Deck Repairs Part 2: Replacing the Core

[@alanmctavish3628]

No Flash, no sizzle, just straight forward info. Love it!!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the great feedback! I appreciate it.

[@ShorrockPaul]

Great tutorial. you sound like Clint Eastwood. you made my day !

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Paul, Thanks for the great feedback! As to Clint Eastwood, I may sound like him, but in person, I'm more like Barney Fife than Dirty Harry.

[@chrisjones8836]

Nice video. Very straightforward and informative. How experienced were you with glass work and epoxy before attempting this? Why didn't you use balsa? What was the total project time from start to finish?

[@JustALittleFurther]

I wouldn’t say that I was all that experienced with glass work, but I did have the opportunity to watch some real pros while in New Zealand. Balsa is great, but I had trouble finding it in the thickness I needed at the time, and it’s more expensive than plywood. Not counting the painting, I’d say it took about a week to do the section. I did almost the entire deck piecemeal over a few years. Thanks for the feedback!

[@williamjohnson1126]

I am repairing a locker lid in my cockpit. I am using a solid piece for the core. Do I paint both sides with resin prior to fiberglassing? Is the reason you use pieces instead of solid is to get the glass under each individual piece?

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi William, yes, definitely paint both sides of the core with epoxy. I use pieces of wood for a couple of reasons… to better fit in the space if there is any curvature or irregular edges, and to better fill any voids with thickened epoxy.

[@richardtharp1608]

You Need a 90 degree Angle air grinder with the Rolock Discs to smooth the Bottom glass and the top Glass that was Cut and Removed.. Thanks, Richard

[@droski33]

Great vid

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks again!

[@bwurdal]

I need to do similar repair on my boat, I can get to the deck from underneath, would the repair be similar in the steps?

[@JustALittleFurther]

Unless the repair is a very small area - like, say, under an old windlass switch, it will be very difficult to make the repair from below. Not only will you have a real mess, with the epoxy dripping out and the new core material sagging, it will be almost impossible to complete the fix without leaving voids. Maybe if you wet out the plywood pieces and screw them in place - right thru the deck fiberglass - to hold them until the epoxy begins to kick, then remove the screws and use a very thick epoxy mix to fill the voids as much as possible. Then tape/screw the lower layer of fiberglass in place - moving quickly before the epoxy drips out. After that kicks, drill a bunch of holes from above and squirt epoxy into them (as well as the screw holes from the earlier step) using a syringe, and you might be able to fill most of the voids. I can see this turning into a real disaster... but I've never tried it. Good luck, and if you do try it, please let me know how it turns out.

[@jackwalker9864]

A combination of a circular battery powered saw (which you can set the depth, so you don't cut through the fiberglass on the under side of of the core) and a multi tool vibrating saw to take out the damaged core it's much easier than using a hammer and chisel to remove the core! instead of using plywood I used a foam core cut into blocks held together with a scrim on one side. You can open up the blocks and place epoxy into the cuts between the 1" blocks (this is an extremely messy procedure and I do the epoxy placement into the blocks over the area they are going into).

[@timsmith6700]

Excellent.

[@OHFORPEATSAKES]

Thanks, very helpful.

[@andredc9583]

Great tips thanks!!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

[@corvavw6447]

Veel werk 😂maar de oorzaak wordt vergeten.

[@bullhippo9023]

Try a vibrating multi tool too cut the fiberglass, it works gtreat and does not throw dust. I have covered myself and the interior of boats using the rotating cutting wheels, never again !

[@cogkis]

fein works well

[@ji6050]

Cosmetic repair. Try do that method on a foredeck to hold the short forestay or anything that requires force. Given time you will get a bigger soft spot. Fibreglass core is foam SANDWICH construction. It strength requires both. Try this with cardboard it's a disastrous method.

[@JustALittleFurther]

I’m not sure why you thought the core was replaced with cardboard. I used marine ply for the core, and it was sandwiched between the two layers of fiberglass. It’s a very strong combination that is used quite often with good results. Did you actually watch the video?

[@kriiigern777]

I don't think you will not get maximum strength using pieces of wood. But it is better than not doing anything with it!

[@JustALittleFurther]

Marine plywood is quite strong for its weight. This is the accepted method for replacing a cored deck - at least in the US. From your name - perhaps you are Swedish? Is it done differently there?

[@timothythomas1626]

Why they don't use High Density Foam for the Core? Just mix 2 Liquids and the foam spreads and expands. One would have to have cut relief holes as not to damage the boat. I have worked with this foam and Believe one could open a safe - Blow the Door Off by drilling a Hole and pouring the 2 Part Foam Liquid.

[@JustALittleFurther]

Hi Timothy, Good idea, but I think you’d still need to remove the wet, damaged core before pouring the foam in. The process would have to be very carefully controlled to avoid voids or, even worse, distorted, bulging decks as the foam expands. Many people also suggest drilling multiple holes and forcing epoxy into the core, but it’s my belief that this is a temporary fix at best.

[@ZZSTOP22]

inadequate. the top layer remains structurally weak