm rehabbing. On the deck area, there are some side panels that line the interior of the hull. They're just aesthetic, meant to cover the raw contours of the hull. They have upholstery-like padding. I'm going to remove the vinyl and the padding off the panels. I'd like to keep the panels, so they need to be rehabbed. I'm planning on sealing them w. poly resin and then painting them with a cheap paint such as Top Side. I *might* apply some glass on them if they feel too flimsy. However, they have sharp raised spots, and fiberglass doesn't like 90 degree joints. So I'm wondering all of the following:

• Is using poly resin and then painting considered acceptable practice?
  • The purpose would be to seal the wood from moisture and add strength to the panels
• Would gel coat be a better option instead of the above?
  • I'm wondering if gelcoat is more prone to cracking along the seams of the panels (they are assembled w. staples IIRC)
  • Also, I'm buying a 5 gallon bucket of resin (for other purposes) and would like to use it before buying more expensive gel coat
• Most importantly, if I did use glass on them, what the best and cheapest filler to "smooth" out those sharp 90 degree sections? Is Bondo considered appropriate with wood? Is there something better than Bondo that works as well with wood?

Hope I've described the problem well enough. Let me know if more clarification is needed. Thanks!

 

[GA_Boater]

This calls for a pic or two. I think you are saying the panels have what look like wide ribs. :noidea:

 

[jbcurt00]

No, poly resin w no glass is of little value, under paint or no.

At 90* inside corners, create a cove to allow the glass to transition across the 90*. A polyester resin putty, made w cabosil, milled fibers and poly (oft called peanut butter [PB]) is ideal for use as cove material.

On outside corners, round over the edge to allow the glass to roll over it.

Pix when you can

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

W/O pics I'm going out on a limb to guess they most likely aren't much more than 1/8" ply at best. For really cheap you could seal them with paint or WOG's old timers formula. If they rot out they shouldn't be to complicated to remake