Fiberglass Boat Repair

[@Hiltechshipwrights]

To all the key board warriors who hated this kid for giving it a crack......Go get a life or even better have a go at fixing this 1000% difficult job. Even a pro would clench his teeth at the category 1000% difficult repair. Bless you Zach for giving it a crack..... as you clearly said your not a pro but willing to give it a go. That peanut butter mix was a pretty good plan. Probably just needed 4 solid layers on the back side to make it strong enough. Glassing upside down is tricky. Try wetting the boat with resin and pressing the glass on dry.... then gradually paint more resin on and roll it with a bolt roller. I normally roast bad work but i can see what you're about. keep creating mate!

[@TheDcrocks1]

The crazy part for me is that he did not align the seperated pieces. The whole time i was watching, i was like....' That cracks coming back tomorrow' but your right, he is giving it a go. Good choice to re-enforce his potential skills.

[@tomharrell1954]

No he said he was going to show us how to do it!!!!! That is a lot different than saying this is how I did it!!!!!

[@alizainnoordin2554]

Ĺ

[@HuntingOldYella]

There was no strength to that repair at all. Thats a dangerous repair in a structural part of the hull. Should never of given it a go on someone else's boat

[@mikecorleone6797]

I’m not a fiberglass guy but my buddy standing next to me is a 35 year fiberglass veteran and he says that repair has no integrity to it and the moment the guy bumps another boat or hits a wave too hard that crack is going to split right open again.. what the kid should have done is cut the damaged section out completely, bevel the edges of the damaged areas and rebuild it with chop strand matting then go over it with the 1708, then fill it in with resin putty IF needed.. sand down then gel coat.. the reason we bevel the edges of the damaged area is to give the glass something to actually bond to.. glass doesn’t stick to gel coat very well and it will blister guaranteed.. the best way to do that type of repair is to remove trashed area and open up a 1 inch gap or so, tape in some cardboard from behind then glass the outside first then remove cardboard and glass the inside, that would take care of his glass matting wanting to fall off as he’s trying to lay it up.. glass will stick to fresh glass a ton easier than the way he did it.. bayliners often have a wax coating on the inside of the hull to prevent moisture rot and to prevent mildew from forming.. you need to remove that coating or glass will not stick right..

[@robwurlitzer]

I subscribed after watching this video because anyone who’s worth their salt who jumps in to do jobs like this, beyond their skill set and comfort level, demands some respect.

[@joecas373]

Awesome video. Thank you for taking the time to show us new timers that we can tackle projects like this and not having to pay thousands of dollars to get this done.

[@seanfoley6263]

Hey I'm an automobile and diesel mechanic and I know very little about fiberglass and I have 3 boats to repair and ur video was very informative. I'm glad to see y didn't stop after the first day I knew u cam do better.

[@elapostolsalsero1211]

Thanks Zach for your videos. I am in Florida, just purchased a 1994 Bayliner Capri 2050 LS and I’ll be doing the floors and some updates myself. Your videos are very helpful thank you.

[@hsagri69]

U seemed to be getting some grief for this video so I just wanted to say thank you for doing it. I have a fibreglass repair to do and I found ur video very helpful

[@j.d.tjonwolf9324]

Zach, I really appreciate your videos an emails related to my 1973 Mercruiser Aristocraft boat. I do not know nothing about boats or repairs, but as retire military I took the challenge and helps me to build my relationship with my teenager son, and that is priceless! Your videos and techniques are my instrument to continue working. My project is a long project due to time restrain with my son, but Thanks to Your videos and my old boat, my son are I have a better relationship. Keep doing what you do, on my eyes your are a pro from the heart and soul brother!!! De Oppressor Liber!!!

[@josephmueller320]

Two Thumbs up Zach, I do this for a living and you did just fine. Hope to see more vids from you!!

[@aros007z]

Wow, you are a sharp guy, a hard worker and a great wife by your side....you will go far!

[@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643]

I've got to repair some damage on my sailboat. this video was a big help and a MUCH bigger project than what I have to deal with. That was a serious undertaking.

[@chunkyfather29]

Wow, that's a huge crack. What's impressive is your work. You are gifted and doing very well

[@MBIZZLEHIPHOP]

Agreed. It looks way better when you came back the second time. It takes time to do a detail like this. Can’t rush it. Anyway excellent work sir.

[@anthonyderose6069]

Thanks for your time and effort. You give us “do it yourselfers” ambition to try it ourselves!

[@ZachsGarage1]

Thanks! Happy to share!

[@kathykimzey4893]

Really enjoyed this video. I really liked how you decided to come back the second day and work on it again to bring it to a better smoothness/texture. Looks great! We are getting ready to restore a 1978 Formula Thunderbird, so I've enjoyed going through your various videos. Thank you for sharing.

[@56Moto]

I like the tricky you did with the flour, never seen that bevore. Nice skill to have. Thanks.

[@zackharding4743]

He made it not look like shit, lets be honest. Hats off to you man. 🤘🏻

[@robertcarey9121]

We always learn everyday and you did just fine and always room for improvement. Good job!

[@MRScrubNasty]

Rather than talk shit in the comments and literally do nothing but come off douchey, ill just comment what over my 12 years experience in owning a boat shop in Florida I see wrong, to help others reading the comments. I'll start by saying, you were SO close. You just missed 1 step. Really the most important step but that's OK. You needed to go back over that area you faired out with the thickened resin with cloth. The biggest issue is nothing is really holding all of that thickened resin into those cracks. You did it on the back side, but you needed to also do it on the front, like a sandwich. You did a great job at making it look good, but, the repair might not stick to the boat on a rough/choppy day. I think you have potential to be a great fiberglass repair tech, you made it look better than some shops who call themselves "pros" so there is that. I think the comment section is full of know it alls that rather than help other comment readers, want to just bash you and feel better about themselves since they probably have a hole in their boat and they're mad at life.

[@COSMACELF1802]

This video is top notch all across the board (content, timing, context, etc) I am curious, why are there any thumbs down??? Ahh, they must be from boat workers that want you to pay thousands of dollars instead of doing it yourself!

[@mchaves7663]

Zach, thanks for video. It was quite informative and also enjoyable to watch. cheers

[@jeffhertz2690]

Great job for your very first time! I wonder after he ran the boat around awhile if it developed any cracks in your repair. I look forward to more of your videos!

[@ZachsGarage1]

I should note, I'm not a pro, I don't run a boat shop. My experiences are from fixing my own boat. I never repaired fiberglass damage quite like this before, but I'm not afraid to try new things. This repair was done for one of my subscribers. I left in the video what the repair looked liked after day 1 to show honest results. It needed more time than just 1 day. Part of this is due to the fact that I'm not using an actual fairing compound, I'm just using thickened resin, this doesn't make the repair impossible to get smooth but it takes more time sanding to get it to a desired smoothness. This is all a learning experience, One that I enjoy sharing with you :) There are plenty of other improvements that could have been made in a repair like this, and I like the ideas people have shared. But if you stop watching before 18:54, just know I don't leave the repair looking that bad :P

[@bdul-ob8sx]

great video! a wooden sanding block would really clean that up. awesome work. and a popsicle stick to find the low and high points

[@wokmajik]

Hey man, don't sweat all these haters. It's obvious that you were rushed and that you were doing a solid for someone. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THEM, there are some good things to take away from your video. I personally hadn't seen the chopped fibers or flour added to resin before! I'm still raising my eyebrow on that flour...lol. I think its important to remember that crafts like fiberglassing are long-term progressions. Nobody makes a perfect repair their first time. Or 20th or 100th. Stay positive, keep learning, keep improving your craft. Thanks for the video!

[@rosewd2]

Thats quite a big crack ! came out really nice.

[@pingle37]

Nice job , great video

[@jaunlopez9857]

That's a good job, I'm starting on my 1979 glastron hvp-165 restoration, I'm not no pro but this helped alot, thanks for the info.

[@mustangracer5124]

You can use a polyester filler with catylist to fix the imperfections and a poly-fill primer. to make it good as new.

[@livinglife7641]

You did a great job on the repair.

[@manousos00]

Great job! Hard work always pays off!!!

[@Harlanmote]

Out standing job..👍

[@aidadelaherran8657]

Love that you explain every step and I think you did a great job considering the time and where the boat is. Thank you. My only problem with all fiberglass work in general is with all the dust and fibers going everywhere and affecting wildlife. It’s something we all should look at avoiding where possible. I’m looking at getting a cyclone attached to a drum that will collect all the dust instead of clogging the vacuum. Please don’t take this as a critique, just a thought for everyone working with fiberglass. Thanks again for sharing the steps and your work.

[@benjones4546]

Awesome job!!!!!

[@ezjuliani]

You should have wetted underneath the damage area with epoxy and let rest till its tacky, only then you would lay the 1708. Alway used peal-ply so you achieved a flawless finished.

[@TheAlexAdventures]

Thank you for making this video

[@edwardlocke874]

Looks great !

[@ScottsChaos]

Hey Zach. I was scrolling through Facebook and came across an ad for vatboomc. It's some sort of fiberglass repair compound. The first clip I saw I'm 100% sure is from this video.

[@gabrielmoreno1592]

excellent your videos! How much would it cost to repair a new Perkin 4108 marine engine

[@stevewilliams4866]

Zach - Think respirator; and eye and ear protection while you're using the grinder/sander!

[@DexterGoneWild]

That fumes silica would have helped you stick the the 1708 to the back side. It acts like an adhesive and helps hold glass in place when working overhead.

[@moonolyth]

It may have helped to use the textured glass vs the cloth as you could patch better and it will grab on the edges better. + Ferring compound would have made your job so much easier.

[@Patrickmetaldetecting]

Nice looking job

[@marcosbarraza4738]

Hey where did you get the material to fix it. Just got a boat for cheap and well, it's got more cracks than our government,

[@raulgalaviz8987]

You save lot money💰🤑💸 good job.👍👍👍

[@AmirKhan-tx6ze]

Good morning I am Aamir khan from Pakistan this work Dubai fiber class boat repairing checking I like your video

[@jagergerg9771]

That’s one hell of a repair

[@josevaladez5275]

Todos los videos me gustaron mucho te felicito por el gran trabajó realizado. No se escribirlo en inglés pero esperó encuentres la traducción saludos.

[@seriksson9721]

Painting works in the dark are revealed in daylight. It would require incredible luck if it is to succeed, it was probably the most grinding job that required more time.

[@HuntingOldYella]

So I didn't see any sanding of the under size so those pices won't stay there for long. Good on you for having a go but that's a structural area of the boat and that's not a structural repair, I see that cracking and failing. I hope the boat won't sink and no one gets injured

[@ZachsGarage1]

I can try to reason with you or I can simply say it's been over a year since the repair and the boat has been used 20+ times since then and the owner hasn't had a single crack on the repair

[@trentidfwy3770]

just found this channel, this was an amazing repair. i just bought a 1988 thompson cutless 170 with a 3.0 merc in it... complete restoration job, so ive been loving your bayliner videos

[@physicsudel2013]

Good work man.

[@jeffvining6534]

It was very informative, I would really like to see a bass boat with metal flake and clear.

[@nicholaskuhar6232]

yeah i do glass it will be just fine ..no show queen.? did she let you hit it for fixing boat?

[@yodahassoda]

Hey a little trick to soften your paint edges roll your taped edge like laying a rounded edge helps masked edge with less of a edge hard to explain lay straws on a piece of cardboard in a square and tape them down and then spray gel coat in square and you will see the edges are softer and less noticeable practice a few times hope this helps one more get yourself some air tools you can get a 2in angle grinder that can get into tight small places Harbor Freight or Northern Tool has them cheap

[@specialsauce305]

Great video but I have a question. How are you able to sand the laminating polyester resin without it remaining tacky?

[@n6y6h6]

Well..i am back to boatworkstoday..at least he knows what he is doing..

[@alissonmatarazzo9038]

Hey, I'm comming from Brazil, could you tell me if its hard to find a job at marines for general boat repair and general marine work ? ty

[@taylo1640]

Damn, at least he gave it a shot and had a learning experience. I’m sure you could totally do a much better job than him (not)

[@n6y6h6]

@@taylo1640 i am pretty damn sure i could make it so smooth that nobody will every notice the damage from 5 cm away..but good work takes time....remember that it takes 7 hours to build an opel and 7 months to build a Rolls-Royce.

[@taylo1640]

@@n6y6h6 hahahaha ok pal, keep patting yourself on the back while taking 6 months of your time to repair a $8,000 boat

[@n6y6h6]

@@taylo1640 then it will be a nice winter project...and next summer the boat will look as new

[@JimmyLeeBands]

awesome video, very informative. How did you get the resin to dry so quickly. I thought it takes several hours for it to harden to sand ? Just use the heat gun ? I have a decent sized damage area on my swim platform. I'm going to take a crack at it. I'm somewhat experienced using 1708 etc as I've rebuild the entire transom on my old boat. But That was on the inside and I didnt gel coat it or have to worry about a nice finish. This is the part i'm worried about. Thanks for the vid

[@fredbacon4971]

Nice job

[@TheBoatProject]

Awesome, Love this. Keep up the good work!

[@ricardochaparro8678]

Why zachs is not using fiber glass bondo?

[@rafaelreyes4251]

hello friend I really liked your video could you make a video how to prepare the gel coat to apply with a spray gun thanks ...

[@ZachsGarage1]

Glad you asked, I show some of the ratios I use here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaiViYd4baiBrbs

[@rafaelreyes4251]

@@ZachsGarage1 thanks friend...💯

[@Thewrightstuff777]

That was a really nice repair! I’m hoping you got another bowl of ice cream...

[@joshuadolan3811]

Wonder what the outcome would be if everyone painted their boat while in the water? No regard for marine life?

[@daniellesimpson50]

How do you get replacement lounge seats for a 1986

[@shainemyers9640]

Great job. It looks great.

[@gangstargaragevietnam3958]

To achieve best adhesion at the back side, you need to sand the back first with coarse grit paper, 60 or 80 is ok, then blow off the dust and wipe off with a little bit of styrene thinner sprayed on a rag. If you don't have styrene thinner, you may use a little acetone. This will dissolve the resin slightly on the surface and make it tacky, so when you lay on the repair layer, it sticks very well.

[@ericbrauch5872]

That was my thought. Preparing the back side. Im repairing similiar damage.

[@robertcain3426]

​@@ericbrauch5872Don't need to touch the back/underside at all. If you could access that area to sand/grind the surface, then that could be an option. But his repair won't adhere and will be weak and not last. In this case the repair can be fully done from above by grinding out the damaged sections 50 - 100mm either side feathering it so it is waifer thin in the damage laminate, just to hold up the new glass which builds up to just below the original surface leaving it a gelcoat thickness lower. Shape the laminate and add the gelcoat and sand, cut and polish to an original finish. A lot easier and a better than the way its done in this video. Cheers

[@victoraxten3761]

Great job great video thank you

[@Provoked-TV]

I'm a pro and yeah of course I would have done somethings differently i thought you effort payed off well! It's strong and reasonable plus I enjoy it and I think its great for the diy ppl to have a go. I think you done a brilliant job but as a professional with 10 years experience thats only why I criticize 😀🚤👌👍

[@peterthomas1670]

Hope you ground back repair underneath before you did repair so resin had something to bond too, it will separate if not, i personally would of cut that right out an layed up from underneath using tin tape on the outside to lay up against an finished off repair on outside.

[@Grey0056]

Respect the 'why not' attitude in giving it a try with no prior experience. What type of attachment were you using with the angle grinder?

[@ZachsGarage1]

I appreciate your respect. Flap discs for sanding. I might have also used a metal cutting wheel at one point for cutting off excess that was hanging down on the inside

[@Grey0056]

@@ZachsGarage1 Awesome. Have an upcoming repair to the roof of the captain's tower where there is some cracking/flaking - wanted to use the right attachment. Thanks!

[@matt22blaster]

Awesome repair!

[@frankdavidson9675]

fiber glass repair is very easy jus t sand and clean area to repair if its a hole place a patch 2- 3 times as large as the hole on inside you can get sm pieces of fiberglass cloth at walmart or a boat dealer mix resin as stated on container i save pop cycles sticks to stir the resin real good do no mix more than you need at at time use small paint brush to apply resin soak cloth good it will dry in about 30 mins in hot weather now work on outside do the same thing you did on inside soak fabric good let dry you may need to sand area before-- painting i use cheap brushes to throw away i have fiberglassed a 21 ft alum boat leaking revits it works real good to seal boat no more leaks i use a roller on large jobs you can use fiber glass to repair metal ---wooden fiberglass boats one rule to follow only mix resin in small batches it sits up quick

[@delstep2255]

For fiberglass damages under the water line, do I need to repair from both inside and outside?

[@nicktopo8380]

inside first, then fill outside

[@delstep2255]

@@nicktopo8380 Thanks. I am on it.

[@nicktopo8380]

@@delstep2255 good luck buddy

[@stevenbenavente1229]

Good job

[@chuckcenkus6891]

What was the mixture that you used for the outside of the boat to fill in the cracks and how many equal parts?

[@ZachsGarage1]

Catalyze the resin as normal then add chop strands and a filler( I used flour) till it's a decent thickness it will become difficult to stir. That's how you know it's thick enough 🤠

[@chuckcenkus6891]

Thanks! 1. Was the catalyst the fumes silica? 2. I can’t get the fiberglass crack completely even with the outside where it was pushed in. Do you think I can still use the 1708 on the inside and still fill in on the outside?

[@chuckcenkus6891]

Or is it MEKP?

[@ZachsGarage1]

@@chuckcenkus6891 mekp is always the catalyst. mixed between 1% to 2% to resin

[@ZachsGarage1]

@@chuckcenkus6891 the catalyst (hardener) is always MEKP. Fumed silica is just a filler like flour but gives a bit smoother texture. You can try to sand the filler down some to slope between the both sides of the crack to help level out

[@jwall640]

Dude is SUPER smart

[@makingcookingfixing]

Hi, quick question, do you think you could have used Bondo or any other body filler? I think you used the better (same as the resin of the repair) but I am asking if I don't have that filler that you used with fibers and all that. Thanks.

[@ZachsGarage1]

Yes! Infact I would recommend a body filler. It will smooth out the top layer better than the "peanut butter" resin mix I used

[@ZachsGarage1]

Total boat has a polyester fairing compound (equivalent of Bondo) I'd recommend!

[@tigerwoodz6084]

How much was a repair like that?

[@Doboe36]

What's up bro where are you located

[@wyattsdad8561]

That came out really good! Hey I’ve got a 2002 Bayliner Capri and somehow all these little cracks appeared on the top of the bow. It’s an open bow boat so there’s not a lot of surface area at the top of the bow but I hate how the cracks look do you have any suggestions on how i can fix them?

[@ZachsGarage1]

You know, that's a good question! Hairline cracks are annoying as boats get older. I haven't tried repairing any yet. I'd try sanding into it some, if it's just in the gel coat, put some new gel coat on the area then sand smooth then as clear or have wax added in a top coat

[@wyattsdad8561]

@@ZachsGarage1 okay thank you

[@wyattsdad8561]

@@ZachsGarage1 but how do I know what shade of white gelcoat to use? Does it only come in one shade of white?

[@ZachsGarage1]

@@wyattsdad8561 there are different shades, but probably the basic white

[@justdoit8613]

Great job boss

[@OldManJimmy1]

Zach, I couldn't help but notice you are in the Texas area, I have a Bayliner boat that needs some hull work I'd like to talk to you about doing as you are way better at this than I'll ever be. The hull damage is to the inside of the hull and not the outside and it's inside a ski well on the bottom of the boat. I would bring the boat to you for repair and you would not have to come to my location unless you wanted to.

[@ZachsGarage1]

Hi Jimmy, send me an email to [e-mail] with more details

[@icando8290]

not clear name what you used from poly bag/

[@williesims8655]

Zack, Very cool Vid brother, But Please do not underestimate fiberglass - that stuff will really screw up your lungs --- I am not hating just please be careful

[@joshmosley5864]

Nice work. I’m not an expert, but I think fairing compound would have helped you get that super smooth finish you were looking for. Would have required more time and work, lots of sanding. Just an FYI.

[@ZachsGarage1]

I agree!

[@tommywood1382]

It can be done, I do it every damn day. Its teeth clenching to get the glass on before the resin goes off. The rest is sanding and shaping.

[@walterdanielpadensmith2608]

Hey are you still doing this? I need help..I've a challenger 2000 that I'm struggling with to fiberglass..Has 2 one foot long small cracks on hull and I can't get glass to stay... please help

[@ZachsGarage1]

Shoot me an email with details at [e-mail]

[@zx001961]

Did you thin out your gel coat to spray

[@ZachsGarage1]

Yes

[@zx001961]

@@ZachsGarage1 did you use lacquer too thin it out

[@ZachsGarage1]

@@zx001961 I used styrene monomer

[@J-Justice666]

small suggestion, leave your captions up long enough for us to read them

[@ZachsGarage1]

⏯️

[@mixmasterjt]

Great video. Curious why you chose polyester vs epoxy? Is it because of the cure time of epoxy being really fast?

[@ZachsGarage1]

There wasn't a specific reason for this case other than it was what I had on hand. Epoxy would have also worked just fine for this repair

[@acehguy]

Pòly is good above water epoxy for under water repairs.

[@gangstargaragevietnam3958]

You should always do the repair with the same type of resin as the part was made with to minimize the risk for delamination.

[@tonyk8592]

Remember this always.......Epoxy sticks to polyester. Polyester does NOT stick to epoxy. Making repairs with epoxy, then spraying the polyester gelcoat over it will result in a disaster in relatively short order. (about a year later it will start faking/ cracking off). Vinyl Ester resins WILL stick to epoxy, and polyester WILL stick to vinyl ester. The best method is structural repairs underneath with Epoxy. Do the final filling and fairing work with vinyl ester. Then apply your finish polyester gelcoat finish over the vinyl ester.

[@getreel1712]

Yeah, should have used epoxy not polyester resin. More adherence less separation later.

[@Daytonabeachfishingexperience]

How much would something like that cost?

[@nicktopo8380]

2k

[@matthiasmeyer5341]

Where are you located

[@wufengdedan]

That is a good job, I learned a lot.

[@ZachsGarage1]

Thanks!

[@terrywilson1813]

I had a tree fall on my fiberglass boat and have two spots with some pretty bad damage and I'm s little nervous about fixing it myself because I've never done fiberglass work but I think I'm going to have to because I only have 4500 in the boat and can't spend a fortune getting it repaired

[@ZachsGarage1]

The beauty about fiberglass is that if you don't get it and good as you'd like on the first try you can always grind it down and try again

[@SuperPacificcoast]

That owner should be happy, I hope he paid him well

[@jaimeripoll8207]

Buena restauración, la próxima vez saca la embarcación del agua, en lugar de contaminar el agua

[@getnitdun7]

How did this happen?

[@Whalermansteve84]

Should have sanded it down at the end and filled it with fairing compound.: cans that down town 220-320 and you will have better results

[@ameltzer33]

Wear a respirator when sanding and painting even outside, stuff will literally kill you if you do a lot of it, goggles too !

[@kylebayes4711]

Can polyester resins be used to fix epoxy parts?

[@ZachsGarage1]

It's usually not recommended from what I've seen. Epoxy on the other hand can be used on hard polyester. Observation I've heard from most is that polyester only likes to stick to polyester when you're putting it down

[@ZachsGarage1]

If you are determined and are prepared for it not to stick 100% you can always give it a try to find out for yourself how well or not well it works