Drilling holes in fiberglass boats

Trying to place the large portion of the hole saw in the correct position while engaging the drill wont work - you wont be able to keep it in place and will end up with a scarred boat and a hole. In this video I show you how to drill a how in Fiberglass.

Water Witch Digital Hour Meters High Water Bilge Alarm Dual Group 27 AGM Batts.

Drilling holes in fiberglass boats. If you simply attempt to drill a hole into the fiberglass you will have extreme difficulty in drilling holes without cracking the Gelcoat. The method I use which works about 999 of the time is to put the drill in reverse drill through the Gelcoat then put the drill in forward and drill through the rest of the laminate. Fixing A Drilled Hole In A Fiberglass Boat.

Step by Step Guide. To begin you need to gather a few supplies and tools first. You are likely to find most of them at home already but there are few essential supplies you need to purchase.

Fiberglass boat repair kit by west system. 180 400 1000 and 1500 grit wet sanding paper. If you simply attempt to drill a hole into the fiberglass you will have extreme difficulty in drilling holes without cracking the Gelcoat.

The method I use which works about 999 of the time is to put the drill in reverse drill through the Gelcoat then put the drill in forward and drill through the rest of the laminate. Drilling holes in fiberglass A screw into fiberglass over 14 thick is quite secure. Simply drill the hole slightly smaller than the STAINLESS steel screw redrillcountersink through the gelcoat ONLY slightly bigger than the screw to prevent cracks in the gelcoat dab the holes with 5200 or 4200 NOT silicone and screw em in.

Drilling fiberglass with hole saw Ill add another trick If you ever have to enlarge a hole you will find it difficult because there is no place for the pilot bit in the hole saw to drill into. Trying to place the large portion of the hole saw in the correct position while engaging the drill wont work - you wont be able to keep it in place and will end up with a scarred boat and a hole. Home Boat Design Forums Construction Boatbuilding Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building.

Once had to cut a hole and all i had was a hand drill and a hacksaw blade it was a little bit like joining the dots. I have made a few holes in fiberglass using hole saws. The only ones that last are the good ones.

Start your drill backwards with the drill bit to score the gel coat then switch to forward and drill the hole. Covering the area in blue masking tape can help to mark where you are drilling. Water Witch Digital Hour Meters High Water Bilge Alarm Dual Group 27 AGM Batts.

To drill a hole in a cored boat you need to first protect the core. The best way to do this is to drill a pilot hole then take a forstner bit from the underside and ream out a plug from the core. Tape over the core and backfill with thickened epoxy.

This gives a solid surface and a completely protected core. Drill the mounting holes. Measure twice cut onceor in this case drill once.

When drilling you might be tempted to go slowly but it can actually make for a smoother hole if you keep the drill at a full confident speed. You need to ensure that there are ways for the wires to access the fishfinder. Look for previously existing.

Repair small hole in a fiberglass boat hull. Hole going right through fiberglass into the boat. First examine the hole and look for cracks and chips extending out from the hole.

Use a marker to circle the entire damaged area. Making sure to include the cracked spots. Next take a saw and cut out the damaged area that youve circled with the marker.

Repairing holes in a Fiberglass Console - YouTube. Repairing holes in a Fiberglass Console. Chances are good that you are going to have to drill a hole or two in this time-tested material when installing a new GPS or make a minor repair after a day when docking the boat didnt go as planned.

It is doable despite the initial fears of every fiberglass first-timer. After all boats arent supposed to have holes in them. How to Drill Holes in Fiberglass.

Mask the base of accessories as well since you will be sliding them around as you measure and center. Mark one hole when you are certain of the location. We drill a small hole and put a screw into the first hole before marking the others in case of slight shifts when drilling.

Regal pros share these tips. Use a plastic scraper or scrap of Formica to remove most of the excess. Its too easy to damage the surface.

A scrap of foam rubber with soapy water wipes away the final filmy excess better than paper towels do. Drilling Holes In Your Hull Tom King. As has been said.

Put a piece of masking tape on the gel coat where you want to drill the hole. Then drill a small hole. Use a countersink to enlarge the hole at the surface.

Make the surface hole just a bit larger than the finished hole will be. Then drill your hole. Over many years of drilling more holes in fiberglass than I care to remember this procedure has worked best for me.

Drill a small pilot hole. Use a counter-sink bit to counter-sink around the pilot hole. Drill your final hole size.

In this video I show you how to drill a how in Fiberglass. The Example is drilling a hole in a big Fiberglass tank. But the method can be used for other Fibe.

Next add the epoxy and fiberglass. Begin by wetting out soaking with epoxy the largest circle of matt in place over the hole and repeat with progressively smaller circles of matt until its level with the surface. Finish by sanding lightly and covering with the same easy-to-sand epoxy putty mixture used above.

Starting from the exterior use the same size drill bit as the pilot bit on the hole saw youll be using to drill through the hull of the boat. Drilling the Final Hole Now that youve got a hole that extends all the way through into the bilge of the boat you can score the fiberglass on the inside to prevent chipping when the hole saw bit finished the cut. Make a small indent in the surface of the fiberglass hull where you will be drilling the hole.

Use a sharp scribe or ice pick. This will prevent the drill from wandering and damaging the surrounding surface. Drill a small pilot hole running the drill in reverse.