Thread:

Filling exh. holes?

Originally Posted by Adam

I am thinking about filling them in, where can I get the glass and resin? would the home depot have the stuff I need??

Try a napa store or a true value store

Got mine at car quest and napa.

Ok Lets Recap Quality demands Quality ! how are you going to do this ?
I would recommend going to a automotive paint distributer ( auto body supply store for paint products ) This way you will have a better chance of asking questions about the product will also have some one to match your paint .


Step 1- remove exhaust
step 2 cut out some plywood plugs the the same size as the hole of your exhaust( transom holes ) bevel both sides of the plywood , and also to the same to the Transome holes .
lay out your work station with your resin and activator have some mat( looks like cheese cloth ) and also so finish glass ( forgot the name ) has the same pattern as a piece of Waffer board (flaked plywood ) also have some chopped glass handy , gloves , paint brushes , a small roller ( for appling resin ) final coat of resin and some wax paper

so brush some resin on the plywood and around the inside and bevels of the transom holes. fill any voids with some chopped glass and resin and just put it in with your fingers ( gloves ) then cut out some rough cut cicles of mat slighty larger than the holes - make about two for the inside and out side of each hole . Take your paint brush and dab or force the resin into the galss . do the same with the finished mat . When laying the mat it is wise to run in 90 degree intervals ( cross the mat ) lay down your first set and let them set for a few minutes till it sets off and starts harding - Depends on how hot your activator is , or how much you put in . your goal is to fill the the voids with resin and glass , no air bubles you want to repeate the steps above until you have built out to the surface of the trasom ( till it is sligthly above the surface of the transom ) so you can sand it flat . On the inside finial application with finish mat , after you apply your resin take a plastic scaper and force out any excess resin and then place some wax pappe over the work area . it will help it look more finished if you are not going ot od anything on the inside ( my boat i spatter painted the engine compartment and clear coated ! you can gel or get paint to match . Some paint stores will match paint and you can have then put in spray cans if you do not have spray guns and compressors - will require more attention and some color sanding and buffing - this job can be done in a weekend pretty easy !

hope this helps you with your prodject - Chris

Originally Posted by Adam

I'll check it out after work, I read that for repairs I should use epoxy resin instead of polyester so I will check to see if they have that. Should I soak wood plugs in the resin and just fill the holes with that, or should I lay some mat in them?

the chopped mat and resin

That post you put there LUCKY should be of great help!!

Lucky, thanks for posting that, you must have beat me to the submit button because I didn't see it until I put mine up. anyway thanks again!

They make billet plugs for this, so it can be converted back later.

Originally Posted by Adam

If my transom is 1" thick how thick should my wood plugs be so I have room to build up the glass? And is it ok to have the mat go out past the surface of the transom or should that be resin only??

match the plywood that is existing already ( between the glass layers ) it only has to be close ! I would use 5/8

Just filled mine. Transom was 1" like yours. I put 2 layers of cloth on the inside. Shaved the wood plugs to 3/4". Coated plugs with resin and jambed them into the holes and let dry overnite. Took Bondo glass a little at a time(3-4 coats) and built it up past the outside of the transom and the boarded it flat. Not 100% perfic but you cant tell where they were after i put the first coat of paint on there. Mine doesnt have to be perfic, i'm not making this boat a show piece but these holes turned out A OK.

Originally Posted by Michigan Daaaaaa

Just filled mine. Transom was 1" like yours. I put 2 layers of cloth on the inside. Shaved the wood plugs to 3/4". Coated plugs with resin and jambed them into the holes and let dry overnite. Took Bondo glass a little at a time(3-4 coats) and built it up past the outside of the transom and the boarded it flat. Not 100% perfic but you cant tell where they were after i put the first coat of paint on there. Mine doesnt have to be perfic, i'm not making this boat a show piece but these holes turned out A OK.

buy a couple of bilgeeee pumps will ya kidding