Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | BruceKY- Yes you need to get the glass resealed. Water infiltrating behind/between the fiberglass and the gelcoat can cause nasty bubbles that cause additional problems and greatly reduce the cosmetic value of your boat.
The keel gouge is of particular concern as it needs to be repaired properly. Simple paint touch up will not work long term for this one. The good news is that most folks like us can do the repair ourselves with the right tools and planning. Most automotive supply store have fiberglass repair kits- (forget using one with woven fiberglass cloth), you need to use one with fiberglass mat. You can hardly go wrong with 3M products.
Talk to your Ranger dealer- they usually have or can get you touch up paint to match your boat- the red sparkle is hardest and the charcoal/grey is easiest. I have a Skeeter with similar colors.
First the gouge needs to be properly prepared for repair- just slapping some paint, fiberglass or gel into it will not produce a good strong repair. You will need a grinder with a a coarse and fine grinding wheel to make life easier. If you don't have one- rent one or borrow one from a buddy. An small orbital sander with a variety of disc's would work fine for this size job. You will get a better repair.
Don't forget a dust mask and wear a long sleeve shirt and rubber gloves when sanding or grinding fiberglass. (you should have at least 10 pairs of throwaway rubber gloves). What you need to do is feather/taper out the edges and clean the gouge, typically you want to taper it out ~ 2" from the edges of the gouge. On the keel gouge this is probably going to wrap the repair around to the otherside of the keel. But it's necessary for a strong repair.
Now- the area is ready to be repaired. I typically use a large piece of cardboard as a working pallette, i.e., something to place the matt on to get it saturated with the gel before applying it to the repair area.
From the looks of the size of the gouge you'll probably need the following.
a couple of 1" paint brushes to apply gel to the repair area before placing the mat and to help smoth the gel after the mat is in place.
1" putty knife to work the gel into the mat on the palette and help work the mat into place in the repair area.
The first step is to figure out how much mat is needed, i.e, how many layers depending on the depth of the gouge and the thickness of the mat material. Just looking at the photo's I would guess 1/8" to 1/4 inch deep.
Take a marker and draw the general original shape of the gouge on the mat ~ 3' in from the edge of the mat - for each piece of mat of mat you need. Then draw another line 2" all the way around the gouge shape, this is your mat tear line. (remember you tapered the gouge out 2")
Taking your hands (no scissors) tear the piece out of the mat - by pulling the mat apart horizontally. Don't tear it as you would a piece of paper. You want to tear away the outside line, this will automatically give you a tapered piece of mat to fit the repair area. Don't worry mat is relatively cheap and it important to get a good fit.
Now- the fun part. Make sure you have ventilation when working with or mixing the fiberglass gel. (If the kit is two part- hardner + gel) you need to be very carfully to follow the mixing directions. To much hardner it sets up to quick and to little it may never set up. There are some products that don't require mixing. I haven't used them so I can't vouch for them, they may not be a strong as the two part stuff when set.
layout your materials and tools- you will need to work quickly/efficiently once the gel & hardner are mixed.
You will need a disposable mixing container - automotive stores usually have ones with graduation's/measurements on them, that way you know how much gel you have and how much hardner to add. You need to thorougly mix the gel & hardner. Now time is of the esscense as you probably have only 10 minutes before it starts to set. ((wear rubber gloves))
Take the paint brush and apply some gel to the repair area, be sure to "wet" the entire repair area. Now using the card board palette and the putty knife, put some of the gel on the palette, lay the mat on top, add more gel to the mat, using the putty knife make sure the mat is satuarted with gel. Using the putty knife lift the mat off the palette and apply it to the repair area. Using your fingers and the putty knife to get into position.
Don't worry if it's not perfect, that's the beauty of glass, it can be worked in layers, i.e., just like they layed up your boat. Given this is on the keel, the gel itself may run a bit until it starts to set, just keep spreading it back into the repair area until it starts to set.
If you're worried about getting it right the first time do a couple of test runs on a piece of card board to get the hang of the whole process and also get a feel for how the gel sets.
Let set hard, then grind & sand/shape to get a reasonably smooth repair. If you think it needs more mat- repeat the process. Actually you want it very slightly concave/slightly lower than the surrounding surface, for the last application of gel, i.e., the gel coat.
Last mix another small batch of gel and using the brush paint it onto the repair area. Let it set hard, sand smooth, repeat as necessary to get a flush repair, then prime/paint accordingly.
Merry Christmas
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 12/22/2005 9:19 AM
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