There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. White gel coat, precolored gel coat, clear gel coat, neutral tintable gelcoats. When looking at a scratch in the gelcoat, you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks. For belowthewaterline repairs on marine projects it is recommended that. If your boat is more than a few years old, youll probably be surprised at the number you find. I just used marine tex to fill my bow rail holes and some other below waterline transom mounting holes. How to repair gelcoat, chips, scrapes and gouges yourself magicezy. Clean wet sand with and polish to find true color to match to. If the boat is fairly new and the manufacturer is still in business, you may be able to. I am doing the final cleanup of the holes left behind from the old tabs. Just get the sandinggrinding tool that comes to a point and trace them.
My guess it will crack again but if it helps you sleep more power to you. These are for bonding and filling repairs above or below the waterline and can be sanded. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john gabriel. Marine tex gel coat repair moderated discussion areas. This is the easiest, most durable way to repair chips, nicks, scrapes, wide cracks, and gouges.
In this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or impacts. It can crack, peel, blister, change color, wrinkle or distort. Below waterline gelcoat chiphairline crack repair page. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. If you have some gouges with raised feathers of material around the edges. Inspecting your boats finish cracking due to shoddy construction the stiffener, the squaresectioned part on the left, should have been laminated to the plywood frame it intersects. The source of a boat leak is not always easy to find or fix.
How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass by alex smith. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. The reason being is that surface scratches can easily be buffed with a rubbing compound as opposed to deep scratches which take a couple more steps. Also, gelcoat shrinks over time and exposure to the sun makes the effects worse. Whaler central boston whaler boat information and photos. There may be some exceptions but generally top side paints will soften and peel if used below the waterline for extended periods. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. Hairline fix is the easiest, most durable way to repair scratches, scrapes, stress cracks, spider fractures, and crazing in fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. Tint the batch of gelcoat to match the color of the boat. Prepare yourself with an emergency toolkit that includes totalboat underwater repair epoxy. I strongly recommend paint, not gelcoat, for amateur repairers. Spring and the preceding winter is the time to prepare our boats for the upcoming boating season. May 27, 2009 in this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0.
Im not sure if the cracks were caused by the water or possibly a paint layer that was applied to the bottom of the boat only. The fiberglass under the gelcoat has been compromised, too much flex will cause the gelcoat to crack, these will typically be spider cracks. If the hull or other surface is very unfair, a notched applicator is ideal for applying putty instead of a flat plastic spreader. I can easily follow you tube videos for fibreglass repair, however, can i ask. More extensive cracks and chips may require drywall mud, special twocomponent foam, and. Fixing cracks in a hullkeel sailboat owners forums. If it is a precut hole, you may still need to trim it up with a dremel to remove any cracked or flaked gel coat.
If filling gelcoat chips or voids deeper than 18 inch, finely chop fiberglass cloth and add it to activated fiberglass laminating resin for base filler saturating until white air bubbles are gone and then continue with your gelcoat repair. Also, some laminate was missing from the original design, making it even more flexible in this location. Michigan fiberglass gelcoat repair with john gabriel. Swimming pool cracks are often on the surface of the pool body in the plaster coat, and do not run all the way through the pool body itself. Fortunately, it is a material that rarely needs repair, but there will be times. Unless you can stop the flexing, youre wasting your time fixing the cracks.
Minor damage often only requires an epoxy kit, available at most home improvement stores. For belowthewaterline repairs on marine projects it is recommended that you use a surfacing agent like pva or styrene wax to ensure a thorough cure. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. Sep 05, 2012 learn how to repair a gelcoat scratch. A guide for repairing and preventing gelcoat blisters in fiberglass boats with. Alternatively you can read how to do a simpler colour match using a clear kit you can buy from a chandlery below. Been readin this board for a while, some good info. I have to admit all of my prior experience is with heavier layups where i have never came across this exact situation below waterline. Ive sanded the bottom paint off, and was thinkin to apply some marine tex, sand, and paint. The greatest use of system three epoxy for fiberglass hull repair is gel coat blister repairs below the waterline.
Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. The chip is probably about half inch all around, and looks like it went all the wa. Captpatrick, mike ohlstein, bruce 6 posts page 1 of 1. How to fix a hole on a fiberglass boat complete diy guide. However, it will bond to system three resins sb112 epoxy system.
How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. This means you dont need to add wax that would require additional labor, your gel coat will be easier to spray, and you will have less sanding and polishing to finish your repair. Boatus magazines mark corke takes you through the steps necessary to repair gelcoat on your own boat. Jul 26, 2014 by tom pawlak transoms are major structural parts of fiberglass powerboats, especially outboards.
They blasted off the bottom paint to gelcoat and i noticed that the gel coat had spider cracks throughout the bottom. The majority of inground pools are constructed of 6 to 8 inches of gunite or shotcrete, a concrete type of material, spayed over rebar steel reinforcement. I think these cracks happen to all boat when the are on the hard. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. Noticed while the boat was on the lift that there is a chip in the hull at the very bottom of the v, just below the forward seating area on our 260 ssi. Determine the gelcoat batch size for the size of the repairapproximately 80 square feet per gallon of gelcoat 20 sq. Hull repair, gel coat damage down to fiberglass page. Jun 25, 2018 there are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Below are real before and after images of a magicezy hairline fix repair taken from the. Holes in the gel coat dont always have to be accidental.
With over 250 store locations, 100,000 products in stock, and knowledgeable associates, trust west marine for your boating, sailing, fishing, or paddling needs. Section ix d fiberglass boat repair system three resins. Also one 12 long hairline crack directly next to this chip. How to repair gelcoat, chips, scrapes and gouges yourself. The first job in any gelcoat repair is to check the damage closely, both inside and out. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats. I have some small horizontal cracks in the gelcoat where the keel meets the hull. The cracks are gelcoat cracks and i think that digging them down and doing a marine tex patch might not be worth it. A professional should check stress cracks below a waterline. Polyester gel coats generally are not used as finishes on epoxy repairs. Hull repair, gel coat damage down to fiberglass well, here is the deal.
Nothing can sink a boat faster than a hole, and even the smallest hole could sink a ship. Magicezy hairline fix demonstration how to repair stress. The next time you are cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gelcoat. You can take a screw driver and widen them by gouging it, then filling it with gel coat or they make a gel paste good for this.
Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and although it usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen. I have been grinding paint off the hull of my sakonnet and have discovered many small gelcoat cracks below the waterline only. For this reason, fiberglass repairs rely upon the adhesive quality of their resin for. Nov 22, 2014 the chart would place this repair in the upper right quadrant due to the holes locationa hole below the waterline certainly raises the consequences if it fails yet, because this is a machined hole and not a puncture or impact hole, the repair should be easy to accomplish. I used a plastic spoon to mix and apply then sanded it flush. The thickness of gelcoat provides better protection to the underlying glass structure than thin paint. Anyhow, my plan is to put enough onto the hull, more than what i need, and then i will sand it down to the form i need it. If it has gelcoat then use gelcoat but first fill the gouges with filler material, you can buy ready made stuff for that. Climb aboard sign up for emails and stay uptodate on the latest news, events, and promotions. Do your own fiberglass and gelcoat repair with epoxy resins, filler, sealants, and fiberglass repair kits from west systems, 3m, and hibond. One of the universal truths about polyethylene is that it is difficult to repair. I am hoping they are just in the gelcoat which would be easy to fix. The other great thing about magicezy, is the strength and flexibility of the patented formula.
There is one chip that doesnt even appear to be all the way through the gelcoat, with a small hairline crack maybe 12 long radiating off the one side of the chip. Extensive spider cracking common on older boats is due to aging of the gelcoat. Hi guys, i just looked at a fully restored 20 bertram yesterday and the boat was having the bottom redone. Heres how i diagnosed and repaired a troublesome boat leak on my sailboat. I have deep gouges below the waterline on a fibreglass hulled riva. Has anyone found this same situation on their boat. A key to successful fiberglass repairing is quality materials and patience. This premium marine grade gel coat may be as gecloat for boats, gelcoat for pools or many other applications. The next time youre cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gel coat. Cracks and fractures fortunately, it is a material that rarely needs repair, but there will be times. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass, spreading out from a central point like a spiderweb. Below waterline gelcoat with very minor surface crazing and no other cracking, blistering, or impact damage is a sound surface. Surfaces with crazing penetrating deep into or through the gelcoat are heavily crazed. Tips and repair methods to avoid michigan fiberglass sales.
Surface gelcoat scratches can be buffed with polishing compound, and deeper scratches can be filled. This is hopefully not something every boat owner will need to worry about, but it is a good idea to know how to fix a hole on a boat just in case the unthinkable ever happens to you. More then just stress cracks below the water line youtube. The product is used for many above waterline repairs as well. Thick gelcoat cracks under minor flex where thinner will not.
Unless quite deep, they are cosmetic in nature and will not impact the integrity of the hull. Get to the bottom of the crack then fill it as long as fiberglass isnt damaged. In my opinion, the correct repair would be to regelcoat. This is highly recommended for any hole below the waterline, or in any hole that has coring material, especially if you are thru bolting and need to provide some crush resistance to the laminate. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. I bought some marine tex epoxy putty, im not too sure about the mixture, i believe it is 5 to one, not too sure if that is right or not. Note, the product is recommended for use above the waterline and should not be used in temperatures below 10c as it wont cure. The number of boats that develop serious blister problems is extremely small. Gelcoat used to patch existing gelcoat, fiberglass repairs, and for new construction and projects. They can occur in any form of fiberglass, including cars, boats and swimming pools. Optional if fairing is to repair gelcoat blisters below the waterline. One quick and easy way to repair gelcoat stress cracks yourself is by using magicezy hairline fix a purpose built diy repair solution for stress cracks in gelcoat and fiberglass. I dont believe these to be structural, as they are hairline small cracks and apparently due to an impact. This diy is not difficult and could save you a lot of money by doing it yourself and still.
Remove any damage and drammel sand gouges repair any damaged fiberglass brush ve onto any exposed glass. Below waterline fibreglass repair, paint or gelcoat. Measure a small amount of gelcoat, which is a thick form of fiberglass resin, into a paper bucket. Mix it, apply it, and cure it underwatereven underway.
If the crack is longer than 2 feet, however, this can indicate structural problems that cannot be resolved simply by patching. If the gelcoat has broken through, the damaged area needs to be sanded down and a new gelcoat layer applied. Is it advisable to paint over a west system epoxy, or should i gel coat repair. Sometimes a hard knock can cause delamination within the hull, in which case a more serious repair will need to be carried out first. In such cases, grinding off the gelcoat for wholesale refinishing is the best approach. Shallow scratches and gouges are sometimes best lived with. If the fiberglass will be exposed to water, the gelcoat should be marine grade. It also repairs cracks in ceramic tiles and scratches on household appliances. A dremel tool works great for grinding out small cracks in tight areas.
There is no wood in catalina below the waterline unless there is a wood stringer fiberglassed in the area. Aug 14, 2014 heres how to repair cracks in a concrete pool. Spend more time enjoying your boat and less time fixing it, with the super easy, super fast, magicezy 9 second chip fix. West marine is committed to outfitting your life on the water. Plasters hawk or hand board to hold a large volume of fairing putty. Below waterline gelcoat chiphairline crack repair february 18th, 2009, 06. Here are the steps and ways on how to repair gelcoat, chips, scrapes and. And more importantly how do you repair gelcoat cracks. If you think there is a problem expoy paint the bottom with at least 5 coats. Magicezy hairline fix quickly and easily repairs gelcoat cracks on your boatwithout having to grind them out. Theyre not affecting the integrity of the boat, so dont stress out pun intended if you have a few. According to laboratory tests, magicezy 9 second chip fix is more than 5 times stronger than the leading gelcoat brands. Repairing fiberglass powerboat transoms epoxyworks.
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