Fiberglass on Aluminum

Here's a pure ignorance question ...

Will fiberglass stick to aluminum? I have gotten a 12' V-hull that has an aluminum keel that has worn through in places. I can't see replacing it but would like to repair it. I have some 4" wide fiberglass material and West System epoxy.

A couple guys have glassed jet ski hulls into tin's. Check out some of the threads on jet ski jon boats. Or PM Ranchero?

If you use some 80 grit sand paper and sand the aluminum very well, it will adhere. But it is not ever really stuck that well. I would not do it on the outside of the hull. If you did it on the inside and after it was glassed in, you went back and put some aluminum over it and used seom 5200 or rivets to the hull it would last much better.

I work with fiberglass for a living. I did glass the transom area of my boat, but only to seal the multiple corrosion holes. Once I sanded it and glassed it, I came back and used some pop rivets to make sure it was held into place.

Fiberglass is a chemical bond to fiberglass.
Fierglass to aluminum is a mechanical bond, kinda like paint.

huntinfool ...
Thanks for the info about fiberglass. I knew that the epoxy/glass interface was a chemical/mechanical bond but it never occured to me that sticking the stuff to aluminum was just sort of a glue job. I've 'glassed things over wood (like repairing a rudder on a friend's sailboat) with good success but I can imagine never getting enough tooth on aluminum to get the glass to stick.

Since the repair I need to do is to basically fill a long crack, I may try something like JB Weld or even West System epoxy mixed with chopped glass to make a sort of paste (think peanut butter) to fill the hole. A little grinding/sanding should allow me to get the profile back to where it should be.

I've made a quick drawing of the keel as it should be and its current condition. Maybe the drawing will help find a solution to the repair. Thanks for the help!

have a fab shop welded it up for you, maybe even put a narrow aluminum plate over it for wear protection