Project with my sons

[BoaterTim]

Hello Everyone,
I thought I would Introduced myself and ask some questions. I’m Tim, I have 7 adult kids, I have been a heavy equipment diesel mechanic for 39 years now, there isn’t much I haven’t had my hands on. I was emancipated at 17 years old got a job an apartment, a camper from my truck and a 19 foot jet boat and I went to the river by myself every weekend.
ok a year ago one of my sons bought a 18’ bluewater open bow boat and he called and said it has a small soft spot in the floor on the left side. So I went to fix it and started cutting the floor thinking i could make quite work of this and get him on the water.... famous last words.
The floor, stringers, cross sections and transom were completely soaked and shot. So I started cutting it all out I thought ok its a good project for me and my son.
Now in the past I have done fiberglass repairs on boats and repaired a lot of fiberglass bonnets for semi trucks, however it has been 10 years since I messed with it. We are Presently replacing the transom and then I’ll go to the stringers & floor. I’m sure stuff has changed since I was doing fiberglass things have gotten probably more advanced so does anyone have any advice for us and where is the best places to buy the fiberglass supplies? Thanks Tim

 

[JASinIL2006]

Lots of folks here (myself included) have used US Composites.

 

[tpenfield]

Lots of restoration threads to review and learn from hereon iBoats. So,start reading.

Look for local fiberglass wholesaler/retailer locations in your area (Google your way). Otherwise there are some sites ( US Composites being one of them ) that can ship you materials and supplies, but the shipping costs may be excessive. ($10-15 per gallon for resin) Hazmat fees may also apply.

Most folks don't realize that many fiberglass boats are mostly wood. So, it is a learning process,but can be a rewarding experience as a project.

 

[GSPLures]

Welcome, check out friscoboater on youtube he has a series following a complete rebuild of a sea ray. Lots of good information there. Also in the pinned threads at the top of the forum. I have not used US Composites (I have called them, they have good customer service) due to shipping costs to Michigan. I went local which I paid more for the product but was offset by saving on shipping.

 

[gm280]

There are so many full restoration projects on the forums. Read a few and soak in the experiences so many have gone through doing the same as you are going to do. As for supplies, depending where you live, the cost can vary. U S Composites is a very good source for those supplies. Last time I ordered from them, I only needed a gallon of resin and I am pretty sure there was no hazmat fees. However when I ordered five gallon and more at one time I did pay such fees. So it depends on what you need and how much. One thing I will say is, make sure whoever you use is big enough and does a lot of business to have fresh resins on hand and not some that has set around for months or years. Most fiberglass resins (polyesters for certain) have self lives. So before ordering check supplies availability, cost AND shipping. But I would like to watch this project if you decide to post the questions and pictorial progress... JMHO

 

[todhunter]

Regarding hazmat fees and US Composites - if you ship freight (when ordering 10+ gallons of resins, I'm pretty sure it's required) they do not charge the hazmat fee.

 

[GSPLures]

The person I spoke to said hazmat charge is on 5 gallon buckets. When I called about price with shipping they calculated it to send 5 regular gallons to avoid the fee but it was slightly higher due to amount of packages.

 

[gm280]

Another way to keep shipping cost lower is to have it shipped to a trucking firm. I did that once and had to pick up the shipment at a firm about 12 to 15 miles away, but the shipping cost were near have of what they charged to delivery to the house. And since it was a large order, that was a pretty good savings... Just an idea.

 

[todhunter]

Another way to keep shipping cost lower is to have it shipped to a trucking firm. I did that once and had to pick up the shipment at a firm about 12 to 15 miles away, but the shipping cost were near have of what they charged to delivery to the house. And since it was a large order, that was a pretty good savings... Just an idea.

Yes, this is what I mean by shipping freight. You must have freight shipped to a place with a loading dock and a forklift. Thankfully my employer is letting me have my US Composites orders delivered to my work facility. If you don't have that option, you can do as you suggested and have it delivered to a trucking firm where you must then go pick it up. Either way, you eliminate the hazmat fee and it's actually cheaper if you're shipping large weight (multiple 5 gallon buckets). I just received what I hope is my last US Composites order today!

 

[dingbat]

Shipping costs to a residential zip code are considerably more expense than a commercial zip code

Hazmat fees are not mandated by law. Levied at the discretion of the shipping company. Most waive for delivery to a commercial address

 

[JASinIL2006]

Depending on where you live, there may be no commercial sellers of fiberglassing supplies that don't recall a day of roundtrip driving (that was my situation), and even then, US Composites' prices were low enough that even with hazmat fees, I probably saved money by ordering from them (rather than driving). Also, I'm fairly certain my resin was considerably fresher than I would have been able to find regionally.

If you can find a way to have it shipped freight, that's an even better deal.