Franco's Help

msbhammer · #1 03-19-2006, 11:59 AM

Hey Franco,
Seen on anther post how you mentioned making a hatch cover with plywood and cloth. I was gonna use starboard, but since i have the West System and plenty of cloth, I figured maybe doing the same. Question:
After wetting the wood and applying the cloth, would you add the powder filler/bondo ??? or just coat the cloth with hardner and sand smooth and paint ??
Any help would be great... or even better you can do it ;D ;D ;D ;D

Franco · #2 03-19-2006, 11:14 PM

Is the hatch missing completley? The Ideal way is to make a mold for one, that way you get the smoothest finish possible. Give me some more detail on what you need to make or fix.

msbhammer · #3 03-20-2006, 06:57 AM

I'm missing one hatch cover. Figured on using the the other one as a template. Making a mold. Hmm, didnt think of that. Ok,, whats the eaist way to make a mold. Make a template, rap it in cloth and coat the outside of it with resin, but do not wet it down, since I would want the mold to pop out ??

Missing hatch photo:

reelapeelin · #4 03-20-2006, 07:30 PM

Hammer, whatever you make it of, when you reinstall it, put a STOP-STRAP on it so it doesn't flip back and bust on that cleat...that's what usually spells DOOM for those lids... ;)...

macojoe · #5 03-20-2006, 10:03 PM

Some Starboard and a router and you be good to go!!

Franco · #6 03-21-2006, 12:05 AM

Clean the existing hatch, wax it using mold release, you can cover it with resin and fiberglass cloth - let it dry and put on a couple of layers to stiffen it up - then you have a mold. First layer of the new one could be gelcoat, followed by resin and cloth - Go to the west system site and they have more detailed information. It's a bit of work - and MJ makes a good point - a couple of hours with a router and you can have a new hatch made from starboard.

msbhammer · #7 03-21-2006, 12:37 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. Thats my next thing to do once I finish the hull and finish shoveling the snow that is coming Tuesday morning. Did somebody say it was spring ??? ??? ???

Franco · #8 03-21-2006, 02:27 AM

91 degrees here tomorrow, but then it's going to get cold again, in the 80's

willy · #9 03-21-2006, 02:28 AM

Son of ma gun :D

macojoe · #10 03-21-2006, 03:07 AM

Was 39* today and wind, was pretty cold!! Going to stay that way all week!!'
But they did say it would hit 40 by Friday!!