TOPIC: need a list to help us all restore on a budget

Theres alot of talk of what resins to use on here with many different threads! Alot of us here would like to know if polyester or epoxy is needed...what we as in all of us weekend warrior boat repair people that get an old 1960's boat for cheap or free and want it back on the water and have a good hand at craftsmanship on normally everything we touch. A list of budget but decent products that will last on a boat that gets trailered and garaged after every use..also we dont want to buy a hundered different quarts of products to fix a 2" hole or a dock hit that lead to soft fiberglass..i have well 8 on my top half of a glasspar lido 1959..so a list starting using polyester

What to patch hole
What to use on a seam of old fiberglass
what to fill seam
what to use on crazing /stress cracks when theres so many that you cant grind all when painting over
what primer
what paint on bottom
what on top
Hope this helps everyone and myself here ..too many options out there !!!!we all just need a list to shop with..so you experienced guys out there help..we all newbies have a high interest in this hobby and dont want to loose the spirit by having a crack out in brand new paint due to some wrong product choice

List of material I would use. Resin, mat, putty, sand paper, gel coat , and bottom paint if all of those materials fell to do a patch job then I would what always seem to work that is duck tape.....just kidding.merry Christmas

This "LIST" is a bit difficult due to the fact that each "Incident" can call for different materials and techniques to effect the repair. The user needs to provide details on what they want to accomplish and what the end results will be in order for us to provide specific, detailed descriptions of proper materials and techniques. A 2" hole on a Fiberglass boat that is going to be Painted as the finished product can have a much different matererials list and repair technique than that of one that is going to be gelcoated. Polyester Resin and Epoxy resin have Shelf Lives and it's always best to buy them when you need them so they are as fresh as possible. I like to keep Cabosil, CSM, Glass Bubbles 1708 Fabric around so that all I have to do is get some resin and I can fix about anything. All your painting questions have pretty much been answered and a quick search would bring up a lot of threads with discussions and answers. To me it's kinda like the Good Book Says...Ask and you Shall Receive.

I'm not at all sure that a boat can be restored PROPERLY on a budget...unless it's a BIG budget. Boat restoration requires parts and materials specific to marine use and those are never cheap. From the standpoint of labor, "it takes however long it takes." When you do the job right, you add up the cost of the parts, materials and labor and the total is the cost of the restoration...and it's always a LOT more than anticipated.

I've seen it all. In an effort to save money, I've run across owners who "restored" with knotty pine, pressure-treated plywood, drywall screws, latex house paint, screaming green "Astro-turf" carpet, and even an aluminum door threshold for a cutwater!

My advice is to use the best materials available and take the time to do the job right. Just work away on it a little at a time...the same way you eat an elephant. The longer it takes, the easier it will be on your wallet. Eventually, the job will be done...and done right. A boat restoration that takes a year but is done properly is a hell of a lot better than one done half-assed in three months.

You are right, when it's done it's done right.the words boat and cheap don't go together very well and why rush and you have to do it twice and no duck tape!!!!!!!unless you are friends with red and green.

"Done Right"??? Who get's to decide what's right?? The BEST Marine Plywood will ROT if not properly cared for and Maintained. The Worst Wood in the world will last for Decades if properly prepped and encapsulated in Resin and then Maintained and cared for. I've seen some really bad factory workmanship that has lasted for 50-60 years and some really badly abused boats!!! There are soooo many variables. I agree that using quality materials and proven techniques is ALWAYS a Good idea but...I've seen some very good BUDGET BUILDS as Well. If the Technique is good and craftsmanship is stellar you can still get great SAFE longlasting results. You can also use the best materials and BAD techniques and bad craftsmanship and get an unsafe build. It's not ALL about the materials. I have an uncle that built a 12ft wooden boat in 1950.(the yr I was born). First boat I was ever in. Made it from 1x12 Pine boards. Nailed and glued em together and sealed the joints with roofing tar. Painted it with Green House Paint. Last Summer I went to visit. He's 88 years old. The old boat was leaning up against the barn under the lean too cover. I went to take a look. Paint was peeling (but not to bad) and it looked seaworthy. I asked him about her and he said he had her in the water that spring but she leaked a little bit but nothing that a little bit of roofing tar wouldnt cure. Those old yellow pine boards must have 20 coats of paint on em but they haven't rotted out yet. He said he had been abusing her the last couple of years but she'd been a good ole boat. I guess so 60 years is a long time for Painted Pine Boards and Roofing Tar. Those were the BEST materials He had and he made em work for a Long Time!!! I caught a Lot of fish out of that old Green Boat!!!

My theory on a budget,,first plan on it being a loser,dont plan on selling it for a profit,unless you do the right boat,most boat people do are common and that is why it was so cheap to buy,It cost just as much to do a boat that has following than a regular 50 to 60 year old common boat,,or you can say oh I will never sell it,,and that is for sure you will lose,,but if you are doing it for the enjoyment and because it has family ties,or you just don't care go for it,, but it will cost you more in materials than you think,besides time,,but it is rewarding when done,,good luck Bill

Any big project needs to be broken up into small parts. in other words you must set small goals. If you make the project into one big goal it will get overwhelming very quickly, and you will just walk away from it. also it is important not to start other projects unless it is a necessity. sometimes a new project looks pretty juicy and tempting, but it always takes money and time from the original. of course this is easier said than done.

I set a budget for each sub project, I pick a boat with good bones, it's not a vette worth 20 grand, maybe 3k so I set my total at 2k boat was 300, engine keeping at 3-400 to upgrade, 600-1k for seats and a couple hundred more for steering updates and instruments, that should have me I. The water, then strip the motor to paint next winter, I don't want a show boat, I want to have fun with it. Like gambling, don't spend more than you want to lose, for me that would be a grand, not 5k