Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2011 6:04 pm
I did a repair using fiberglass cloth and G-flex epoxy and it seems very secure.
I guttered out the crack and rounded the edges as suggested in the information that comes with the G-flex epoxy. You can get kits of G-flex that have 4.5oz of resin and 4.5oz of hardener, as well as plastic spatulas, silica powder and mixing cups.
I duct taped the crack on the inside of the coaming and poured epoxy thickened with silica gel into the crack from the outside, then later applied a fillet of thickened epoxy on the outside of the cockpit coaming over the crack to reinforce it. This was not so thick as to interfere with the fit of the skirt.
I then removed the duct tape from the inside of the coaming and applied a tape strip of 6oz glass cloth using multiple applications of unthickened G-flex to wet out the cloth tape and fill the weave.
As ezwater mentioned, when using G-flex on polyethylene it is very important to pre treat the surface of the poly by passing the flame of a propane torch over it to oxidize it. It is also a good idea to thoroughly clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol before flaming it.
I guttered out the crack and rounded the edges as suggested in the information that comes with the G-flex epoxy. You can get kits of G-flex that have 4.5oz of resin and 4.5oz of hardener, as well as plastic spatulas, silica powder and mixing cups.
I duct taped the crack on the inside of the coaming and poured epoxy thickened with silica gel into the crack from the outside, then later applied a fillet of thickened epoxy on the outside of the cockpit coaming over the crack to reinforce it. This was not so thick as to interfere with the fit of the skirt.
I then removed the duct tape from the inside of the coaming and applied a tape strip of 6oz glass cloth using multiple applications of unthickened G-flex to wet out the cloth tape and fill the weave.
As ezwater mentioned, when using G-flex on polyethylene it is very important to pre treat the surface of the poly by passing the flame of a propane torch over it to oxidize it. It is also a good idea to thoroughly clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol before flaming it.