how to fill dash holes

[glassdave]

This question comes up every so often on here so i thought i would put up a thread on the subject.

This is a plywood cored dash on a 35 Cig and is pretty representitive of most offshore boats . I start by grinding the inside surface with a 3" 36 grit disk. Cut a piece of fiberglass cloth, the heavier the better, to fit with at least an inch or so of overlap from the original hole. I use a 24 0z. bi-ax cloth because it can easily support itself when saturated. Wetout the fiberglass and apply to the inside surface and allow that to cure before doing anything else. I use polyester for repairs like this because the finish work is much easier and i doubt you will really benifit much from an epoxy.

[Sean H]

Step one: Fill in all holes.

Step two: Drill new holes back in the exact same location.

[glassdave]

Grind the outside of the hole scarfing it back about an inch or so. Cut a suitable thickness plywood in whatever shape the old holes are leaving aprox. an 1/8 inch or or so. For round holes just poke out a piece with a hole saw. Mix Westsystems 404 high density filler and polyester resin into a thick paste and use this to set the plug into the hole, i usually just put a bunch on the back of the wood plug and squish it into the dash hole. This is why you let the first inner piece cure before moving on, makes filling the actual void pretty easy by supporting the lamination. After you squished out the 404 use a spreader to remove the excess and apply 2 layers of fiberglass to the outside (cut just slightly larger than the hole and do these wet on wet with the plug) let all this cure for a few hours

[glassdave]

Carefully grind down the surface with the 3" 36 grit angle grinder. Bring it down to flush with the original surface than dress it with 36 grit on a D.A.

Mix up some Westsystems 407 fairing filler and resin to a thick paste and pull a thin coat across the repaired surface to take care of imperfections. Let this cure for a few hours

[glassdave]

After its cured sand it down with 80 on a D.A to level the surface. There will sometimes be a little porosity leftover and that can be filled with a light skim coat of 3M's vinylester fairing filler(the blue stuff) I really like this product for a final finish. It sands easy and is pretty durable. Final sand up to about 150 or 180.

[glassdave]

I finish it off with PPG's DP-48 epoxy primer if the repair is getting paing or you can also use white gelcoat (gelcoat fairing/bluepronting will be another thread coming soon )

[glassdave]

Originally Posted by Sean H

Step one: Fill in all holes.

Step two: Drill new holes back in the exact same location.

yes . . . . some of my customers choose to do that to

[Sean H]

Originally Posted by glassdave

yes . . . . some of my customers choose to do that to

i would of gone the coosa/epoxy route if you want it done right...

[rchevelle71]

Thanks Dave, looks like I did mine the right way

[offthefront]

looks easy ...... it ain't ....m