# Fiberglassinh my deck.



## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Oh I forgot to mention. The plywood is Burch and it’s about 1/2 inch thick.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Atleast one on bottom and two on top from all ive learn here 👍 stringer distance plays a part also, some use 1708, the real glass guys will chime in when they wake up LOL im working nights 🤪 if your a big guy you may want two on each side ,if it flexes 😁


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Here is what I’m doing. If I don’t have to please advise. Less weight means lighter draft. Each top gets 2 glass 3/4 oz Matt on the bottom. None on the top. I’m painting the top and bottom with Durango 18 polyurethane (it’s a bed liner used for boats.) About 3 coats on both sides. I don’t want to put glass on to because I want the smooth surface. I will be standing on it to fish from. Also, I’m adding some posts under the top to stop the flexing.


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## RJTaylor (Oct 4, 2017)

I'd skip glassing it all together, and roll on some epoxy to seal the wood. Or just apply the Durango, and be done with it.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Your right, I could have done that but I wanted the durability of the glass. I’m painting it with Durabak 18. It is like a bed liner for trucks but it’s for boats.I’m only doing the bottom sides so the 1/2 inch ply won’t flex.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Mudd - the bed liner won't stop it from flexing - support will. Support comes in 2 flavors; 1) cross members 2) glass.

It looks like you are going to have them resting on the lugs you have attached to the hull. I would cut some 1x"s and screw through the deck into the strips (with epoxy) and create a grid system under it. Then I would use some of the glass to tan in the grids and then coat the entire underside with epoxy.

For the topside, I would use 1208 0/90 and put that on. That will add some rigidity. The 1208 will also give you a great non-skid surface that won't tear you up (as long as you don't fill in the weave).


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey Duck Nut, I’m putting 2 layers of 3/4 oz Matt glass on the bottom and coating with polyurethane on top before I paint it. To help stop the flex, I’m putting legs on the bottom of the decks.


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## BadKnotGuy (Jul 8, 2012)

Hey Mudd are you using epoxy or Polyester/vinylester resin? The reason I ask is the 3/4 oz. matt has an adhesive agent designed to chemically blend with VE/PE that doesn't blend with epoxy. You can still use it with epoxy but it won't be as good (harder to wet out and the undissolved bonding agent creates weak voids). Honestly since you are using ply I would just use a 10oz. woven fabric to coat the top and bottom (for durability) along with a 1"x2" grid structure glued to the bottom for rigidity - especially to fight flex on the fore/aft plane. I don't think flex side to side with be as big an issue since it doesn't look like the span is that wide. I think if you try to reinforce the ply using glass only you will end up with one really heavy beast of a deck (unnecessarily heavy). I built a GF16 that used 1/2 ply for the decks and only used 10oz. weave to coat them. The biggest unsupported surface was about 2'x4'6" though. Anything bigger and I would have needed stiffeners I think.


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## BadKnotGuy (Jul 8, 2012)

Oh and remember 3/4oz. CSM weighs 3/4oz. per square foot while 10oz. woven is weighed per square yard. While the dry weights are almost the same the 3/4oz. drinks far more resin which will add substantially to the finished weight.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey, I’m using polyurethane resin and 2 layers of 3/4 Matt and coating the top with a thin coat with polyurethane resin. Then I’m painting with 3 to 4 layers of polyurethane paint. (Why so many coats? ) Because, I want to use up all the paint. I don’t need any laying around. The paint is Durabak 18 which is a type of bed liner trucks use but, it’s for marine use. After I put my decals on, I’m going to coat the boat with clear Durabak sealer. It should look nice.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

mudd_minnow said:


> polyurethane resin


I am perplexed here - this is casting resin and not really for marine use. Never heard it used for boat building and even more expensive than epoxy.

Fill us in -


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Sorry I’m at polyester urethane. You can buy it at Lowe’s in smaller amounts than gallons.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

I must be in a world of my own cause would jump at the chance to play with foam board on this project one glass on bottom two on top ...😋


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

This would be easy to do. All the wood decking is removable. I want it completely changeable. The deck is for walking on and to lock up the boat completely. Wait until you see the polling platform.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Bump that truck liner ,its called truch liner for a reason, and thats saying a lot coming from a red neck 😁


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey, I glassed my deck but the polyester urethane i covered it with is still sticky around the edges. I did add enough hardner to have it set up right away. The rest of it set up quickly.. The rest of the resin has cured. I wonder if I put it outside in the hot sun tomorrow will help it cure quickly. Or, can I just paint over it and not worry about it.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Did you use wax in the last application? Id set it outside ,let the sun bake it then wash it with warm soapy "Dawn" water ...i didnt know about the wax when i did my Deck and the sun and dawn took the sticky away LOL my sticky was the gelcoat finished...


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

I’ve heard that resin won’t cure because it needed a covering over it so the air doesn’t get to it. I thought it was a bunch of hog wash. Well maybe that was correct. I’ll do the sun and wash thing. Thanks.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Well, I’ve tried washing it with Dawn soap 3 times and that didn’t work. Any other ideas? This needs to dry before I paint it with Durabak 18 smooth.


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

When you was washing it did you go clock wise rotations or counter clock 🤔


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

Just cutting a fool if it was me i would try *dusting it with talcum or baby powder*


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## Silent Drifter (Apr 29, 2021)

But be careful with that talcum power you can get ovarian cancer they say ,so keep ya hands up 😳


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Ha,Ha,Ha, I just washed it up and down also, I was going to use that stuff but, I didn’t want to get Covid for the second time. I called the manufacture. They said to sand it off with 80 grit paper. I’ll give that a try tomorrow. I’ll let you know.


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

RJTaylor said:


> I'd skip glassing it all together, and roll on some epoxy to seal the wood. Or just apply the Durango, and be done with it.


Hey, RJTaylor, I’ve decided to do exactly what you suggested. I tried glassing the deck but the resin I got from Bondo Fiberglass Resin didn’t cure. I mixed it like they said, rolled it on and after 3 weeks, it’s still tacky. I called them and they said sand down the area with 80 grit sand paper. I did this and still nothing. So, I started over and now I’m going to do like you say. Paint it with polyurethane paint. Thanks for the input.


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