Community boat project

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A friend of mine in my club gave me this Seaducer that had been raced by his daughter and son, he got the boat from the Tuttle family who also had raced it for a few seasons. It had a nice "Sour Skittles" paint job at one time but has since ben in need of repairs. My daughter being so observant told me "you paint everyone elses boat, can't you paint mine?" So here is the beginning strip down picture.

 

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Man, sanding is a B!&%$......my fingers are raw, this has turned into a major project. Here's another shot.

 

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Man the quality of paint Bob Tuttle used must have been really good. It originally was a neon Yellowish green. After two days almost done. Getting cleaner.....I wish I had taken shots when it looked it's nastiest.... :lol:

 

[CySlyde]

wow man.. i wishi i had a part collection like that hanging arround :lol: can't wait to see it finished

 

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The biggest dilema I have now is what steps to take to repair the spider-web like cracks in the gel of the hull as well as splits in the hull and the large damage to the glass it self on the top of the deck. I don't think the Bondo brand spot filler will hold up, it's definitely not a micro ballon repair job so I'm thinking of going with the Industrial blue automotive bondo.

Originally my daughter (she's five) wanted this 20 color paint job, then just wanted the boat Pink, thank God she dropped that idea and now wants it white. Looks like I'll be doing a collage of colors as I get furthur along. Hopefully she won't ask me to do some air-brish work like Dora, Blue's Clues or Barney.... :lol: :lol:

Airbrushing that stuff for her on her Jeans is one thing but on her boat is too much work for such an old boat. I'd have to guess the first hard bump she gives this boat is gonna pop any Bondo or filler off it any ways.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

was that the one on the shelf?

 

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Yeah, that was the one that had the candy Skittle logo on it.

 

[CySlyde]

Hopefully she won't ask me to do some air-brish work like Dora, Blue's Clues or Barney.... :lol:   :lol: Airbrushing that stuff for her on her Jeans is one thing but on her boat is too much work for such an old boat. 

I'd have to guess the first hard bump she gives this boat is gonna pop any Bondo or filler off it any ways.

oh comon man.. i know your just itching to do a teletubbies theme to it :lol: :lol:

is it bad enough to warrent serious fiberglass repair? or would a good bondo job hold it for awhile

Edit.. thank god my nephew (friends kid) only asked me to paint that stuff once.. now he's big garfield fan though

 

[TomMoorehouse]

Oh yea man!.... you have to go for the Dora The Explorer boat! my kids love that show....

or better yet..... TeleTubbies! LaLa would be cool! bright yellow!

You ever have your kids play the games on nickjr.com? There is a pretty neat dora driving game my son loves.

 

[GTR]

Rodney

Is the gelcoat on the boat polyester f/glass? if so get the sanding drum on the dremel on to it and grind it off to the cloth/mat. Mix up a little resin and mix talcum powder in with it until it's like a paste. Put in where cracks were and sand smooth and you're good to go. (don't forget to add the hardener, lol)

I have repaired heaps of glass objects this way and it stays put - no worries at all.

Hey you have way too many boats - but I guess that goes with way too many kids. As long as you're all having some family fun go for it. I'm really starting to think that 21 mono is THE way to introduce youngsters to boating.

GT B)

 

[Dorkhedeos]

hey, can you teach me how to do that stuff? how about elmo?

 

[SColby]

Originally my daughter (she's five) wanted this 20 color paint job, then just wanted the boat Pink, thank God she dropped that idea and now wants it white. Looks like I'll be doing a collage of colors as I get furthur along. Hopefully she won't ask me to do some air-brish work like Dora, Blue's Clues or Barney.... 

Well if you really want one most kids like you could always go with the Wiggles :lol:

 

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:lol: :lol: HAHAHAHAHA....you guys are funny! I don't think there's a moment in my house where at least one TV isn't on Nickelodeon....Man why didn't we have Sponge Bob when I was a kid.... :lol: :lol:

GTR, that's good advice, that's what came to my head last night at about 2:00am in the morning! Do you think I should drill a couple holes so it seeps into and sets down into place??

 

[wswatzell]

My oldest boy asked me "did you watch Sponge Bob when you were a kid?" I told him, nope, but I sure wish it was on! There is just something about that show that I find extreamly funny!

That is what you should paint on your girls boat, Sponge Bob!!

 

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Here is the crack and the spider web splits I need to repair. What's the verdict??? Sand over the web and primer and paint it as is because it's inevitable they will resurface?? Or should I open them wider with a Dremel bit and turn them into a trench and fill them with resin??

 

[wswatzell]

trench & refill is what I would do if it were my boat.

 

[topfuel443]

You may think its crazy but I learned this from my father who does a ton of fiberglass custom work. He uses the fiberglass dust (accumulated from grinding fiberglass) mixed in with west system epoxy as a sort of filler for spider cracks and all purpose filling. you will want to get rid of the gell coat in that area though with some 80 grit before you do anything to it......

James

 

[riche]

that looks like and impact cracking of the gel coat not from motor torque or from wave jumping!!!!!!

I bet it will hold up fine with the epoxy repair.

 

[GTR]

Rodney

Just take out the dud gelcoat and refill with a resin type filler mix. You shouldn't need holes as it will re-bond with the mat/cloth. Make it real clean with acetone, straight methanol or other alchohol cleaner. Gelcoat often suffers stress cracking like that and is one of the disadvantages of it (other than added weight). However, commercialy it can provide a ready to use product. In relation to your other paint post I would avoid the pearl as it makes it a pain in the @$$ to ever fix the paint - you're always looking at a repaint rahter than touch-up. Simple is GOOD.

 

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Well it's been a good day so far. The repair work has been done and has come out very clean. I think it's gonna hold up even if there's an impact. I trenched out some of the spider webs a little before filling them.

The primer has been sprayed. I was worried that it was gonna orange peel when it hit the orange neon paint because it had such a high and glossy look, that's usually the first sign of disaster. However, luck was on my side for once and everything has dried just fine.

Not that it's really gonna matter once the radio box and the engine and pipe are put back in but does anyone know of some good cleaning agents to use to scour and clean the inside glass of the hull??? It is so oiled and fuel stained it's almost black. I want to at least get something to prevent rotting inside but I don't want to paint it.