Uh oh. 1958 Skagit 20 Hardtop

[Kelly]

Grinding and filling 8,342 gelcoat cracks...

[Kelly]

Added roof stiffeners around the hatch. This area had a pretty bad flex to it, enough to make me uneasy about it. Now, nice and rigid.

[Helmar]

Grinding and filling 8,342 gelcoat cracks...

She will look better than New off the showroom

[Helmar]

Added roof stiffeners around the hatch. This area had a pretty bad flex to it, enough to make me uneasy about it. Now, nice and rigid.

Any flex will start breaking down the gelcoat so yeah, any place you can stop her from flexing is a good find and fix

[Kelly]

She will look better than New off the showroom

hope so! I've mastered mixing epoxy and 404! I've been using your trick and saved half a dozen apple sauce containers (lunch box size) and it's worked great. 1 pump of each and 3 tablespoons of 404 (on average) gives me a perfect working amount. I've only had 1 pot go off early and it was smoking hot...literally. 1 out of 30 pots = acceptable loss.
I re-use the containers as much as I can.

[Kelly]

[Helmar]

hope so! I've mastered mixing epoxy and 404! I've been using your trick and saved half a dozen apple sauce containers (lunch box size) and it's worked great. 1 pump of each and 3 tablespoons of 404 (on average) gives me a perfect working amount. I've only had 1 pot go off early and it was smoking hot...literally. 1 out of 30 pots = acceptable loss.
I re-use the containers as much as I can.

Here are a few more tips .
When mixing Resins, if you just mixed one up, cracked open a cold one and just sat and watched that last pot of resin (If you mixed up a quart, you can see it go faster) you can see that it will start to kick in the center of the pot, cup or whatever.
So, if I am working on a big pot, I will pour it out into a paint tray.
I put in a transom laminating 1/2" sheets together and it was just crap plywood I was told to use. I use the epoxy as it was thicker to start with to fill the voids (ended up costing more using Epoxy Resin than Fiberglass Resin).
Same with that quart pot, pour it into a paint tray, goes a lot slower in the warm dry weather..

Another thing I learned working in a body shop on Corvettes was filling and fairing voids. Never put on any more than you need too. The amount of time it takes to, Take off the excess is way more labor in time that it would be to go back and add more if needed. Anything in excess will have to be block sanded off.

The other thing I learned is to try and not put on product that is harder than the surface your sealing or filling. Just takes longer to block sand that flush.

Over the years I have learned short cuts and what not to do with this stuff..

Opinions are like arm pits , Everyone has them but if your not sure about something, ask for others opinions.

That boat is going to look Beautiful for sure Kelly

One of our friends Doug Griffith (20 Skagit, called 3D's) had his so nice that he almost didn't want to use it, but after the first scratch, then he was good to go Like me building my hot rods in the early years, they were Trailer and Show queens as I never wanted to drive them. The last two I built were not show cars, they were nice to be driven on the roads.
I think this is why I came up with the 20-20 thing. Looks good at 20 feet away and 20mph. Looks like your going for show quality

[Kelly]

Correction: 406 not 404. I've definitely used too much product in some areas. I'd say the biggest lesson learned this far into it: drill and fill before major sanding, especially on a boat with thin gelcoat. Sanding too much only creates more issues as pin holes pop up everywhere. Sucks.

[Kelly]

Show quality, maybe, but it will still be used more than most boats on the water. My Uniflite and I were always on the water, especially during bad weather. I can't wait to get this out there just as much and in weather just as bad.

[Kelly]

New update:
still sanding.

[Helmar]

New update:
still sanding.

I know this part way too well. The Prep work is what the paint job will be.
Trying to get her were once you put your paint on, your good for many years takes a Lot of prep work.

I keep finding spots on Eds Bell Boy that the damn primer is lifting and down to that Yellow paint that Patrick put on it. I can scrap that off in places with my fingernail. Not exceptable so got to get it down past that.
So, Sand, Sand, Sand but it will be worth it in the long run and you will thank yourself for all your hard work !!!! Its worth it.

[Kelly]

That's what I keep telling myself...it's all in the prep and it'll be worth it. My fingers, shoulders and neck don't care what my brain keeps telling me though.

[Kelly]

Well I'm still adding epoxy and grinding and adding epoxy. I've tamed the amount of epoxy I'm spreading though. Another lesson learned. I've changed approach tactics too in how I lay the epoxy and spread it out... works for me (now that I'm about done).
Still working on the seating mock up. Using cardboard and old wood before I cut the expensive stuff. I'm kinda hard-headed and when the idea is there I usually find a way to make it work.

[Kelly]

trim polishing today just ahead of slinging some paint. Pics tomorrow...

[Kelly]