Something hatching

[tonyg]

Pandora forehatch cover is cracked and mended( sort of, many times I should think) As it is double skinned, can I make an opening and pour something in which would strengthen it? The shape is too convoluted to insert a solid reinforcement. Suggestions would be very welcome.

 

[pheonix]

Hi i also had a crack in the main hatch on my pandora best solution is to cut out the offending area and re glass and gel coat. on my hatch "sliding" it is double skinned so there was scope to reinforce with extra chopped strand mat, hard to get a perfect finish but at least acceptable despite shaping required and stronger to boot. is yours mk 1/2 or 700.
mk1 shape eaier to re glass.
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[pheonix]

you could also try a small mix of R.E.P. FOAM.
BUT BE CAREFULL! too mutch will cause the area to expand egg shaped "lot of power in the expansion"
used this to reinforce the bouyancy tanks on a gp14 it is also closed cell so it will not absorb water dont be tempted to use builder equivalent in aerocell cans as this is not closed cell you can obtain genuine R.E.P.F. from your nearest glassfibre materials supplier
it is a 2 part mix 50:50 sugest doing the job in stages teacup full of each at a time can also be sanded to profile before final glassing up followed be a topcoat of gel coat. hope that this all helps

 

[BlueChip]

Make up some epoxy resin and pour or inject it in the gap, epoxy sets like concrete, sticks to anything and doesn't shrink as it cures.
If the gap is large then use epoxy with a filler or soak pieces of sponge in epoxy resin and poke these in.
One of these solutions should do the job

 

[boatbuilder]

Sorry but epoxy will not stick to everything, it also shrinks, and too much will cause an exotherm.
Take a bit more care.

 

[oldharry]

[ QUOTE ]
Make up some epoxy resin and pour or inject it in the gap,

[/ QUOTE ] .... and stand well clear! That quantity of epoxy mixed at once will go exothermic, and set fire to itself very rapidly!

 

[tonyg]

Wow! That seems like a good bunch of advice, thanks and thanks too for the warnings. I did wonder about the epoxy answer as another requirement is that of firmly fixing fittings such as latches, and maybe the foam wouldn't do that. Perhaps the small amount of epoxy at a time is good. The Pandora is an International by the way.