fish well and cooler

[spanishmak]

I have a 1978 v 20 cc 20'6" the two side boxes at the bow are just hollow,can anybody tell me the easiest way to make one into a fishbox and the other a cooler.I have one lined with 2" styrofoam but did not do the other one because somebody told me that you cant fiberglass over the styrofoam is this true.Does anybody have any suggestions.I do not have a digital cam so cannot post pics but will soon.thanks

[Blue_Runner]

I'm not familiar with the V20 cc's and never seen one up close in person. Did they have drop in liners? Or glassed in and someone cut it out?

[Road King Cole]

Two side boxes in the bow?

My 84 cc does not have such boxes. It has the middle "dug out" in which we usually drop in a porta-potty. With the shape of the bow, I wouldn't think there would be much room to have anything on the sides...

rkc

[Blue_Runner]

I googled the glass over styrofoam thing. Here's a link I found centered around the discussion. I don't do glass so it is a lot of jibberish glass terminology to me though but basic jist of it sounds logical on the approach.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/fibe...ne-164302.html

[nipper]

RoadKing, I think he has a V20 center console. CC gets interchanged a lot to stand for either center console or cuddy cabin. I agree--there's nothing up there in the cuddy but the cutout for the porta potti.

[spanishmak]

Sorry about the confusion guys,forgot that cc could mean center console or cuddy cabin,yes nipper it is a center console,also it does have a drop in liner(factory made).On the bow, port and starboard it has 2 empty boxes with lids on them but they are hollow(when you lift the covers you can see the stringers).So I want to glass them in and make one into a cooler and one into a fishbox,but i am not trying to make a mold just just want to glass them in place,which is why I was using styrofoam to shape the empty hole(bottom and 4 sides each),but if anybody has any easier methods I sure would appreciate some advice!Bluerunner thanks for the link,some good idea's there!This forum is awesome,it has helped me out with alot of the work I have done on my boat!I am thinking about covering the styrofoam with bondo then fiberglassing over it but I dont know if this will effect the insulating value of the styrofoam.Will it? I dont want to be running out of ice in the middle of the day.Gotta keep those fish fresh RIGHT.

[Cali-V]

You can fiberglass styrofoam but you have to use the correct resin. Styrofoam a.k.a. polystyrene will melt from the styrene monomer in poly/vinyl ester resin. I believe bondo has styrene in it too. If so, then that will not work. If you want to use the standard insulation foam panels from the hardware store you will have to 'glass it with epoxy. Epoxy resin can be used on styrofoam without worry. For the small bit it sounds like you want to do the cost difference should not be much. If you are set on vinyl/poly resin then you will have to get some polyurethane foam (the stuff most surfboards use as a core) I have no idea where to get it in blocks or how good it's insulation properties are.

[Blue_Runner]

Spanish - any time. Post pics of the project if you can - enquiring minds want to know!

[spanishmak]

Yes I will post pics as soon as I can,thanks

[Richie Rich]

dont use bondo or anything automotive in a boat...bondo will absorb water and is worthless for structurally glassing anything...its for fairing.....use epoxy to laminate the foam and then use epoxy with microballoons to fair the box and then paint it with 2 part PU paint.