1976 Tom Boy Boat, 1976 40 HP Johnson Outboard and who knows what Trailer

[nurseman]

Boatworkstoday is pretty solid info. I've seen most of his videos, and havn't gotten any contradictory info between him and the gurus on here.

 

[gm280]

Boatworkstoday is pretty solid info. I've seen most of his videos, and havn't gotten any contradictory info between him and the gurus on here.

Yes he does seem to know his stuff. I do like the way he cut the excess off. I've been using an angle grinder with a flapper disk and it works, but I like his method better now. I am making the hatch lips like Red Herring's post and will start the covers for those hatches very soon. So I can see me using his ideas to do that.

Man I like these forums. :thumb:

 

[gm280]

Has anybody ever used CSM with Gel Coat or colored polyester before? I was just wondering if that can be done? :noidea:

I am finishing up the port side rod box lip and will start working on the actual hatch covers today. Once I get the smaller steering cable in and can make sure it fits, I can paint, I mean Gel Coat the boxes on the insides before applying the tops on them. I figured it would be easier to coat them and then PB the tops on then to try and do it after. And I also need to install the reed switches and LED lights as well.

Each rod box and storage boxes will have their own LED lights inside so at night when you open any of them up, you can see inside. So the reed magnetic switches are easier to install now then wait until later after the fact.

My old Bass Boat didn't have such things and I know how much that would have helped if they did. So I am doing things to this meager small tri-hull boat to make life easier and nicer to fish out of. Yea I know, pretty stupid ideas, but I am like that! :stupid:

 

[JoshOnt]

Gm yes I believe I have seen andy from boatworkstoday say that it is best to use gel coat with polyester resin which is what I am guessing you are using with CSM as the bonding agent in CSM breaks down better with polyester resin than epoxy. I do believe you can put gel coat on epoxy though but be careful what hardener you use from west system, I think it is their 205 that is not super great for what ever reason but the 206 and 207 I have seen a few places people using or showing tests of it and gel coat.

 

[gm280]

Gm yes I believe I have seen andy from boatworkstoday say that it is best to use gel coat with polyester resin which is what I am guessing you are using with CSM as the bonding agent in CSM breaks down better with polyester resin than epoxy. I do believe you can put gel coat on epoxy though but be careful what hardener you use from west system, I think it is their 205 that is not super great for what ever reason but the 206 and 207 I have seen a few places people using or showing tests of it and gel coat.

Josh, thanks for the replay and info.

I guess I should have explain myself better on what I am wanting to do. I have some rod boxes and storage areas that are finally in need of their final CSM and polyester for their final waterproofing coat. And I have just received liquid pigment colors to use in the polyester resin as well. So I was wondering if you can do both at the same time. That is, mix up the polyester with the liquid pigment and lay a layer of CSM while coating the boxes as well. Then they would be sealed with the polyester and CSM and colored as well. I just haven't seen anybody doing that and was wondering if that would work. I hope that explains it better. :noidea:

 

[JoshOnt]

Ah okay I am not sure but I would think knowing how resin works that you should not have an issue with it. I would think to save on pigment that it might be best to lay down the CSM then the pigmented resin on top if your using a laminating resign. Wouldn't have to wait long just till it tacks up. Hopefully someone that has done that might be able to offer some insight.

 

[sphelps]

Gm , how about mix a little and do an adhesion test with a little csm ..

 

[gm280]

Gm , how about mix a little and do an adhesion test with a little csm ..

Sam, I think you read my mind. NO...wait...you couldn't have. I've been checked...and they didn't find anything. :facepalm:

I am actually going to mix up a little and do one storage area. It is a small one, but a test none the less. We'll see and post results. :noidea:

 

[kcassells]

That's interesting GM. So basically your coloring the resin as you do the layups to tone it down/blend. Like you say most of the time I've seen it added to fairing compounds to help with the next primer/painting stages. Like the Sam said try it on something else first but sounds like it should work.

 

[gm280]

Okay folks here are the results.

I say yes is can be done. And the only reason I was wondering because I have four areas (two now) that still needed CSM water proofing even though they had polyester resin over most of the areas already. So I did mix up 500ml today and cut two pieces of CSM to try it. I figured if it screws up, out comes the grinders again. :facepalm:

So I went for the smaller storage areas in the back of the hull. Well is seem as this is a doable idea. I mixed up the liquid pigment, in this case a light gray, and added it to the polyester resin and thoroughly stirred it in until it was total mixed. And surprisingly that actually didn't take very long either. US Composite's liquid pigment is the bomb for doing that. Then I added the MEKP next for 1% solution. The weather is in the 70's today and a 1% should work great. I didn't know how long it was going to take to mix in the pigment. So I mixed the pigment into the poly resin without the MEKP first. Seems I could have done it either way. I don't see any issue either way you would mix.

Then I took a 4" nap roller, you know the usual wool type, and rolled a coat over the area. The coverage was amazing. It covered like I was seriously hoping it would. Then I took the CSM piece and applied it on top of the poly mix. Then I applied more colored poly and worked everything in. I like it. Seemed pretty easy to do and there is no question if you covered an area. The color tells you instantly.

So I did the second storage area and that went even quicker. I guess a learning curve is already setting it. And then I still had some left over and I decided to use it up on the front storage area. Well I finished that up as well and went to the Starboard side rod box and used the rest up just coating that box. I didn't finish the rod box, but I really wasn't trying to do that as well. Just trying to not waste any of it.

Here are the pictures. Now it isn't cured yet, so if I go out there tomorrow and it is harden up, it is a very good idea!

Notice I didn't coat all the way up to the top of the hull. That's because there will be carpet covering everything else. But I wanted to coat the rod boxes and storage areas before capping them off. Also notice you can't see the holes I drilled and plugged for the mix and pour foam either.

Another angle. You can see the cleat on the outside hull section and the holes drilled for the PVC tube to hold the control and shift cables.

And of course the port side storage area as well. The CSM seems to lay down nicely doing it this way.

A shot looking from back to front. You can see the two areas I done and the gray area in the front as well

And finally a shot of the front storage area. There was no need for any CSM being how the entire hull was completely covers with CSM before any thing else was even started. So I just used the poly colored to coat these area. I figured being a light gray that when you were looking for things in this storage are with the LEDs, it should be pretty easy to spot. :noidea:

Okay the only way this wouldn't be a good idea is if it doesn't cure. But being how US Composite sells this pigment exactly for Polyester Resin and Gel Coat and even Epoxy Resin, I'm assuming, I hope correctly, that it will.

So until next time, you all have a wonderful day... :thumb:

 

[Woodonglass]

Yup, Gelcoat is pretty much Polyester Resin with some added polymers. The pigments used for coloring it works just fine for polyester resin. I believe the mix ratio is anywhere from 5-10% by volume. Just make sure the tint is for Polyester based resin and Gelcoat. They also make em for Epoxy!!!

 

[gm280]

Yup, Gelcoat is pretty much Polyester Resin with some added polymers. The pigments used for coloring it works just fine for polyester resin. I believe the mix ratio is anywhere from 5-10% by volume. Just make sure the tint is for Polyester based resin and Gelcoat. They also make em for Epoxy!!!

WOG, I bought this from US Composite and the same liquid pigment is used for any resin, Poly, Epoxy, Vinyl, all of them according to their website.

 

[Woodonglass]

You should be Good To Go!!! No Problemos!!!!! I had a friend that built some Fiberglass Saddle Bags for his Honda GoldWing using Tinted Polyester Resin and CSM and 3oz cloth. Turned out Fantastic!!!!

 

[sphelps]

Good deal ! Looks great !

 

[gm280]

Good deal ! Looks great !

Thanks Sam. It did do what I was wanting. And that was the first time I used any type "gel coat" mix. I realize this is merely polyester resin with pigment coloring added, but gel coat is pretty much the same thing. After I do the two remaining rod boxes today, I can do some preliminary wiring and then top the areas off with CSM and PB. It is all coming together, but slowly. :smile:

 

[gm280]

Well since the colored poly did cure, I finished up the rod boxes today. And now I can prewire the LED's and reed switches and PB the tops on. And once I pre-fit the stick steering cable setup in, I think I will flip it and start the prep work for paint. Here are todays pictures.

A front port side shot of the rod box with the colored poly and CSM installed.

Same side from the rear looking forward.

And the starboard side rod box.

A little different angle of the starboard side.

And a front to rear shot of the starboard side.

So now that the water proofing CSM and poly is finished, and the mix and pour holes covered over, I can pre-wire the rod and storage boxes and then PB the top sections on. Seem to be more rod room now then I original thought. I guess the color makes it look that way. :noidea:

Until next time, you all have a great day... :thumb:

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

Looking good GM, I bet down the road when your boxes aren't full of scratches showing through paint you'll be glad you took the effort.

 

[gm280]

Looking good GM, I bet down the road when your boxes aren't full of scratches showing through paint you'll be glad you took the effort.

TDF, you know I actually never thought about that aspect of it as well. But that is a bonus.

 

[gm280]

Okay a little more insight to the Sick Steering issue. Yesterday I received the new Stick Steering cable from Ezy Glide. And sadly it isn't going to work either. The 13' version was too long and this, supposed to be 12' version, is way too short. Kind of reminds me of the Goldilocks and the three bears.

So that made me actually check the cable lengths. And on the cable of the first one it states 13.0' and the date of manufacture. On the cable of the second one I just received it states 11.0' and the date of manufacture. So even though it was shipped as a 12' cable length, somebody stuck a 11.0' cable in the box. :facepalm:

So I guess I'll be back on the phone for a new 12' one, you know the "just right" one. :noidea:

Not really angry or ill. Things happen...

On the progress report, I have started building the hatch, rod box and storage box covers now. I am making them out of very thin plywood. It is merely just shy of 1/4" thick. Closer to Luan ply but exterior glued. I figured once I get the 1708 and CSM and polyester on them. it will be very strong...but light. :noidea:

I'll post pictures later on about how they are constructed and came out.

 

[Woodonglass]

On the progress report, I have started building the hatch, rod box and storage box covers now. I am making them out of very thin plywood. It is merely just shy of 1/4" thick. Closer to Luan ply but exterior glued. I figured once I get the 1708 and CSM and polyester on them. it will be very strong...but light. :noidea:

I'll post pictures later on about how they are constructed and came out.

I'm pretty sure you're gunna be happy with the strength of the covers. You Might want to consider laying the 1708 "Upside down so the CSM will hide the texturing of the 1708. It works great that way.