Oday 22 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

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Early hatch fix

posted 10-07-2008 by Rich SantaColoma

See Early O22 Hatch, restored as originally intended.

The hatch on my O22 was never painted. I assumed this was to allow light into the front cabin, even though that was not the case anymore. The suns UV had long since broken down the resin in the glass, and the now unprotected fiberlass fibers were mildewed and dirty. I almost just painted it. I even toyed with the idea of replacing the center with plexiglass. Then I decided to trust the original design, and see if I could bring it back to original. I mixed up a strong solution of detergent and bleach, and scrubbed the fiberglass with a stiff brush. I let the bleach do its work for a time, and rinsed it off. The fiberglass was bright and white as new! After it was thoroughly dry, I gave it a coat of epoxy resin, which soaked in the fiberglass just like it was supposed to. It has a nice look to it, and I have to say that it lets in much more light than I expected. I guess George knew what he was doing! I may give it a coat of UV protected clear polyurethane to keep it from breaking down again. Rich.


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