Reply With QuoteMost jet ski hulls are made of SMC (sheet molded compound). They make a special resin that is designed just for SMC. Regular fiberglass resin dosn't adhere well to SMC as you have just learned.
Had an 18" crack on my hull. ground down the outside and repaired with kitty-hair Bondo. Thought I had the inside done but the fiberglass mat and resin didn't adhere. It looked good. I was going to put on another layer or two awhen I discovered that I could pull off my patch fairly easily with a set of pliers.
I had sanded it down a bit and cleaned the surface with acetone. Do I need a special bonding material or does the surface need to be really roughened up thanxs david
Most jet ski hulls are made of SMC (sheet molded compound). They make a special resin that is designed just for SMC. Regular fiberglass resin dosn't adhere well to SMC as you have just learned.
take a 4" hole cutter to the crack... leave well enough alone.
Use West System, it is the only way to go, you can get there guides and it makes it easy.
Good luck
Jim
I don't know if epoxy resins will work with some of these plastic parts. You may have to "weld" the crack with the right tools and compatible filler rods.
I'm adding a link so you can get some ideas.
Plastic Welding (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_welding)
go post on www.greenhulk.net and you`ll find only the best in the biz to give you info. Just like right here is the best for info on boats, cars, and motors.
thanxs for all the suggestions so far (all except for Legal Chemistry's??)
One guy hit it on the head. Use West System Epoxy. 105 resin/205 or 206 hardener depending on temp. It's the only thing I use at my shop to repair PWC. I have had too many comebacks using the "SMC Resin"
To do it right, you should fix it on both sides. Lay a nice patch on the inside with at least a 2 oz mat and 6oz cloth (I prefer mat and 1708 or 2415 woven composite if you can find some) several inches beyond your repair in all directions. Then grind that Kitty-Crap off the outside and replace it with mat. The trick to using fiberglass mat with epoxy resin is wad it up and work it over really well before wetting it out to break up the binding agent they use during manufacture. It's a polyester based product that normal resin will break down...Epoxy won't break it down. Good Luck!
The trick to using fiberglass mat with epoxy resin is wad it up and work it over really well before wetting it out to break up the binding agent they use during manufacture. It's a polyester based product that normal resin will break down...Epoxy won't break it down. Good Luck!
could you elaborate on this? Did you mean break up the binding agent of the matt or the epoxy? What is the polyester based product?
thanks, rondane
Finished a couple of weeks ago. Took it to the river and no leaks. Ground the ouside of the hull down quite a bit and opened up and feathered the small portion of the crack. Four layers of matting on inside, one mat layer then cloth, mat then cloth again. Also used short kitty hair bond to fill crack. Thanks again for the replies and help. Will post finished pics Friday. Have not gell coated the hull yet. Just coated the outside of the repair with reisin.
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