A plastic hatch on my new boat was knackered, so I've obtained a
replacement. It's the same size, but a slightly different (stronger)
design. I pulled up the old hatch the other day, and discovered that
some muppet had butchered the deck in fitting it - notches have been cut
out of the fibreglass and its plywood core to accommodate the hinges of
the old hatch:

http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN3631.JPG
http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN3632.JPG
http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN3633.JPG

(the black material under the notch is sound-absorbing foam in the
engine bay)

The fixing holes on the new hatch are not in the same positions as the
old hatch, and two of them need to go where the notches are so I need a
solid repair to screw into or bolt through. I also want to seal up the
exposed plywood to prevent any water getting in and rotting it. The new
hatch has the hinges built into the lid rather than the frame, so
there's no need for any cutouts or notches in the deck.

Any suggestions? I've never done any fibreglass or epoxy work before,
but am willing to give it a go.

Cheers,

Pete

Pete Verdon wrote:
A plastic hatch on my new boat was knackered, so I've obtained a
replacement. It's the same size, but a slightly different (stronger)
design. I pulled up the old hatch the other day, and discovered that
some muppet had butchered the deck in fitting it - notches have been cut
out of the fibreglass and its plywood core to accommodate the hinges of
the old hatch:

http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN3631.JPG
http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN3632.JPG
http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN3633.JPG

(the black material under the notch is sound-absorbing foam in the
engine bay)

The fixing holes on the new hatch are not in the same positions as the
old hatch, and two of them need to go where the notches are so I need a
solid repair to screw into or bolt through. I also want to seal up the
exposed plywood to prevent any water getting in and rotting it. The new
hatch has the hinges built into the lid rather than the frame, so
there's no need for any cutouts or notches in the deck.

Any suggestions? I've never done any fibreglass or epoxy work before,
but am willing to give it a go.


Oh, its all pretty easy.

First thiing is to get rid of all the (slicone?) sealer and roungh up
the area to be patched. Ona dry day. Or you will seal wet in.

Then you have tow choices to make the thing good. If you want real
structural strength, lay up some glass CLOTH and resin - get it from
e.g. Halfords. Dont use chopped strand mat. Its vile in small areas.

All that means is laying the glass cloth where you want it to go and
jobbing in the resin with a stuff brush..follow directions on using the
catalyst etc. As soon as its more or less done, cover the area with a
bit of tough polythene, and squish down to get the air bubbles out, and
then use something like modelling clay to hold the plastic over the
resin till it all goes off. Minutes only usually - then remove plastic
and whilst the resin is still rubbery trim any surplus with a stanley
knife. If you are trying to make good mouldings, make up a female mould
out of anything useful that you can think of, and then cover it in
plastic. For a better finish, apply resin by itself first then a layer
of cloth and resin/.

Its smelly and messy, but even gibbons can and do do it.

As far as final finishing goes or simply prettuy strong gap filling, its
the same resin and catalyst, but filled with a filler to make a stiff
putty. You can buy this as liquid metal, or holts P38, or two pack car
body filler, at any halfords type place or a chandlers. Or you can
usually by a sensible filler to go in te resin to make it.

This type of filler sets rock hard in minutes and is very very tough
indeed. You can drill tap and file it like it was a hard wood. Its
probably enough for your job by itself. Its the ultimate adhesive and
body putty all in one.

Used to hold rusted cars together for MOT purposes since the year dot.

Years ago I repair a wing that was hanging off one. The car was
subsequently crashed by its stoopid owner. The only bit of straight
bodywork on that wing was the repair...


Cheers,

Pete

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Pete Verdon wrote:

Any suggestions? I've never done any fibreglass or epoxy work before,
but am willing to give it a go.

First thiing is to get rid of all the (slicone?) sealer and roungh up

Yep, transparent silicone. At some point the previous owner seems to
have gone mad squirting it around all over the place instead of fixing
things properly. Very little of it is actually keeping water out.

Ona dry day. Or you will seal wet in.

Could be mildly problematic in the present climate - snow melting
everywhere. However, the notches are underneath the new hatch which I've
temporarily dropped into place, so hopefully out of the worst of it.

Then you have tow choices to make the thing good. If you want real
structural strength, lay up some glass CLOTH and resin

OK - I guess I'd have to make up some kind of mould at least for the
underneaths of the notches if I were to do this. Would you expect in
this case to end up with solid glass&resin the full thickness of the
notch (ie plywood + two existing fibreglass skins)? I can't really
imagine filling those deep notches using flat cloths.

As far as final finishing goes or simply prettuy strong gap filling, its
the same resin and catalyst, but filled with a filler to make a stiff
putty. You can buy this as liquid metal, or holts P38, or two pack car
body filler, at any halfords type place or a chandlers.

This sounds like it might be the answer for the job in hand - should be
fairly easy to mould a putty-like substance into place. Presumably it
sticks to some extent while wet, so should hold itself in place? Does
this stickiness make it hard to handle (stick to your hands)?

Or you can
usually by a sensible filler to go in te resin to make it.

Would this be epoxy resin or polyester? I have a "fibreglass repair kit"
in the shed bought for another job and not yet used, which is polyester
resin + hardener, and what I think is some chopped strand and some woven
cloth. Would thickening that resin (I've heard people use fine sawdust?)
do the job or should it be epoxy instead? I'm not trying to do this on
an absolute shoestring, but it would be nice to use things I already have.

This type of filler sets rock hard in minutes and is very very tough
indeed. You can drill tap and file it like it was a hard wood. Its
probably enough for your job by itself. Its the ultimate adhesive and
body putty all in one.

Yes, it does sound good. The only thing to be concerned about I think is
how strongly it will adhere to the edges of the notch to hold itself in
place. Sticks strongly, does it?

Thanks for the advice,

Pete

Pete Verdon wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Pete Verdon wrote:

Any suggestions? I've never done any fibreglass or epoxy work before,
but am willing to give it a go.

First thiing is to get rid of all the (slicone?) sealer and roungh up

Yep, transparent silicone. At some point the previous owner seems to
have gone mad squirting it around all over the place instead of fixing
things properly. Very little of it is actually keeping water out.

Ona dry day. Or you will seal wet in.

Could be mildly problematic in the present climate - snow melting
everywhere. However, the notches are underneath the new hatch which I've
temporarily dropped into place, so hopefully out of the worst of it.

Then you have tow choices to make the thing good. If you want real
structural strength, lay up some glass CLOTH and resin

OK - I guess I'd have to make up some kind of mould at least for the
underneaths of the notches if I were to do this. Would you expect in
this case to end up with solid glass&resin the full thickness of the
notch (ie plywood + two existing fibreglass skins)? I can't really
imagine filling those deep notches using flat cloths.

As far as final finishing goes or simply prettuy strong gap filling,
its the same resin and catalyst, but filled with a filler to make a
stiff putty. You can buy this as liquid metal, or holts P38, or two
pack car body filler, at any halfords type place or a chandlers.

This sounds like it might be the answer for the job in hand - should be
fairly easy to mould a putty-like substance into place. Presumably it
sticks to some extent while wet, so should hold itself in place? Does
this stickiness make it hard to handle (stick to your hands)?


Oh yes., sticks like ****, smells like ****.


Or you can usually by a sensible filler to go in te resin to make it.

Would this be epoxy resin or polyester?

Polyester.

I have a "fibreglass repair kit"
in the shed bought for another job and not yet used, which is polyester
resin + hardener, and what I think is some chopped strand and some woven
cloth. Would thickening that resin (I've heard people use fine sawdust?)
do the job or should it be epoxy instead? I'm not trying to do this on
an absolute shoestring, but it would be nice to use things I already have.


use the polyester then., The correct filler is IIRC, mica powder.
Sawdust wont be as dense or as strong, but I guess it would work. You
will end up with chipboard essentially is that really what you want?



This type of filler sets rock hard in minutes and is very very tough
indeed. You can drill tap and file it like it was a hard wood. Its
probably enough for your job by itself. Its the ultimate adhesive and
body putty all in one.

Yes, it does sound good. The only thing to be concerned about I think is
how strongly it will adhere to the edges of the notch to hold itself in
place. Sticks strongly, does it?


To fibreglass, immaculately. Also to wood. It struggles with olefins
like polythene, and water is bad news.


Thanks for the advice,

Pete

Pete Verdon d wrote:

I pulled up the old hatch the other day, and discovered that
some muppet had butchered the deck in fitting it - notches have been cut
out of the fibreglass and its plywood core to accommodate the hinges of
the old hatch:

That's not plywood, that's balsa. Balsa is the standard core for boat
decks and floors.

You have an awkward profile to reconstruct there. I'd be tempted to put
some stainless screws into the balsa, protruding to the depth of grp
less the thickness of the GRP moulding, in order to provide some
strength in the lip. The GRP layup then has to be done "inside out".
Normally one lays up in the order gelcoat, then a coating of resin then
then while that is tacky glass cloth and the remainder of the layup.

First thing is to get everything really clean. Remove the old sealant,
grind or sand back the old surface on all the GRP. As I mentioned insert
screws to provide some mechanicla strength then lay up using either
epoxy or a good quality polyester resin designed for use on boats. The
cheap stuff from halfords is rubbish and has a nasty red catalyst. I'd
actually use epoxy for such a small repair. Remember that epoxy doesn't
work with CSM, the CSM is held together with a binder that dissolves in
styrene (polyester resin) but not in eopxy which is solvent free.

Use woven glass tape to build up a strong profile. You'll need something
to stop it sticking to the foam insulation and that should be polythene
or melinex sheet. Personally I'd use some dense LD polythene - washing
up liquid bottles used to be ideal for this but they are now hard to
find (the bottles are now mostly PET). Build your core, allowing room to
add a gel coat. Then when the core has cured apply a gel coat. This will
need to have a melinex film placed over it while it sets otherwise
oxygen in the air will cause it to remain tacky.

Then grind/sand it all back into shape.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Then you have tow choices to make the thing good. If you want real
structural strength, lay up some glass CLOTH and resin - get it from
e.g. Halfords.

That's **** advice for work on a boat. Halfords sell only the worst and
cheapest variety of isopthallic polyester resin. It's useless for boat
construction.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

use the polyester then., The correct filler is IIRC, mica powder.

sigh No, it's glass microspheres.

Steve Firth wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Then you have tow choices to make the thing good. If you want real
structural strength, lay up some glass CLOTH and resin - get it from
e.g. Halfords.

That's **** advice for work on a boat. Halfords sell only the worst and
cheapest variety of isopthallic polyester resin. It's useless for boat
construction.

Oh really? what exact boat construction is being discusseed here?

Its just a very minor infill, prat.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:


Its just a very minor infill, prat.

Should be applied to your gob then, tit. Oh no, that's major infill.

Steve Firth wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

use the polyester then., The correct filler is IIRC, mica powder.

sigh No, it's glass microspheres.
No it isn't. That's a completely different filler for a totally
different purpose.

Its weak, but its light. That's all you can say about it.


http://www.resin-supplies.co.uk/fillers.htm

Normal HD filler for decent strength (not just puffing up material is
mineral - see above.

prat.

Steve Firth wrote:
Pete Verdon d wrote:

I pulled up the old hatch the other day, and discovered that
some muppet had butchered the deck in fitting it - notches have been cut
out of the fibreglass and its plywood core to accommodate the hinges of
the old hatch:

That's not plywood, that's balsa. Balsa is the standard core for boat
decks and floors.

Balsa is a common choice, yes, but plywood is not unknown. Some boats
use both, with plywood sections let into the balsa layer under
higher-stressed parts. I haven't probed deeply into this wood, but it
seems rock-solid to the fingernail which is not a property I associate
with balsa. The main bulkhead (between cockpit and cabin) on this boat
is certainly ply cored - there are some large holes from old instruments
in which the plies are clearly visible.

You have an awkward profile to reconstruct there.

Yep, very awkward. It doesn't need to be reconstructed accurately
though, as it will all be hidden under the lip of the new hatch. All I
really need is something I can screw into or bolt through (haven't
decided which yet) and which won't let water into the core.

Use woven glass tape to build up a strong profile.

OK. The ply is probably 12mm, plus the thickness of the fibreglass top
and bottom. How do I make something so thick with glass tape - just keep
adding layer after layer of glass and resin?

Then when the core has cured apply a gel coat.
[...]
Then grind/sand it all back into shape.

I take it then that the gel coat should be quite thick, to withstand
sanding to shape?

Cheers,

Pete

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Pete Verdon wrote:

Or you can usually by a sensible filler to go in te resin to make it.

Would this be epoxy resin or polyester?

Polyester.

OK, great. I'd only read about thickened epoxy, but then most of this
discussion is on American sites where they seem to be able to slop epoxy
about with gay abandon.

I have a "fibreglass repair kit"
[...]
Would thickening that resin (I've heard people use fine sawdust?) do the job

use the polyester then. The correct filler is IIRC, mica powder.

OK. Presumably not something I can obtain from Halfords or whatever in
the short term? I'm in a hurry to get the hatch fitted so the boat is
finally watertight. Probably stick to the premixed putties I think.

Sawdust wont be as dense or as strong, but I guess it would work. You
will end up with chipboard essentially is that really what you want?

Well, a mix much richer in resin than most chipboard, but point taken.

Yes, it does sound good. The only thing to be concerned about I think
is how strongly it will adhere to the edges of the notch to hold
itself in place. Sticks strongly, does it?

To fibreglass, immaculately. Also to wood. It struggles with olefins
like polythene, and water is bad news.

OK, two-pack polyester putty it is.

Cheers,

Pete

Pete Verdon wrote:

OK, two-pack polyester putty it is.

Oh, and I like Steve's screw idea, so I'll be moulding it round a few of
them just to make sure.

Pete

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Steve Firth wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:

use the polyester then., The correct filler is IIRC, mica powder.

sigh No, it's glass microspheres.
No it isn't. That's a completely different filler for a totally
different purpose.

No, glass microspheres are the commonly used filler material when
working on boats.

Its weak, but its light. That's all you can say about it.

It's light, but its stronger than "mineral" fills which are still not
mica and tend to be whatever is cheap, such as talc as on the page that
you give a URL for.

http://www.resin-supplies.co.uk/fillers.htm

Normal HD filler for decent strength (not just puffing up material is
mineral - see above.

Using talc has no strength and you do not want the extra weight on a
boat. If you look on the page that you give above you will see that
glass microspheres are recommended for "boat fairing".


prat.

You should adopt that as a sig. It suits you.

Would you care to mention how many boats you have worked on in the past?

Pete Verdon d wrote:

To fibreglass, immaculately. Also to wood. It struggles with olefins
like polythene, and water is bad news.

OK, two-pack polyester putty it is.

I really wouldn't use polyester putty for this application. If you feel
you have to use it, use "bridging compound" which is stronger than talc
filled polyester filler.

Also don't get your supplies from Halfords who charge rip-off prices. Go
to an appropriate supplier.

Bridging compound:
http://www.bodyshopwarehouse.co.uk/product/u-pol-b-

Gel coat/glaze:
http://www.bodyshopwarehouse.co.uk/p.../dolphin-glaze

You're going to have problems getting a good colour match to the
existing gel coat. Boats are all white, and no two of them are the same.
You can get gel-coat matching kits from chandlers which are supplied
with blue, black, yellow dyes to allow you to match the colour. It takes
experience and a good eye for colour to get it right. All "white"
fillers are too yellow for the job.

Pete Verdon d wrote:

Use woven glass tape to build up a strong profile.

OK. The ply is probably 12mm, plus the thickness of the fibreglass top
and bottom. How do I make something so thick with glass tape - just keep
adding layer after layer of glass and resin?

Yes, it's going to be a protracted process because you can't pile up
lots of material as it will sag until the resin cures. it will be easier
if you put a sheet of something that the resin won't stick to between
the foam and the edge of the moulding. This then provides support while
you work. Then build on that sheet layers of glassfibre tape and resin.
Once you have constructed a "floor" across the edge of the cut then it
should be easier to construct the vertical part. The difficult part is
to get the cloth laminated for maximum strength. You need it laid in a
continuous ribbon both left/right and then front/back in an L shape with
overlapping laminations.

Given the shape of the profile you may need a couple of different widths
of tape or take woven mat and cut it to shape with scissors.

For your layup to work, the glass has to be throughly wetted with resin.

Then when the core has cured apply a gel coat.
[...]
Then grind/sand it all back into shape.

I take it then that the gel coat should be quite thick, to withstand
sanding to shape?

Not too thick since it has no strength of its own. The finish thickness
shouldn't be much more than 1 mm, though this is difficult to achieve.
If you are doing epoxy layup then you don't want any of the epoxy
exposed to light since it will change colour rapidly (to brown) then
start to lose strength. But you also don't want a hugely thick gelcoat
since it will be weaker than the GRP layup.

Steve Firth wrote:
Pete Verdon d wrote:

To fibreglass, immaculately. Also to wood. It struggles with olefins
like polythene, and water is bad news.
OK, two-pack polyester putty it is.

I really wouldn't use polyester putty for this application. If you feel
you have to use it, use "bridging compound" which is stronger than talc
filled polyester filler.
I thought you said itr was galss balls?

Tsk Tsk. If you are going to troll, be consistent.

On 10 Jan, 17:26, Pete Verdon
d wrote:

Any suggestions? I've never done any fibreglass or epoxy work before,
but am willing to give it a go.

West Systems small epoxy kit (under 20) lasts me about a year in the
workshop. Very, very useful. Available from better woodworking outlets
and boat chandlers, especially a timberyard like Robbins in Bristol
that serves the boatbuilding community.

While you're about it, get a copy of the "Gougeon Brothers Guide to
Boat Building". These are the people behind West Systems, and the book
is a useful manual of construction techniques with epoxy, whether
you're doing boats or not.

You'll also want some fillers. Buying good thin epoxy and then
thickening it as needed is a much more useful technique than thinking
it begins and ends with tube Araldite. Fibre fillers are used for
strength, powders for general bulking and gap filling. The lightest
(and generally the best) are glass or phenolic microballoons. These
are hollow spheres, so they're lightweight and easy to sand. Glass are
white, phenolic are brown and less wear on your tools (I often plane
or scrape this filler down flush). You can get mineral powders too,
but they're mostly used because they're cheap - microballoons are
usually better. I also use 1/4" Kevlar fibres as a strength filler, as
it's much easier to work with than glass fibres - also gives me a way
to recycle my Kevlar trimmings.

If you have a Glassplies nearby, then go and talk to them about GRP
(usually polyester resins rather than epoxy). These are cheaper for
fabrication purposes, but for repairs I tend to use epoxy instead.
Glass cloth (of several different weaves and knits, talk to the seller
for advice) is useful for reinforcement. Avoid the old chopped strand
mat as it tends to be heavy and uneven, unless you're careful when
applying it. These days you don't even see it much. A gallon of
acetone is cheap at any GRP shop and a handy degreaser before gluing
with either resin.

"Steve Firth" wrote in message
. ..

You can get gel-coat matching kits from chandlers which are supplied
with blue, black, yellow dyes to allow you to match the colour.

Are there any chandlers which don't operate a "stick another nought on"
pricing policy?

On 11 Jan, 12:22, "Clive George" wrote:

Are there any chandlers which don't operate a "stick another nought on"
pricing policy?

Around Ashington / Blyth

Two towns which are also the most depressed towns I've ever seen
anywhere in the UK. ...and I've lived in Hull and up the Welsh
Valleys. Not soemwhere I'd ever want to live, but they were the
cheapest chandlers near Newcastle.

On 10 Jan, 17:26, Pete Verdon
d wrote:
A plastic hatch on my new boat was knackered, so I've obtained a
replacement. It's the same size, but a slightly different (stronger)
design. I pulled up the old hatch the other day, and discovered that
some muppet had butchered the deck in fitting it - notches have been cut
out of the fibreglass and its plywood core to accommodate the hinges of
the old hatch:

http://verdonet.org.uk/stuff/DSCN363...f/DSCN3633.JPG

(the black material under the notch is sound-absorbing foam in the
engine bay)

The fixing holes on the new hatch are not in the same positions as the
old hatch, and two of them need to go where the notches are so I need a
solid repair to screw into or bolt through. I also want to seal up the
exposed plywood to prevent any water getting in and rotting it. The new
hatch has the hinges built into the lid rather than the frame, so
there's no need for any cutouts or notches in the deck.

Any suggestions? I've never done any fibreglass or epoxy work before,
but am willing to give it a go.

Cheers,

Pete

What kind of profile is needed for the repair? If similar to
surrounding area, I would tend to make this profile out of marine ply
(a little smaller to allow you to cover with GRP) and expoxy resin the
ply to the existing wood - consider installing epoxied wooden dowels
to provide extra support. Then use epoxy resin and woven tape as
suggested to complete the repair. Epoxy works better as an adhesive if
there is a gap to fill and is damned strong when done properly. It can
also be affected by UV - so does need to be coated with something -
but this could possibly be just etch primer and boat paint.

Polyester resin is great for initialy molding, but is not an ideal
adhesive. Epoxy resin is a much better adhesive. The advice on chopped-
strand matt is true and is only suitable for polyester resins.

I'd tend to suggest posting on rec.boats.building or on a forum like
http://forums.bateau2.com/ where you can get more support from people
who have done similar repairs. I have done so in the past, but nothing
that could be considered structual.

HTH,
Mark

Clive George wrote:

"Steve Firth" wrote in message
. ..

You can get gel-coat matching kits from chandlers which are supplied
with blue, black, yellow dyes to allow you to match the colour.

Are there any chandlers which don't operate a "stick another nought on"
pricing policy?

Oh yes, there are the ones that operate the "stick two noughts on"
philosophy.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Steve Firth wrote:
Pete Verdon d wrote:

To fibreglass, immaculately. Also to wood. It struggles with olefins
like polythene, and water is bad news.
OK, two-pack polyester putty it is.

I really wouldn't use polyester putty for this application. If you feel
you have to use it, use "bridging compound" which is stronger than talc
filled polyester filler.

I thought you said itr was galss balls?

No, I recommended the use of glass microspheres as a filler. Some
brainless numpty who knows nothing about epoxy or polyester resins and
fillers and who knows less than nothing about boat building decided he
was the expert and wibbled about "mica" which isn't used as a filler.

The polyester filler sold for use in Halfords is (a) expensive and (b)
almost useless since it uses talc or limestone as a filler. This makes
it heavy and weak.

For that reason it is possible to get bridging compound which is
polyester resin with long strands of glass fibre rather than talc as a
filler. This is lighter than the cheap polyester fillers and able to
bridge long gaps such as those on Pete's boat. The downside is that it's
a ******* to mix and also to trim to shape.

But of course you knew all this since you're such an expert. Shame you
didn't think to provide the advice, eh?

Tsk Tsk. If you are going to troll, be consistent.

Well, your trolling is consistently ****witted. It's clear that you
don't have a clue.

wrote:

What kind of profile is needed for the repair?

Doesn't need to be particularly close. The whole area will be underneath
the lip of the hatch, which extends as far as the dirty area in the
first photo or slightly further.

I would tend to make this profile out of marine ply
(a little smaller to allow you to cover with GRP) and expoxy resin the
ply to the existing wood - consider installing epoxied wooden dowels
to provide extra support. Then use epoxy resin and woven tape as
suggested to complete the repair.

OK, that might be a good approach.

also be affected by UV - so does need to be coated with something -
but this could possibly be just etch primer and boat paint.

As I said, the whole repair is going to be under 5mm of plastic screwed
down on top, so no need for elaborate finishing.

Pete

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:56:54 -0800 (PST), Andy Dingley
wrote:

If you have a Glassplies nearby, then go and talk to them about GRP
(usually polyester resins rather than epoxy).

I thought Glassplies were *only* in Southport?

Maybe you were thinking of Stand Glass / Scott Bader who used to be
nationwide but in the past few years they have drastically cut back on
their branch network.

Also worth considering as suppliers are

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/

http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk



--

On 12 Jan, 22:24, Mike wrote:
If you have a Glassplies nearby, then go and talk to them about GRP
(usually polyester resins rather than epoxy).

I thought Glassplies were *only* in Southport? *

Maybe you were thinking of Stand Glass

Southport is indeed my local. I thought there was more than one
though, as they had grown from the remains of Strand Glass when they
closed.

On Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:24:37 -0800 (PST), Andy Dingley
wrote:

On 12 Jan, 22:24, Mike wrote:
If you have a Glassplies nearby, then go and talk to them about GRP
(usually polyester resins rather than epoxy).

I thought Glassplies were *only* in Southport? *

Maybe you were thinking of Stand Glass

Southport is indeed my local. I thought there was more than one
though, as they had grown from the remains of Strand Glass when they
closed.

I was buying stuff from Glasplies back in the early 80's when they
had ads in Exchange and Mart. Memories of spending hours on the phone
to the owner as he could talk the hind legs off a donkey - even if you
were in a rush it was never a short phone call.

I wasn't aware of a Strand Glass connection, everything Glasplies
sold seemed to be 'unbranded' and seconds grade with short dates or
slightly damaged reinforcements such as woven fabric with a missing
thread or CSM in oddball widths

I can only recall two Strand Glass northern branches, one at
Stockport (or Cheadle?) and one in Leeds, most of the deliveries came
direct from their headquarters though.


--