removing oil saturating Glassfibre

catmandoo

catmandoo

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Got a small area at edge of keel on port hull about 18 inches square which appears to be saturated with oil . Gel coat is striipped off and we have been pouring acetone into bilges to "flush" out oil before we apply epoxy coatings to hull . Is this the right treatment ??? or is there a better solvent ???/ detergent ??
 
I think you have to be very careful. Acetone dissolves GRP resin if I remember correctly.

The oil shouldn't have got into the GRP if the layup was corret in the first place. If it wasn't correct and the oil HAS contaminated the resin/glass then you have a large problem. Are you sure its got 'into' the GRP?
 
Agree with John, may be worth, if possible, cut out a small core sample with a hole saw 1/2"dia ish to see if it has penetrated.
 
Get that Acetone out of the bilge now.

Acetone will soften the resin if left exposed to acetone, and apply some heat to remove the residue. No naked flames though or it's one flash and your ash.

I would expect the bilge is now clean, but if not, consider cleaning it then grinding off any paint or other coating and add some degreaser, let this soak for a couple of hours or till you see some at the keel, then flush with lots of Metho.

Then re seal the bilge with epoxy resin, you can add pigment to colour it and avoid painting.

You can wash any remaining contamination off the keel with Acetone after heating to remove the last of the Metho, again no naked flames.

If the glass looks a bit suspect (And I suspect it will) grind it back to a good clean area and re glass with an epoxy resin and biaxial cloth, not chopped strand mat.

You may have a major problem here with oil passing through a major part of your structure, it could be an early warning of a hull failure with oil penetrating a crack.

When grinding to find a clean substrate, I would keep going till all traces of contaminated glass have been removed. This might mean you stop grinding when you get to the bilge.

I hope this helps.

Avagoodweekend......
 
Just for my own interest Brian, if OP is going to start grinding, would it not be worth taking small core samples first? Bill.
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

The glass is contaminated and must be removed and the location of the leak must also be located, by grinding it is very easy to follow the contamination track and remove all contaminated material.

Taking core samples will mean more holes to fill and nothing gained, because it has to be removed.

Avagoodweekend......
 
As I said in my post use metho to start with but only after you have removed any and all coatings in this area.

Outside you could use just about any of the degreasers on the market, even a pressure pack would do the job.

Avagoodweekend......
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

Sorry to contadict,
but. If it was my boat Brian,
I would much rather investigate before grinding away at the hull.

A small sample core hole would take very little filling, if the area seems ok.

If it,s not ok, certainly absolutly nothing lost by taking a core sample first. Bill.
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

The fact is that oil has leaked through the structure, this just happens to be a very critical part of the structure.

Why would you waste time boring holes in it when you must remove the contaminated glass anyway.

There are many times a core sample will help you resolve a problem, however I can see no advantage in this case.

If a core sample came up clean it's a confirmation that you just put a hole in the boat for no reason because you missed the area the oil is leaking through.

The most common cause of this type of leak is stress crack, I would want to confirm that one way or the other, by removing the contaminated glass and following this contamination line to it point of origin, hoping I don't find a dark mark going off in both directions as I get closer to the bilge, indicating she has a crack in her and very close to a high stress area.

Avagoodweekend......
 
By Metho I suppose you mean Methyl alcohol . Presume ethyl alcohol would do just as well (the surgical version I mean ) ?

Also boat is a catamaran and the keel is a stub keel in the middle of the port hull . There is a plastic pipe running horizontally above it under the fuel tank to separate fuel tank bilge from fore and aft bilges. The oil is ether hydraulic oil viscosity index 32 leaked from the aft hydraulic motor hose into the aft bilge and then into the pipe or similarly diesel fuel spillage over the years for the filling/ vent or recyle pipes which run over the aft bilge .
The keel is about 2/3 inches thick at this point of contamination which is in "both sides" of the the stern part just under the bulkhead splitting the aft bilge from the fuel tank bilge and looks pretty solid
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

I know how I would approach it, sure the OP will make up his mind how to do it too. Bill.
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

[ QUOTE ]
Whats an OP . Surely not Old Phart ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Would I be so Rude???
Never!
As far as I know, it is the "Forumite Approved" abreviation for, "Original Poster", (hope I haven,t been misled!).

Mind you, if the cap fits?
Very Best of Luck With Your Job/Problem. Bill.
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

Thanks Bill , just testing . Spent ages trying to work out that one

Mind you out here in Greece some guys (not me )with 50 years experience seem to think that acetone is the solution ( excuse the pun).

However I will continue to seek advice from others to get the best outcome Like your idea about the core though as I think the keel is hollow even although it is only 3 to 4 inches thick
 
Re: removing oil saturating Glass fibre

As said good luck with it, hope it turns out less of a prob than it sounds. I WOULD BE VERY CAREFULL WITH THE ACETONE THOUGH. Bill.
 
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