Installing tower backer plates - use Kitty Hair?

(stormcrow) · (stormcrow) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 05-12-2007, 11:04 PM

For installing backer plates to reinforce the hull where the tower brackets attach, I was thinking of using Kitty Hair. Anyone do it this way? Any advice or words of wisdom for a first-timer? i've never used the stuff.

(266crownlinebr)

That is fine to use. Are you also adding wood? That is how mine was done. Kitty Hair over wood.

mendo247 05-13-2007, 6:06 PM

might work if you ground the fiberglass and cleaned it real good before applying the kitty hair.. id much rather add a couple layes of glass and resin.. a really big washer or have someone make a backing plate out of metal for the mount to bolt through is the normal procedure...

(jmunday) · (jmunday) **Join Date: Mar 2006** 05-13-2007, 7:03 PM

I went to lowes and bought a piece of 2" wide 1/8" thick aluminum bar, and i cut it down to fit and stacked three plates on top of each other. ohh yea i also epoxyied every piece down. made my tower real sturdy.

(stormcrow) · (stormcrow) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 05-14-2007, 6:37 PM

Actually I was going to use the kitty hair to bond the backer plates to the hull. If the plates are just fixed in place by the thru-bolts, it doesn't distribute the load, it just reinforces the fiberglass. I was going to bond metal plates to the fiberglass using kitty hair to encapsulate it.

(wake_upppp) · (wake_upppp) **Join Date: Nov 2003** 05-14-2007, 6:51 PM

Kitty hair, (bondo with some glass strands mixed in) is mainly a cosmetic application, not much strength. If you want bonding strength, use SMC, (fancy name for fiberglass) Panel Bonding Adhesive by 3M. You can get it at a local auto paint supply store. This is what we bond outer SMC panels on Corvette's to the inner metal frame with.

(malibuboarder75)

Why not just reinforce with some fiberglass mat and/or cloth. Kitty hair (aka chopped strand) probably wont do much.

(stormcrow) · (stormcrow) **Join Date: Apr 2007** 05-21-2007, 10:12 AM

I was under the impression that kitty hair very strong. thanks for the guidance toward SMC. I'll check into that.

i have no prior experience with using fiberglass mat/cloth as suggested by malibuboarder75.

Is is easy to work with? How is SMC to work with?

(derby) · (derby) **Join Date: Nov 2005** 05-21-2007, 10:43 AM

Kitty hair the backing plate to a clean surface under the rail or deck. I also had to add a few blocks of wood to even up a spot for the backing plate.

When you bolt it down the first time, dont tight all the way. You just want to even up the hair between the plate. After a day or two you can go back and tighten the tower bolts to spec.

That's what I did and New Dimensions recomended.