Small glass project on deck
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:15 pm
So I am going to replace my factory gelcoat nonskid areas with an industrial rubberized compound. My dogs do not like the factory nonskid. This is a paint on stuff that comes in lots of colors. I chose a nice light blue.
Prior to applying, I wanted to add a layer of glass to the deck where one walks on it to get forward. For a solid feel, not because I thought it was inhearenty weak. I added two layers of light biaxial from the winch to the jib track. Much better. I will sand it smooth and then the whole area and the rest of the patterned areas on deck will get an application of toughdex or something. I have the box it came in in the shed, so I dont remember the exact name. They use it on oil rigs, barges and fishing boats. Stuff that goes to sea for a living. Hopefully it can stand up to use on a yacht. I bought a small amount (qt) of black because I will also nonskid part of the black coon stripe outboard of the skylight windows. That area is handy to walk on when the boat is heeled, and it is deadly slippery.
The gelcoat came right off with a hour or so of grinding with a 50 grit disk. It seems very soft. (The paint I put on the boats hull seems to be holding up better then the gelcoat, in fact) Underneath the gelcoat was what looked like mat, with the small "deckbeams" underneath clearly visible through the fiberglass, on like 4-6 inch center. If you placed your heel right between them and put all your weight on it, you can deflect the glass a little. It is this effect I am attempting to remedy (done)
They layup appeared fine, no large bubbles or voids or other visible scewups. The actual fiberglass was more difficult to grind then the gelcoat. I did not need to remove any of the glass. I applied the biaxial with one and a half qts of above/below waterline rated polyester resin and had little trouble, but its not the neatest of jobs. It needs some clean up, gelcoat with good quality white gelcoat, then coating with nonskid compound.
I cant give a report on the nonskid compound yet, but I dont recommend this deck fiberglassing project. Its one of my pet peeves is all. I hated the anchor locker "deck" because it was bouncy, so I fixed that last year. These areas I am doing now were on the list as well. They are the ones I walk on, so I notice the light layup.
While on my last cruise, I also objected to the stark white color of the deck. For the new non skid, I had a choice of buff, tan, teak brown (too hot) or several pastel colors. They are all rated for outdoor use and (it claims) can be easily recoated with minimum issue, and it also acts as a sound deadener and will not chip if a tool is dropped on it. It is going to be some work to tape off all those patterns, so I hope it lives up to its promise.
Ix
Prior to applying, I wanted to add a layer of glass to the deck where one walks on it to get forward. For a solid feel, not because I thought it was inhearenty weak. I added two layers of light biaxial from the winch to the jib track. Much better. I will sand it smooth and then the whole area and the rest of the patterned areas on deck will get an application of toughdex or something. I have the box it came in in the shed, so I dont remember the exact name. They use it on oil rigs, barges and fishing boats. Stuff that goes to sea for a living. Hopefully it can stand up to use on a yacht. I bought a small amount (qt) of black because I will also nonskid part of the black coon stripe outboard of the skylight windows. That area is handy to walk on when the boat is heeled, and it is deadly slippery.
The gelcoat came right off with a hour or so of grinding with a 50 grit disk. It seems very soft. (The paint I put on the boats hull seems to be holding up better then the gelcoat, in fact) Underneath the gelcoat was what looked like mat, with the small "deckbeams" underneath clearly visible through the fiberglass, on like 4-6 inch center. If you placed your heel right between them and put all your weight on it, you can deflect the glass a little. It is this effect I am attempting to remedy (done)
They layup appeared fine, no large bubbles or voids or other visible scewups. The actual fiberglass was more difficult to grind then the gelcoat. I did not need to remove any of the glass. I applied the biaxial with one and a half qts of above/below waterline rated polyester resin and had little trouble, but its not the neatest of jobs. It needs some clean up, gelcoat with good quality white gelcoat, then coating with nonskid compound.
I cant give a report on the nonskid compound yet, but I dont recommend this deck fiberglassing project. Its one of my pet peeves is all. I hated the anchor locker "deck" because it was bouncy, so I fixed that last year. These areas I am doing now were on the list as well. They are the ones I walk on, so I notice the light layup.
While on my last cruise, I also objected to the stark white color of the deck. For the new non skid, I had a choice of buff, tan, teak brown (too hot) or several pastel colors. They are all rated for outdoor use and (it claims) can be easily recoated with minimum issue, and it also acts as a sound deadener and will not chip if a tool is dropped on it. It is going to be some work to tape off all those patterns, so I hope it lives up to its promise.
Ix
