Refinishing a wooden dinghy

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Gnat - 09 Oct 2007 16:28 GMT

I am in process of sorting out a small wooden dinghy for the first
time, so no experience.

The boat itself is a garage find. I have removed all fitments and
cleaned down all paint leaving a bare wooden hull and I now need to
get the hull filled and smoothed prior to paint. The dinghy has been
raced and so it has had the usual bumps and scrapes. In one or two
places I am going to need to raise the profile of the timber so as to
remove a flat spot in the shape (so quite a large area). In other
places I am looking to fill small nail holes.

With the small nail holes, if they were wooden windows, I would use
putty and paint mixed to give a real smooth finish but there are all
sorts of proprietary wood fillers for the rest. Should I be concerned
about flexible wood fillers? Is putty doing to hack it in a dinghy?

Anyone got any thoughts/recommendations/experience/advice?

Best wishes
Stephen Page

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dadiOH - 11 Oct 2007 13:39 GMT

> I am in process of sorting out a small wooden dinghy for the first
> time, so no experience.
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> Anyone got any thoughts/recommendations/experience/advice?

Depending on size...

1. Marine glazing compound...a very fine filler with binder meant for
small dings. Sands easily. Source: marine supplier.

2. Bondo (cheap) which is polyester resin and talc. Sands easily but
less so than #1. Source: auto parts store. Won't stick as well as #3
but I used it years ago from time to time on a 40' ketch with no
problems. Certainly, none above the waterline.

3. Epoxy resin thickened with talc or Cabosil. Filled with talc sands
easier (but less so than Bondo) but is heavier than filled with
Cabosil. Source: epoxy vendor. Note that it may be hard to fair off
a surface where it has been applied as it will be harder than the
wood...best to appy an unfilled coat over all, then fill and sand.
IMO, YMMV.

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Lew Hodgett - 11 Oct 2007 17:06 GMT

> 2. Bondo (cheap) which is polyester resin and talc. Sands easily but
> less so than #1. Source: auto parts store. Won't stick as well as #3
> but I used it years ago from time to time on a 40' ketch with no
> problems. Certainly, none above the waterline.

IMHO, should be used on cars.

As indicated, has some problems.

> 3. Epoxy resin thickened with talc or Cabosil. Filled with talc sands
> easier (but less so than Bondo) but is heavier than filled with
> Cabosil. Source: epoxy vendor. Note that it may be hard to fair off
> a surface where it has been applied as it will be harder than the
> wood...best to appy an unfilled coat over all, then fill and sand.
> IMO, YMMV.

Epoxy is the best choice when filled with micro-balloons to make
fairing putty.

Talc is heavy and adds no strength whatever, just sucks up epoxy.

Best left for the Bondo applications.

Cab-O-Sil is improve hang time, but is imposssible to sand and I found
unnecessary.

You add Cab-O-Sil to fairing putty until you learn better.

Again, YMMV.

Have fun.

Lew

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Boat Forum / Building / October 2007

Refinishing a wooden dinghy