OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....???

[milwaukee*speedster]

I guess to some of you pro's it might sound like a dumb question... Well I do auto body work, you know, bondo and 3 stage paint.... I have a seadoo speedster, 2000 that's a 16 footer... It was a rental from Lake Havasu Arizona and is in rough shape. I'm itching to start fixing the chips and gauges in the hull (no cracks that I saw thank god - I've seen some nightmare posts on this site). Basically where do I start? I have no fiberglass experience. I'm thinking of using bondo, 80 grit sand paper on a DA and just go at the whole hull. Also, can I use automotive paint??? I am a huge Audi fanatic and would love to paint the boat Nogaro Blue (bright blue)... Any help/ suggestions are much appreciated... info@autox.biz

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Well, if paint is what you are used to, you can paint a boat. You'll just have to paint the whole thing. Your boat doesn't have paint on it now, it has Gelcoat. And it isn't paint at all.<br />As far as body filler, haven't you ever run across a Ford with a fiberglass hood (Mustangs, vans, Ranger pickups)? How did you repair them, when the fiberglass itself was damaged? Find a local big truck repair place that does body work. They'll teach you everything you never wanted to know about fiberglass repair. Watch them fix a hood sometime. I will say, that regular body filler won't cut it for fiberglass repair. But they do sell that fiber filled stuff, that's what you'd need to do major work.<br />If all you truly have are nicks/scratches, in the gelcoat, I would suggest just touching up the gelcoat. A search on iboats.com might reveal a repair "system" that suits your needs.

 

[Bondo]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

1)Your Avatar needs to be Resized to a Smaller photo..........It was Blue a minute ago,.. now it's Black,....<br />But Still TOO Big......I Think 200pixels is the Right Size....<br /><br />2) The Bondo used on Cars is a Polyester based mix.....<br />On Boats there's a Vinylester based Fairing putty.......<br /><br />It Looks about the same,+ Works about the same,.....It just Sticks Better......<br /><br />And,..... I've been painting boats with 2 pt. Ureathane for Years,....Both Above,+ Below the waterline,...<br />With No Issues.......<br /><br />If you're a Bodyman,...... You Already Know,..... Preperation is the Key to Great Results........

 

[andy6374]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

For larger crackers grind are down and build up fiberglass.<br /><br />For fairing the whole boat on there is a product called AdTech #17 that's awesome. It pretty much works like Bondo, but is easier to work with and is for marine applications.<br /><br />So basically you have to use your judgement (which I am sure you plenty of) on where to use actually cloth/resin and areas that are small enough to fill with a filler

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

I just finished repainting a boat that had a Bondo patch on it. It wasn't too thick, but still it absorbed water and caused a bunch of ugly blisters. The patch was about 12" above the water line. It's just not the right stuff for the job. I mix up my own fairing compound out of microballons (or mini-spheres, or whatever is not West Systems) and epoxy to whatever consistancy I'm after. I have used glazing putty for fine scratches and it seems to work just fine.<br /><br />It seems to me that the real higher end topside marine paints are really all about producing a decent finish when brushed or rollered on. I'd go for a 2-part urathane sprayed over that any day.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

2) The Bondo used on Cars is a Polyester based mix.....<br />On Boats there's a Vinylester based Fairing putty.......

Thanks Bondo, I don't know why for the life of me I couldn't remember those two words when I typed my response!

 

[milwaukee*speedster]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Paul - did you paint over your bondo patch? Did you at least primer it or seal it? I can forsee that being a problem with water. The PPG products that I use are almost indestructable when they are properly bonded to a surface.

 

[xltier]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

i had a 16 ft.outboard boat that had 3 rows of snap holes and nicks and scratches everywhere.we used ground up fiberglass strands in resin for the holes.we ground out the holes a bit so they wouldnt be round anymore.the rest we used corvette filler and painted with imron.top to bottom.stuff is hard as a rock when dry.boat was kept on the beach all summer for three years with no problems.hth

 

[brownies]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Use fiberglass strands "putty". Your PPG store will have it. Just like repairing a Corvette or any other car that's fiberglass.<br />The PPG auto products will work great.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

Re: OK... So what's the difference between auto body and marine body work.....??

I think I didn't make myself clear. I had to repaint the boat because someone before me had patched it using Bondo and the Bondo caused blisters. I did not Bondo the boat. I have no idea if it was properly primed or not, but the original paint job was very nice except in the patched area. The problem in the marine environment is that anything that can absorb water will eventually.