www.iFourWinns.com

I have a 60's model 14 fiberglass boat I am replacing the rotting wood floor in it. I have the new plywood floor installed, I am going to lay fiberglass fabric over it and then wet it out with resin. Going for cheap and sleazy fishing boat here for me and the boy.

My question is do I use an epoxy resin or a polyester resin? In the end I will be just painting the entire thing white with rustolium and a small roller Look out fish here we come!

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Guns kill people like spoons make people fat.
2007 Horizon 190 Gxi
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In this case, you can use either one. If you will just be using regular ol' paint, I may suggest the epoxy.

Make sure that you rough up the inner hull sides and wipe down with acetone so that the epoxy (or polyester) will adhere to the hull, where it meets the floor. And, wet the floor with the epoxy (or polyester) before laying the glass mat.

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Gordon Arnold
New Hampshire

2003 268 Vista ..................................................................Prior: 97 245 Sundowner

Like M3eater said, you can use either one. The polyester resin is cheaper and easier to find by the gallon at your chain auto parts or hardware stores. It's also hard to mix wrong with the hardener, meaning if you add too much, it just hardens quicker, and the opposite when you add a little less. With the epoxy you have to be pretty close to the mixing ratio.

Either way you choose to go with the resin, I'd run a 6-8" wide strip of mat along the edges of the floor where it meets the hull sides and transom, then glass the whole floor in so that the floor-hull joints in effect have two layers of mat. A surprising amount of structural rigidity comes from the floor-hull joint on a lot of boats.

Joe

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1998 278 Vista - Twin 4.3 GLs, Kohler 4KW Gen, AC/Heat.
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