I do the acetone wash to the area to be patched before doing anything to get
rid of any wax or other contaminants so that they will not be ground into
the bonding surface grinding and feathering.

Most of the repairs have been done on those cheap chopper gunned fiberglass
duck boats that Sears sells. My brother and his hunting friends don't treat
them with much respect. I think what happens is that they drag them out of
their pickups and let the ends hit the ground. That causes cracks at the
chines and transom. Polyester patches last about 3 or 4 drops and start to
peel. After I switched to epoxy I have had no failures.

I'm just glad to get them out of my hair. I have enough to do on Rutu
without being the resident repair expert for every duck hunting crappie
fisherman in the neighborhood. Especially when they figure a six pack is
fair payment. :-)
"William R. Watt" wrote in message
...

upon reflection I see some differences.

I've never used acetone to clean an area before applying a patch. I'd stay
away from any kind of solvent. I brush the sanded area to get rid of any
sanding dust, and then blow in it.

I also go for a slow cure. I suspect a fast cure would not bond as well.
That may be a problem in the south. I'd use less than the prescribed
amount of catalyst in hot weather. Never had that problme up here. I'd
also work in the shade or on an overcast day down there, just like when
applying varnish.

hope that helps

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