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What is the best way to fill the weave on the bottom of the hatch from the cockpit to the cabin prior to paint? Lightweight filler and epoxy? Poly resin with lightweight filler?

Would either of these approachs potentially warp the hatch?

Is there a trick to getting a real smooth laydown of a skim coat of epoxy/poly and filler in order to minimize sanding?

Adhesive removal - been using a scotchbright and denat. alcohol. Does acetone work better? Is it critical to get it 100% removed (even from the pores of the weave) if I am skim coating?

Many thanks in advance.

Ernest,

Your inclusion of the word "vinyl" is throwing me a bit, but I'm presuming that you're talking about the little overhead hatch above the cabin door. And, that it was covered with vinyl, which you've removed...

There's no cost effective way get around sanding a faired surface, but you can do this to make sanding easier & with less surface area to deal with:

Properly prep the inside of the hatch cover to accept epoxy. Cut a piece of Formica style laminate to fit into the flat part of the cover. Grind a taper around the perimeter of the back side of the laminate so that the fit actually starts conforming to the radius of angle change..

Epoxy prime both the hatch & the back side of the laminate and bed it firmly down into thickened epoxy. You can use almost straight microbaloons, with just enough CaboSil to prevent sagging.

Once you've pressed the laminate into place, use a paint brush to sweep the squeeze out onto the radius & up the vertical walls. allow the edge of the laminate to be covered with the mix. Clean up any excess in the main portion of the laminate.

Once cured, your sanding will be reduced to just the outside transition area.

Alcohol will work to a limited degree on old contact adhesive, acetone a bit better, but neither realy disolve the dried adhesive. Try mineral spirits, (safest material), or toluene, (more noxious & need for really good ventilation). Also shift over to a steel pads. Not the steel wool type, but the heavy cut curly-q metal turnings style.

After you're done, clean the surface with soap & water, then acetone, then denatured alcohol in prep for whatever further finish you're using.

Br,

Patrick

Thanks. Yes, its the hatch from the cockpit to the cabin. Previously covered with some sort of white vinyl like the material they used to cover the hull sides behind the cockpit panels.

Over time the vinyl has been re-attached a whole bunch of times, but is now torn, coming lose, and looks like hades.

Thanks again.

Ernest,

The vents cowlings are in Boliver, I left them with a freind that lives there. Call me next time your going to the boat and I'll have him run them over.

Cell 337.563.8667

When it comes to removing old adhesive, latex paint, magic marker, oil, grease, crayon, bumper stickers, labels, chewing gum, etc, etc, I find a solvent called "Goof Off" is great. It is available in all Lowes, Home Depots, hardware stores and lots of other places. Mostly yellow can, with some red and black graphics. I keep a small can in my tool box and a large can at home.