Repair Screw Holes

D

drprunner

Member
Dec 31, 2008
77
SE Florida
Boat Info
1997 400 Sundancer
Engines
Caterpillar 3116 300hp
My 1997 400 Sundancer just went thru Hurricane Ian. The rear bimini stainless steel support frame was ripped right out of the fiberglass radar arch. I have the support frame and it is not damaged. My question is what is the best way to repair the screw holes in the radar arch that the frame ripped out? I don't need it to look pretty as the screw plate will cover up the repair work, I just need it to securely hold the frame.
screw holes.jpg
 
Foil tape on the inside will create a backer strong enough to hold the MarineRx or whatever you choose to use. I would lean toward Six10 thickened epoxy. It's a little easier to apply with the mixing tube and a caulk gun and tends to work it's way into the voids. I believe TotalBoat makes a similar product as well.
 
Personally, I would start with a couple layers of wetted cloth on the inside. Sand the back side with some 80 grit. Cut the cloth to about an inch larger than the area. Wet the cloth on some plastic and put it on the inside. Then clean up that outside and use some resign with chopped or milled fiber and a little cabosil to thicken it. Fill the top side good. Sanding it smooth and painting on some gel coat and smoothing and buffing. But that is just me.
 
JHornsby3 said:
Personally, I would start with a couple layers of wetted cloth on the inside. Sand the back side with some 80 grit. Cut the cloth to about an inch larger than the area. Wet the cloth on some plastic and put it on the inside. Then clean up that outside and use some resign with chopped or milled fiber and a little cabosil to thicken it. Fill the top side good. Sanding it smooth and painting on some gel coat and smoothing and buffing. But that is just me.
Click to expand...
I would agree, pending enough room to work from the inside.
 
Golfman25 said:
I would agree, pending enough room to work from the inside.
Click to expand...
With my fat fingers, I always have a bunch of paint stir sticks around. Those fingers always fit.;) But your right. It looks like it would have enough room to get a hand in there flat. But looking at a photo, it's hard to tell.
 
Just sand the area and mix some basic fiberglass resin with filler and some white pigment to help it match. The filler will get the resin to a peanut butter like consistency and then you can fill the holes. Then sand it smooth and drill new holes for the hardware to mount and it should be as strong as new. To help keep the stuff from smearing outside of places you want it just use some masking tape to protect the surfaces and peel it off before the repair fully hardens.

This is a decent kit for that kind of repair.
https://www.westmarine.com/west-system-105-k-fiberglass-boat-repair-kit-12954095.html
 
That is a pretty high stress area. My 400DA had a similar issue but due to loose screws and years of running with the loose screws. That area probably has been fatiguing for quite a while. Regardless, that entire location needs to be ground back and built back up with FRP then finished with Gelcoat. I found that the resin has broken down in the general area and the layup was no longer rigid. I also made a curved reinforcing plate for the inside of the arch and a SST machined block that the bimini mount attached so the load was better distributed.
 
ttmott said:
That is a pretty high stress area. My 400DA had a similar issue but due to loose screws and years of running with the loose screws. That area probably has been fatiguing for quite a while. Regardless, that entire location needs to be ground back and built back up with FRP then finished with Gelcoat. I found that the resin has broken down in the general area and the layup was no longer rigid. I also made a curved reinforcing plate for the inside of the arch and a SST machined block that the bimini mount attached so the load was better distributed.
Click to expand...
How did you make the curved reinforcing plate?
 
JHornsby3 said:
Personally, I would start with a couple layers of wetted cloth on the inside. Sand the back side with some 80 grit. Cut the cloth to about an inch larger than the area. Wet the cloth on some plastic and put it on the inside. Then clean up that outside and use some resign with chopped or milled fiber and a little cabosil to thicken it. Fill the top side good. Sanding it smooth and painting on some gel coat and smoothing and buffing. But that is just me.
Click to expand...

ttmott said:
That is a pretty high stress area. My 400DA had a similar issue but due to loose screws and years of running with the loose screws. That area probably has been fatiguing for quite a while. Regardless, that entire location needs to be ground back and built back up with FRP then finished with Gelcoat. I found that the resin has broken down in the general area and the layup was no longer rigid. I also made a curved reinforcing plate for the inside of the arch and a SST machined block that the bimini mount attached so the load was better distributed.
Click to expand...

@drprunner - These are the only way your frame will stay tight to your arch for any length of time. I have done much of this type of work and it is the minimum amount of reinforcement that will work. JMO, FWIW.
 
drprunner said:
How did you make the curved reinforcing plate?
Click to expand...
It's been a while but I took a piece of pipe that was about the same radius and hammered/formed a piece of 14 gauge stainless sheet metal around it. Worked it until it fit well. I bedded it into the fiberglass with 3M 5200. Hindsight I would have probably welded a couple of nuts on that plate also. I do remember getting a pretty severe gash on my hand due to some fiberglass shards inside of that arch.
 
Your replies have been a big help. I'm trying the marineRx with a marine grade plywood backing plate, held in place with 5200.

I also noticed that some of my snaps in my stainless windshield frame were broke. Any ideas how to get them out so I can replace them? Thanks

snap.jpg
 
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