How to prep Fiberglass & Gelcoat Crazing for Primer and Topcoat - Boston Whaler Restoration part 7

[@shatziswanson4396]

Thanks for the video! Whalers are the best!

[@geneva760]

I started out in life as Dental Tech- and a MUST do when repairing cracks in plastic was to first locate the end of the crack and just past that - drill a hole, then chamfer out the crack and repair. Failing to do that was 100.0% SURE that the plastic would crack back along and all the way through. I realise that GRP has glass fibres that help hold things together, but drilling that hole can help remove stress riser areas in plastic repairs. Worth thinking about for any plastic parts repair, whether fibre reinforced or not. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.

[@mikeb2480]

I’m surprised you don’t have much more likes and views. Thank you so much for posting this. I’m working on a 16 foot 1972 Whaler right now. I’m at the sanding phase. Except I live in a condo and I got a pick and choose when I wanna coat my neighbors cars with dust. Anyway, thanks again!

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Thank you! I appreciate the positive feedback! You must be a favorite with your neighbors lol. You should post some pics of your project , there's a few facebook pages that focus on the whalers.

[@josefastboats5874]

I completely feel you on the dust part. Don’t even get me started on the painting part. Lol. I had someone call the city epa inspector on me. Good thing was the day they showed up I wasn’t working on anything or painting. All my tools and stuff were in my shed. I heard you can get fined pretty good for painting with a gun in my city. You can only paint inside a shop in a paint booth. ( “ Legally “ ) Ugh...... I wanna move out of here

[@robertgoodnow5069]

Great pro tips using the sharpie to mark out bad spots. And the tarp and bungee cords to cover the paint job...I’ve really enjoyed your videos. Thank you for posting. I have a 2007 13 foot Boston Whaler Super Sport

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Thanks for the feedback, gotta love whalers, especially the 13's!

[@dmac8548]

I'm really glad I found your video series on this project. I have a '71 Nauset that I'm working on now. I'm in the process of filling old unused screw holes and sanding (when the work schedule and weather permit). I am torn right now on which primer and topside paint to use. Your videos have helped out a lot along the way. Great job, and thanks again.

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Thanks! I'm glad they have been helpful to you. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the primer I used on the hull (totalboat epoxy barrier) if you can use that topside go for it. But be careful as it is not recommended that it go over single stage paints.

[@GeorgieCt]

Did this to my 1975 16’ whaler. Fiberglass Ed the whole bottom. Nice video!!

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Thanks!

[@chrisburns5691]

nice work.. I've just gotten my 23 foot sailboat ready for primer and paint.. tons of prep work, lots of little cracks to grind out and fill.. looking forward to rolling that paint on. I've enjoyed watching your series.

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@BradBechtol]

Great Videos! I just started restoring my 1972 13' Whaler. Question regarding the Total Protect Epoxy Barrier Coat Primer you used on the hull. I was going to use Total Protect on the Topside as well as the hull since I bought a gallon on it. I was reading the the Total Protect does not come out as smooth as the Total Boat 2-Part Epoxy Primer. Do you think I can use the Total Protect on the topside? I have completed all of the fairing and sanding and don't want to risk the topcoat not coming out good after all of the work I have done. Thanks for your help.

[@jimmeis1927]

Thanks for the video and instruction. I started a 1973 13' recently. Mine is in better shape than yours, but not much better. A lot of spider cracks. Your info on that eases my concern. The totalboat video of the same restoration makes it look easy, but, a lot of man hours. Mine is for my grandson who is not yet 2years old....so, I have time on my side. Looking forward to the rest of your videos to help me finish the project.

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Good deal and an excellent project to take on for the grandson, gives you some time to get it done!

[@cuanmuyllaert6930]

Is it possible that there is any wax left in the gelcoat or does this dissappear over time? I ask because i want to do a paint job on my own boat. The gelcoat is scratched and faded and about 10/15 years old. Do i need to sand it right down to paint it or just a light sand, fill, prime and topcoat.?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

IF you mean the wax from the final gelcoat to harden it then no, especially on an older boat. What you would be more likely to find is wax that has been applied to it, sanding and washing should get most if not all of it off. I use a mix of dawn and ammonia to give it a final wash before applying any paint. A final wipe down with acetone dries it and insures any remaining oils or wax is removed (paint thinner will do the same).

[@cuanmuyllaert6930]

Ah ok. Thanks a million. I'm looking forward to making her shine!!!

[@DevinPaul46]

I just bought a 66 Boston Whaler Nauset and was starting to research how to go about restoring her.. I can't thank you enough for the time and effort you put into these videos, your project will serve as a step-by-step guide for myselft and I'm sure many others! A few questions for you, if you don't mind sharing your experience. 1 - When doing the sanding, how far do you really need to take the old paint/Gelcoat down? Some say all the way to the fiberglass but i noticed in your videos it looks like you got away with some of the blue paint still on there. 2 - when doing the nonslip flooring, whats the best way to tackle that beast? Thanks!

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback! As far as sanding, I took it down far enough where I though the combination of fairing compound and epoxy barrier coat would fill it in. I did several iterations of the barrier coat. I've heard that the cracks will eventually show through but I'm hoping that the barrier coat will keep that from happening, that was for the hull. Topside was just plain not sure but hopeful that will hold up over time. Non slip flooring is a beast. I lightly sanded over it with a stripping wheel and just painted over it with primer and paint and then later followed up with a few coats of KiwiGrip. I did think of taking a mold of the original diamond patter and recreating the missing areas with thickened epoxy but didn't go that route. Another option would be to cover the entire area with SeaDek EVA foam.

[@fishingaddict5638]

I'm also starting a restoration on a 17' Montauk. As you can imagine I watched all of your restoration videos a bunch of times each and I have learned a lot from you. Do you think using a wire wheel on a drill would take off the gel coat on the non skid floor? I read some of the comments that you were saying you would sand down the whole non skid and redo it. Thank you so much for these videos.

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I ended up leaving the non skid alone and painting over it. After that I went over it with 2 coats of Kiwi grip. I did use one of these (affiliate link) to rough it up so it would take the paint. Still not entirely happy with the deck though.

[@fishingaddict5638]

@@ExtremeDIYGuy OK, Thank You.

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

@@fishingaddict5638 Your welcome!

[@jayshreve4567]

How much Pettit EZ Prime did it take? The boat being fiberglass, shouldn't it have been a 2-part urethane primer?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I think I ended up using about 2 quarts. Honestly, If I was doing this over again, I would prime with 2 part epoxy. Areas with one coat paint might peel, but I would just sand and reprime at that point.

[@williamadams1438]

I’m curious. Do you grind off all of the non skid on the deck to fill those cracks? Also, how about the little water channel around the perimeter of the non skid? Do you use a dremel in the little groove and then fill with faring compound?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

No, i left it as is and used non slip paint over it.

[@Mr.Balvenie-r7x]

Great job!! Did you happen to keep track of the $$ spent on equipment and supplies? I also have a 1966 BW sport that I’m looking to refurbish- Dave

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I think I put 6k into it, the boat and trailer were 2k so I put about 4k into it altogether.

[@dylancrawford2003]

I’m glad you made a video series on restoring a Whaler. I’m about to start work on my 1972 13 foot Whaler, and your video on patching the hole in the anchor box gave me good info on how I’m gonna patch the hole in the bottom hull. Since you used fairing compound to patch up the holes, do you recommend using that over gel coat after patching a hole with fiberglass?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

It depends, the fairing compound is just a filler, kind of like bondo for boats, Gel Coat is a finish so they are not really the same. I used the fairing compound to smooth over the glass and give me a good foundation for the primer and paint. Hope that helps!

[@dylancrawford2003]

Jose's Extreme DIY That helps a lot. Thanks!

[@gilb5710]

Great write up! I’m building a hardtop to replace a canvas teetop on a 22’ Triton CC and stuck right now on what to do with the raw hardened fiberglass. A little sanding then fairing like you did and I’m going to stick with the primer and paint you recommend. Thank you

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

Sounds like a good plan, your welcome!

[@dustyburke165]

Thanks a lot for all these videos. I'm doing a similar restoration on a 13 ft whaler and these are extremely helpful. I was wondering how you sanded and applied fairing compound to the bottom of the deck without compromising the built in nonskid in that area? I have some serious cracks in that part of the deck that has nonskid, and am not sure how to repair them. Any advice would be great. Thanks again!

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I lightly sanded and painted as a placeholder. Once I finish the Hull I am going to grind down the non skid and cover it with Kiwi-Grip. I was originally going to put EVA foam teak decking but changed my mind as I have read that some folks were having issues with it.

[@josemartinez-dq1lh]

Hello Jose what deis you do with all the crazing? Did you sand all the way down to glass to get rid of crazing?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

The larger cracks I filled in with fairing compound. The rest of the crazing was filled in by hi build primer.

[@michaelamaru1011]

Hi Jose, Thanks for doing these videos they are terrific and very helpful! I am restoring a 13' and the non-skid area is in bad shape. Do I sand it all off and apply a non-skid sand finish or is there a way to repair the factory non-skid? Thanks, Mike A.

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

@@michaelamaru1011 If I were doing it over I would sand all the non skid off and then use kiwi grip over it. There are silicone molds available that can recreate a pattern. I havent tried those yet but may consider on my next restoration.

[@Jaggy1021]

So you mix additives into the EZ Prime? I'm doing a whaler 13' too and have never messed with any of this type of work at all. Im almost done filling in all holes and cracks, then going to be ready to sand everything to start with priming and painting. Any additional info on the priming and painting part of the project would be great. Amounts of additives for each product? Thanks for making these videos

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I did add thinner and the enhancer. I did that to get more pot life and so it would flow on smoother. I don't really think it's necessary though and may actually not fill in the spider cracks, thankfully, it did in my case though. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn't exceed 10% for most topside paints. I cover painting in a few more of the videos. You can also go to BoatWorks today's channel kzbin.info/door/0kDqq-pSzdqFUk3oTaHBuA, he has a wealth of information on repairs and paints.

[@jwk05003]

Thanks very much for these videos. I am a newb restoring a 17ft montauk. I have very bad spider cracks. In areas I've experimented on they go all the way down to the glass. Should I be grinding down to the glass or should I just sand and use the fairing compound. Thanks!

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

The common thought on that is that they should all be dremeled open or sanded down to the glass. I took a risk and sanded it down a lot and filled in with fairing compound. It's been about a year now and it's holding up fine so far but only time will tell.

[@jwk05003]

@@ExtremeDIYGuy Thanks for your input. These videos have been extremely helpful!

[@abdulsadiq6222]

I’m doing this now on my boat what grit you recommend

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

80 to 120 for shaping, 220 prior to finish coats

[@jamesashmun1775]

Was the non-skid sanded off?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

No, I left it as it was and gave it a few coats of Kiwi Grip

[@larryhamilton1636]

How much primer to do the interior?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I used one quart

[@abdulsadiq6222]

How many coats of primer

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I used 4 altogether

[@Smacker7474]

great videos! Thank you! Def giving me some things to apply to my boat. I just picked up a mid 60's 13' whaler and i'm going through the same stuff you are... Have you gotten to the outside of the boat yet? You doing the same to the outside that you did to the inside? I'm in the sanding phase right now.. What grit paper are you using to start with? 40-60 grit? Thanks!

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I Haven't done anything with the outside yet. I'll basically be doing the same thing with the outside with the exception that I will be using a 2 part epoxy primer and a 2 part polyurethane finish. I try to stay with 80 grit but drop down to 60 and in some case 40 for areas that are really bad. Good luck with your restoration!

[@Smacker7474]

@@ExtremeDIYGuy Gotcha... have you started it yet? I'm doing the outside of mine first. Just had the whole thing soda blasted and i want to get at least the outside done before it gets too cold to prime and paint. How smooth did you sand it down to be able to prime? Any little imperfections or took it all the way down? Curious if primer will help coat and fill the small imperfections...

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I just started the third coat of coat of the finish paint. I should be able to get that complete this weekend. I'll have a video of that soon. Havent done anything with the hull yet. You want to sand the minor cracks as much as possible. I thought the heavy primer I used would fill them in but did not all the way. The fine cracks should be fine after sanding and repriming. I sanded it with 80 grit for the first coat of primer, 120 for the next and subsequent coats. Hit the last coat with 220 to prep for the topside paint. I hear you about the cold, I'm racing the clock too. I want to get teh topside done before it gets too cold.

[@bcain5823]

Brian & Extreme, My project is very similar as well; early 80s 13'- 4" Whaler. Mine is in pretty good shape but is filled with hairline cracks all over. Some term them as 'spiderweb cracks'. Some of the bumper guard rivots around the top edge have broken and come loose and thinking of replacing all of it. Like Brian, I'm curious has to how deep to sand and wonder if the fairing compound helps to fill in those small 'spider' cracks.? Would your epoxy filler be strong enough to repair and reuse the rivoted holes left by the bumper guard? Any recommendations on where I could find a bumper guard? Great videos, BTW. And I did tag the LIKE!! :-)

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

@@bcain5823 I would use a thickened epoxy paste to fill in the rivet holes. I think fairing compound and/or a good primer will fill in most of the spider cracks, it did for mine. For large missing voids of gelcoat, I used the thickened epoxy (I use milled glass as a thickener). Good luck!

[@sentradynamics8889]

Cool video, lots of good info. Do you have an estimate of how many hours this whole topside restoration took to perform? Thanks :) PS. You're almost to 1k subscribers, hell yeah💪

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 man hours. Thanks, it's getting there!

[@sentradynamics8889]

@@ExtremeDIYGuy That's really not too bad actually. Thanks for you time.

[@freddynews6478]

Was there a reason that you did not use a sprayer for the primer?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

I thought about it but decided to roll instead. I =n retrospect that may have been a better choice. Maybe on a future project.

[@josefastboats5874]

@@ExtremeDIYGuy Spraying is always better, unless you neighbors want to be dicks and want to call the city on you. Lol

[@Maineriverandtide]

Cost of total resturation?

[@ExtremeDIYGuy]

About 5k once I sell the old engine, that includes everything. But doesn't count the 150 man hours spent onit lol