Doghouse Repair
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20450
Printed Date: November-20-2024 at 6:32am
Topic: Doghouse Repair
Posted By: MI-nick
Subject: Doghouse Repair
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 3:36pm
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My motorbox has been cracked at the hinges since I got it...time to repair this winter.
The skin was all vinyl (and worn through along the bottom) so I also plan to have carpet sewn on. From years of reading this site I have a general idea of what I need to do but wanted to hear from the experts regarding the below questions. 1)What type of fiberglass should I use (cloth, mat, weight, etc.)?? 2)Can anyone extimate how much resin and glass I would need to order?? 3)How high should the carpet extend up the side (4"??, 6"??)?? 4)Are my hinges the original style?? 5)Anyone know a good upholstery shop in SE MI?? Thanks. not the best photo, but the glass is cracked through on either side of each hinge. i'll get a better photo with the skin off. 
you can see in this photo where the vinyl is worn through along the edge 
bribe photo for your help...  ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Replies:
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 7:21pm
1. Probably does not matter a whole lot what you use. The key is going to be to grind away all of the cracks and get it to where you have all new material in that area. Since it will be covered in vinyl you dont have to worry much about the aesthetics of your repair. Here is the repair I did on my bucket frames. Before 
After. Notice how much material I removed. You will need to build up some thickness for strength. 
Not sure how the newer dog houses are built but mine seems to have 1/4" ply under the glass to give it strength. You might need to glass some wood across there to spread the load. 2. I cant imagine you need much more than a pint. Maybe a quart if you really get carried away. As for the glass I can send you more than enough for your repair. I have a bunch left over from my rebuild if you cover shipping. Not sure about 3-5 keeganino76@hotmail.com if you are interested in the glass. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
MI-nick wrote:Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 7:54pm
1. Epoxy is the strongest and easiest to work with. The only downside is cost... but that is negligible on such a small project. Stick with epoxy resin. Get yourself some mat and cloth. Alternate layers, starting and finishing with mat. Mat is nice because it builds up a lot of thickness (soaks up a lot of resin) and provides strength in every direction. Cloth has a very high strength to weight ratio but doesnt build up thickness quickly (it takes many layers). US Composites has good prices- theyre probably the most popular fiberglass supply shop used on this site. 2. Id say a quart of resin would more than cover you. A yard each of mat and cloth would be more than enough too. Buy a little more than you need, as its better to have a little extra than it is to run just shy. You may find yourself finding other uses for it too. 3. I believe the carpet comes up ~6" on the sides of the motorbox in my '90. A late 2001 owner may want to confirm this. 4. Maybe. Those style were definitely in use by '90 (and are still used today) but Im not sure when they started using them. I know '86 and earlier had exposed (exterior) hinges. 5. No clue on someone local... but Christines is always an option for the skin- they'll have the pattern and could send you samples to match your existing vinyl.
Keegan, Ive never seen wood encapsulated on any fiberglass CC motorbox from the 60's on up. The bare glass boxes are very light and thin (~1/8" thick). ------------- |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 8:12pm
Mine definitely has wood underneath the glass on the top and around the bottom where it flares out a little bit. I figured the new ones would be different. Nick I have your mat and cloth if you need it. I bought way too much. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: DrCC
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 8:28pm
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You won't actually see the plywood. It's underneath the white/grey speckley stuff.
But, an 88 wouldn't have either. |
Posted By: DrCC
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 8:52pm
Here's a picture of TRB's wood encapsulated.
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Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 9:00pm
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I stand corrected- never noticed that before. I guess some addional support in the hinge area makes sense. ------------- |
Posted By: dwcar
Date Posted: January-24-2011 at 10:45pm
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Dont know much about questions 1 thru 5 but that is a nice bribe photo. I am suprised J-Bear hasnt chimed in with advise. ------------- 83Ski |
Posted By: Kristof
Date Posted: January-25-2011 at 8:05am
Don, I was wondering the same thing! 
Mine ('89 SN) is not more than 5"... (And yes, I used my converter, in case ya'll think I missed the cm/inch-thing!  ).
BTW, my interior guy has made the same repair on my doghouse... ------------- - Gun control means: using BOTH hands! - Money doesn't make one happy, but when it rains cats and dogs, it's still better to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle... |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: January-25-2011 at 11:46am
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thanks for all the input guys. here are a few more photos of what i'm workin' with.
corner crack...i'll fix this one at the same time. 
this one turned out to be more than a crack. for repair should I put a layer of glass on the outside and then build up layers on the inside after that cures?? sorry, I have no fiber glass experience. 
big chunk missing on the other side...same procedure as above?? 
adding a 1/4" ply reinforcement seems like a good idea to me. after I fill in the holes/cracks do I just "glue" the ply to the inside with expoxy resin and then add a layer of cloth over that?? or, would it be better to add the ply on the inside and then build up layers on the outside?? again, no fiberglass experience here. keegan, i'll send you an email about your cloth and mat. thanks again guys!! ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: January-25-2011 at 2:49pm
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The large voids are less work and you are right about putting down a piece of glass on one side. Let it cure and then build up from the other side. Make sure to spread the glass out past the void so that it is stronger than original. Use Tim's advice on the layup. Alternate materials for each layer
The cracks that are flush with each other need to be ground down on both sides until you have a void and a nice fade back up to original height so you have a good place to bond to and spread the load. If you were going to add wood you would need to bed it in thickened epoxy and then glass over it after you fix all the cracks. Double check your clearance if you decide to do that. You would want to cpes it, and make sure you dont use treated lumber as the resin will not bond to it correctly. Once you see how the stuff works it is pretty easy to use. You can always build up too much and grind away the excess to get the shape right. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: Morfoot
Date Posted: January-28-2011 at 2:17pm
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Nick, I can't believe I missed this one. I had to do the exact thing a few years ago on my 88 and work with this stuff daily
For the crack you I'd use a bigger bit to stop drill it. I think what you have is too small. Tim's suggestion on material is good and Keegan is correct on repair. I would taper sand the edges about a 1/2 to an inch of the part that has broken off so that the new glass will have a smooth transitional surface to adhere too. To make a really make a strong repair for this application compression is key. 1. Get your cloth cut and ready to go before you start as you don't want to cut as you go cause the resin will set up before you finish. 2. Use 2 pieces of wood or aluminum sheet ( a little wider than your repair) to use as a backing plate wrapped in wax paper. ( this will prevent them from becoming part of the repair. 3. When your ready to go lay several long pieces of cloth on the BACKSIDE of the taper sand making each one a little longer than the prior. 4. On the side of the taper sand start appling your cloth (the size and width of the removed damage) and resin one layer at a time. Build this up until your close to the original thickness of the parent material. You are in a sense using layers of cloth to create a plug. Once you think you are at the proper thickness throw in a couple extra plies to be sure. 5. Now finish the repair by appling your cloth that extends beyond the original damage. I would use about 3-5 layers making sure each additional layer overlaps the prior one about an inch on both ends. 6. Once your done laying up the glass then apply your backing plates to both sides of the repair and clamp the crap out of it. Not so tight that you squeeze all the resin out of your repair but you want do want compression as it ands strength to the repair and will force out ANY air that is trapped in the resin. Air in your repair isn't good as it weakens the bond of plies. 7. Once the resin cures you'll have a nice smooth surface and very minimal sanding if any at all. :For the cracks on the corner I would just lay up 3-4 layers of cloth on both sides of the dog house. Use a hair dryer or (heat gun if you have one) to heat up the cracked area and dab a little resin onto the crack. Heating up the repair area will cause the resin to flow into the crack and any "dry" fibers will wick it up. Lay your glass over the crack the same as above extending each one longer than the prior. Make sure that before you start any fiberglass repair that the surface is free of any paint, glue, oil, or rubber. Wipe down the entire repair area with Alcohol or Acetone before you start. You want a clean surface so the resin will bond to it. Nick if you got any questions or anyone else for that matter. Give me a hollar.770-316-6963. I'll help where I can. Good luck and keep us posted. ------------- "Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman" |
Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: January-28-2011 at 3:24pm
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Yes those are original hinges for an 88 and that's what happens to them when you leave the box open without the back seat in. The original interior should have had carpet around the bottom as well, whoever redid it left that out.
Nice picture. ------------- |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: January-28-2011 at 4:52pm
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Nick thanks for the beer bonus! I used it to buy a correct craft fan shirt off the site. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: January-28-2011 at 4:56pm
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Great step by step Tim. I was having a hard time putting it all into words. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: January-28-2011 at 7:28pm
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tim,
thanks a lot for the step by step...of course I have a few questions. 1) "For the crack you I'd use a bigger bit to stop drill it. I think what you have is too small." are you saying the crack is small enough that I don't need to stop drill it?? 2) regarding your #3, is "BACKSIDE" the inside or outside of the doghouse?? maybe doesn't matter?? also, this step should be cloth plus resin, right? 3) regarding your #5, 3-5 layers after the "plug"?? 4) do i need to grind out the corner cracks at all?? thanks again. ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Morfoot
Date Posted: January-28-2011 at 10:26pm
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Nick, no problem tried hard to keep it simple without writing a novel.
1) Looked like the crack was already stop drilled from the picture maybe it wasn't. I'd use a 3/16ths drill bit 2)Yes, the backside would be the inside of the doghouse. I would imagine it would be easier to taper sand the edges on the outside of the cover. Yes apply cloth and resin. 3) Yes! you want the stress of the repair spanning the width of your repair. If all you did was basically "plug" the hole, you would tear it out as soon as you reattached the hinge. By adding the extra plies and extending the repair about 6 inches on either side of the damage your REALLY gonna have to force the cover hard to snap it off. 4) From what I can tell in your picture NO! You don't need to grind out the crack. Just stop drill it from growing any further and put 3-4 layers of glass on each side,(inside doghouse and outside) again overlapping each ply about 1/2 to an inch on either side of the crack. Use a 1" brush to apply your resin to the doghouse first then apply your first layer of cloth. Brush resin on top of your cloth and make sure the cloth soaks it all up. You can help the cloth absorb the resin by using a hairdryer to heat up both and the cloth will absorb it like a sponge. **WARNING** don't get it to hot or you will "kick off" the resin and it will harden before you get the rest of your layers down. To ensure complete resin to cloth penetration you can use a hairdryer/heat gun and go over the FINISHED repair lightly to "flow" the resin into the repair before you clamp your backing plates on. ------------- "Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman" |
Posted By: lewy2001
Date Posted: January-29-2011 at 2:27am
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Nick I did the same repair on my 89SN. I added a piece of 1/4" ply right across the back of the engine cover and then applied 3-4 layers of cloth over that. I did this after repairing the cracks it spreads the load over a much larger area. Like Hollywood said if you leave the engine cover up it really pulls on the hinges and the engine cover is not thick enough to handle these loads. ------------- If you're going through hell, keep going http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2999" rel="nofollow - 89 Ski <a href="http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=5685" ta |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: January-29-2011 at 12:00pm
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ok, I think i've got it. i got the glass in the mail from keegan, but still waiting on my resin so I'll take care of all the prep work today. ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: January-29-2011 at 2:36pm
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Another thing nobody has mentioned is to prep the surfaces with acetone so that they are really clean before applying the resin. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-01-2011 at 11:50am
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well instead of working on this last weekend I spend all my time playing hockey on the frozen lake. got back on it last night though.
how does all this look?? i stop drilled the cracks in the corners, cleaned up the glue with acetone and sanded a bit with 60 grit. the other holes are from drilling out rivets that held on a rubber trim piece on the inside (see above photos) and staples. 
I taper sanded around the big chunks, cleaned up the glue with acetone and sanded with 60 grit. 
1/2" - 1" taper all around 
bad picture of the LH side. 
look ok?? 
next question. the inside of the doghouse is painted black...do I need to sand away all the paint?? ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: February-01-2011 at 11:55am
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Is it paint or gelcoat? I suspect the latter.
Either way, yes- grind it off anywhere you want to lay new glass down (probably 2-3" all around). You want the new glass to stick to the old glass- not gel or paint. ------------- |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: February-01-2011 at 5:14pm
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Looks good! You are ready now. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: Morfoot
Date Posted: February-01-2011 at 8:32pm
I agree with Tim 100%. Looks good nick. Rounding the corners is EXACTLY what you needed to do. 
Another little tip for you (which I should have thought of earlier). If you save a little bit of the fiberglass/epoxy dust from your sand job then you have a filler material to add to some epoxy (set aside a little bit in a dixie cup when you mix it up to lay your glass) for filling the stop drilled holes and the holes from your rivets. Just add a little at a time to make a thin paste. You'll want to fill the holes so you don't have air trapped in your repair. Fill the holes with your paste AFTER you get your layers of glass on the backside so the paste won't fall out. ------------- "Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman" |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-02-2011 at 8:47pm
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i got lucky today and the office closed on account of the snow...which wasn't really that bad...i drove my wife to work in her scion tC no problems. anyway, i got to finish the prep work on the doghouse. still waiting on the resin. it was supposed to be here today, but I expect a delay.
i didn't save any sanding dust, but i did order some cabosil with my resin so i should be all set. major grindage on the inside. i'm still not sure if it's gelcoat or paint...what is the way to tell for sure?? 
got all the cloth and mat pre-cut. i have 3 overlapping layers of cloth for the backside. 3 layers of mat and cloth for the "plugs". 3 overlapping layers over the plugs. 3 overlapping layers for each side of each crack. also wrapped my clamp boards in wax paper.  ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Morfoot
Date Posted: February-03-2011 at 11:39am
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Looks good Nick! I'd say you're ready to go. Prepping the job properly will make the installation seem like a cake walk. ------------- "Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman" |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-07-2011 at 12:02pm
laid all the glass and clamped it down good yesterday...we'll see what it looks like tonight...
 ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: February-07-2011 at 11:01pm
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Looks good from here! It will be stronger than new. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-08-2011 at 11:34am
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i pulled the clamp boards off last night. one side came off easy, but one side left a good bit of the wax paper that I had to sand off.
right after taking the boards off 
after trimming and sanding 
i'm quite please with the way it came out. looks decent and is MUCH MORE RIGID than original. now i need to put the hinges back on and call the local upholstery guy. ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: Morfoot
Date Posted: February-08-2011 at 11:45am
Piece of cake Nick.... now it wasn't that hard was it? Did get enough plies on to at least match the original thickness? ------------- "Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman" |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-08-2011 at 1:06pm
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as long as you guys are here it's no problem hahaha.
it's actually a little bit thicker in the "plug" area...over all WAY stronger than before. thanks again for all the advice everyone!! ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: February-08-2011 at 1:10pm
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I was going to say- it looks a bit thicker than original in the repaired area. I would have overbuilt it the same way- nice job.
If you throw a little bit of black paint on the inside before putting it back together, it will be tough to tell there was ever any damage! ------------- |
Posted By: Keeganino
Date Posted: February-08-2011 at 1:15pm
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That looks great. It is a fun media to work with. ------------- "working on these old boats may not be cost effective but as it shows its what it brings into your life that matters" -Roger http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=4897" rel="nofollow - 1973 Skier |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 12:23pm
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ok, i have 2 options from the upholsterer for adding carpet to the bottom of the doghouse. can anyone tell me how this would have been done originally on an '88??
Option 1 : sew carpet to bottom of vinyl and wrap/glue. Option 2 : add a 1/4" ply ferring strip ~4" from the bottom. staple vinyl to the ply, then staple carpet to the ply (upside down), fold the carpet over itself and wrap/glue. I think the end result will look the same...Option 1 seems more "correct" to me, but I'm no upholsterer... ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: February-22-2011 at 12:35pm
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The carpet is sewn to the vinyl from the factory. ------------- |
Posted By: MI-nick
Date Posted: February-23-2011 at 10:15pm
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thanks tim. it's at the upholsterer's shop now getting carpet sewn on. ------------- As far as I can tell, I'm not quite sure... |