Mirror dinghy restoration

It should certainly see you thro next season, which gives you a chance to decide how much effort you want to put into sorting it next time. But filler adds no strength & will peel off if it is still flexing a lot.
 
Searush said:
It should certainly see you thro next season, which gives you a chance to decide how much effort you want to put into sorting it next time. But filler adds no strength & will peel off if it is still flexing a lot.
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Thanks - I think you've gathered I've gone from damaging the boat through waiting until there's time to do things perfectly, to repairing the boat with a view to using her / protecting her over the winter. Anyway hopefully the hull won't be see by others too frequently.
 
The picture below was taken today. It's posted partly in case any of the people kind enough to offer advice are interested in progress. But also to encourage others that once the undercoat goes on everything looks much better!

View attachment 46534
 
Mirror Painter said:
. I squeezed wood glue in and the next day (!) Applied a generous amout of fibre glass repair filler over much more than the affected area.
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Shame. You have probably lost the opportunity to restore structural rigidity by using epoxy. The advantage of a thin, slow cure epoxy resin is that it really pentrates the wood. Much more than Polyster resin. The wood fibres supply the armature for the resin to bond around.

Did you use a fibre reinforced filler like U-pol Fibral. That is pretty good and resists breaking.

variant_thumb_352_191.jpg
 
Lakesailor said:
Shame. You have probably lost the opportunity to restore structural rigidity by using epoxy. The advantage of a thin, slow cure epoxy resin is that it really pentrates the wood. Much more than Polyster resin. The wood fibres supply the armature for the resin to bond around.

Did you use a fibre reinforced filler like U-pol Fibral. That is pretty good and resists breaking.

variant_thumb_352_191.jpg
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See your and mine earlier comments about time, including the time I have the workshop for, the time until it is too cold for anything to cure, the time I can justify being away from family duties, the time for stuff to be delivered, and the the time required to receive wisdom from kind folk on the internet. So, I used this stuff from the local Halfords.

http://www.halfords.com/motoring/pa...ody-fillers/plastic-padding-glass-fibre-paste

Day off on Tuesday to receive my new boat, (another story). Glad to have got another coat of Weathershield undercoat on today. So on Tuesday the first coat of 'Buckingham' goes on:

https://www.dulux.co.uk/shop/exterior-paints/weathershield-exterior-gloss
 
The Plastic Padding also has fibres in it, so is pretty strong. As long as it has bonded to the substrate well it should be pretty OK.
For the future though, I would plan my time and location around the repairs required rather than the other way around.
 
Lakesailor said:
The Plastic Padding also has fibres in it, so is pretty strong. As long as it has bonded to the substrate well it should be pretty OK.
For the future though, I would plan my time and location around the repairs required rather than the other way around.
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Are you retired?

Cheers.
 
In the main.

My point being that if you undertake a task you don't have time to complete it may be not be worth the time you do spend on it. The adage "if you want something doing, ask a busy man", doesn't work that often.
 
Lakesailor said:
In the main.

My point being that if you undertake a task you don't have time to complete it may be not be worth the time you do spend on it. The adage "if you want something doing, ask a busy man", doesn't work that often.
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Understood. But the alternative was to have the Mirror on the patio for a third winter with no work - and that would have probably killed it. I'm certain bad painting this year will be much better for her than good painting next year.
 
Day off and great weather. Got the first of two top coats on.

1. Note sure it's bright enough!

2. Gloss really does show every imperfection. I'm certain though it remains a better job than no job.

This w.e. another coat of green then turn her over and think about if anything needs to be done to varnish before winter finally arrives.

View attachment 46603
 
Started reading this post thinking my advice will be to dump the whole boat as a lost cause. Reading more posts I realise that it is too late for that advice. Sure old plywood boats can be resored but with huge effort and not a lot of real success. Our local sea scouts had had a lot of Mirrors donated to them and they did sail them but really what a nightmare trying to keep them serviceable. I imagine now they have long gone. Replaced by GRP boats in this case 20 ft keel boats. Far more successful on all counts.
GRP boats can be bought quite cheap both large and small and have an inherent structural strength that survives much neglect. Not like plywood.
Sorry I am sure you will dismiss my advice but likewise I am sure you will someday realise the wisdom. But of course the joy of our pastime is that you can do your own thing. good luck olewill
 
Also, when you do come to get a new dinghy, make sure to get one with a centreboard in it rather than a daggerplate. Daggerplates are bloody awful things, and can also be dangerous. Jack de Crow (another Mirror), smashed hers at least twice in the journey recounted in "The Unlikely Story of Jack de Crow" (to the point where new ones had to be built), and the author in addition very nearly sailed himself over a 200' dam wall in the process of trying to force the daggerplate down.

I know of another Mirror being rebuilt where the daggerplate was indeed replaced by a proper centreboard. (But I appreciate that doing this on your boat is probably outside the scope of your refurbishment.)

Mike
 
Dear lord, everyone has a solution to a different problem for you!

You do know green is an unlucky colour, don't you? :encouragement: ROFL!

Just get out & sail her asap & start another thread about the new boat too please.
 
All opinions are V welcome and considered, none dismissed. cheers.

SeaRush, I don't think practical boat owners will be very interested in my new boat - but it's certainly exilerating for this novice, it's an RS Feva XL:

http://youtu.be/D79JrXxlQN4

That's not me by the way, just a video found on YouTube :-)
 
Enjoy your mirror. I rebuilt mine a few years ago. New taped seams on the outside and a few new bits of ply were scarfed in to replace the rot. Good on you for saving her, and may it give you many hours of fun!
 
Mirror Painter said:
All opinions are V welcome and considered, none dismissed. cheers.

SeaRush, I don't think practical boat owners will be very interested in my new boat - but it's certainly exilerating for this novice, it's an RS Feva XL:

http://youtu.be/D79JrXxlQN4

That's not me by the way, just a video found on YouTube :-)
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Now that's a step-up from the Mirror. You do realise that you are starting on the rocky road of Dylan Winter's Polynavar-itis? The trouble is that no one boat will meet all possible scenarios so you will slowly acquire specific boats for particular circumstances. I now have a cruiser, 2 sailing dinghies, two tenders, 2 kayaks, a canoe & 2 sit-ons, oh & a large inflatable.
 
Searush said:
Now that's a step-up from the Mirror. You do realise that you are starting on the rocky road of Dylan Winter's Polynavar-itis? The trouble is that no one boat will meet all possible scenarios so you will slowly acquire specific boats for particular circumstances. I now have a cruiser, 2 sailing dinghies, two tenders, 2 kayaks, a canoe & 2 sit-ons, oh & a large inflatable.
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Searush - I haven't mentioned my other. other dinghy. This was me last week.

View attachment 46667

Plus the inflatable kayak. Looks like I've already got Polynavar-itis.
 
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