I spent 6 hours straight yesterday removing gel coat. As it cures, gelcoat bonds to the layers of structural fiberglass laid on it to create a smooth, shiny. I switched to a 36 flapper disk and that took it off faster, but i had to be real careful and could only remove about 2 strips at one time. As soon as you start with ssr definitely necessary on th. Even mere mortals can get a polished gel coat repair. Gelcoat oxidation can sometimes be repaired, but if the damage is. Achieving the same level of gelcoat gloss, adhesion, and color of the. Gel coat labs bow to stern was made available for boat owners who require only the very best products when caring for their boats.
Most stress cracking is purely cosmetic, moisture is unlikely to penetrate to the laminate in the topsides and deck, and can easily be detected with a moisture meter. Companies sell hammers for this purpose, a small lightweight ball peen. Its smooth shiny finish is an indicator of the mold finish. The fiberglass will flex and return to its original shape. How would a potential buyer go about evaluating this issue. Not cracks that damage the fiberglass laminate below the gel coat. If you can see these stress cracks then you should see them on your boat. Eventually every owner of a fiberglass boat will have to deal with gelcoat cracks and chips. From sore eyes to cracked lips, exposure to the harsh elements such as biting winds and dry central heating creates a broad range of problems for. Magicezy hairline fix oyster white boat gelcoat crack repair. Epoxy filler, although a great product is not suitable for a gel cote top coat. Where the gel coat layer is too thick, as we often see in areas of a molded boat where it can easily accumulate such as corners or radii, the shrinking gel coat may create its own stress, resulting in cracks.
Sitting in the hot sun in fla or az the dark colors can absorb a lot of heat it may get up to 140f and when the gel coat expands the fg restrains it and the thermal stress. Gel coat is basically a relatively thick layer of resin with colorant added. If the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. Finally, blisters can be an indication of thin gel coat layers during the spray process. Marine hk research americas leading gel coat company. So all the gelcoat was completely removed off of the boat and taken back down to raw fiberglass. These marks were not apparent during the wash or claying process.
Mostly americans lean really hard and push on this rear pulpit bracket and the chain plate. I saw no signs of possible impact, but the length of the crack seemed a bit more than cosmetic to me. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. You may cover the cracks with just one application, but make sure that the product is sunk completely into the cracks before you consider that you have finished. Painting over cracked and chipped gel coat moderated. I have seen water leak into cores for reasons including. Resins can vary greatly with the manufacturing process and how it is applied. If the gel coat is applied too thick it has a tendency to crack because of the difference in thermal expansion, resin will expand much more than the fiberglass substrate. As previously mentioned, panel defection in itself is not a bad thing. Polyester gel cotes will not chemically bond to epoxy. Give us a few details and well match you with the right pro. In this post, we are going to focus on scratches and cracks that are strictly cosmetic. The cracks are called spider cracks, and they are normal for a gel coat finished boat.
It is a complete line of boat maintenance and detailing products. I ordered this and the chip repair which go hand in hand for what we need id recommend looking over the companys detailed website and videos. It happens because the gelcoat does not have any give to it where the fiberglass underneath does. When the gel cracks, it leaves impressions of white in the very top layer of the glass, but does not crack the glass. The epoxy fills and seals the cracks, and the polyurethane restores the color and gloss. Glassworkxx is a small but growing company that excels in fiberglass pool restoration and offers many services from tile addition, cracks and pool leaks, gel coat colors change, gel coat application, and almost anything else fiberglass pool cost related you can imagine we can do so give us a chance to earn your business here at glassworkxx. I flew up to tokyo yesterday and back on the 15th, so will take some pics for ya then. Wipe off gel coat with styrene to remove dirt, which may interfere with bond. Gel coat is strong and durable but like any other finish, it can be subject to damage. Ive seen this problem occur on several black cars, including mc2hills truck, the black dodge ram that was detailed by daytonajae, mc2hill and myself and now this 99 accord. The cracks are purely cosemetic, and not structural to the boat. The good news is that working with gelcoat is not terribly difficult. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating.
Yet, because the surveyor encounters so many boats with stress cracks on the. First, lets understand that all fiberglass hulls absorb water to some degree because both the gel coat finish on the exterior, and the fiberglass reinforced plastic is porous. These cracks usually go through to the fiberglass and require that the gelcoat be removed. I did significant damage to my gel coat on a recent kayaking trip. My plan is to remove the many coats of antifouling paint below the waterline, then apply three coats of the west system epoxy and repaint it. In my case there was no warranty the company had ceased trading. You would imagine that bathing your skin in water would keep it hydrated but in fact, too many.
Since water is a solvent, it will react with the plastic resulting in the water and solvents in the plastic mixing to create a weak solvent solution, usually with styrene. Gel coat cracks motorhome matters motorhomes forum. We are a refinishing company in the bay area and cover a large portion of nothern and sothern cal. Our fully automated facility produces the most advanced. Gel coat labs bow to stern vessel care products are manufactured by four star products. Gelcoat is the protective coating that covers most fiberglass boats. Youll want to take care of any damage on the fiberglass first so you have a smooth surface to apply the gelcoat to. Because there is no fiber in it, over time it will crack because the hull naturally flexes a bit. Our gelcoat repair kit contains everything you need to make minor repairs in gelcoat on boats, caravans, kit cars and much more.
All gelcoat is, is nonreinforced tinted fiberglass. Gel coat cracking on 2000 tritonanyone else having this problem. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. To fill in damaged areas, start by sanding them with coarse 36 grit sandpaper to remove any.
In the manufacturing process it is the first layer of the hull, sprayed against the inner surface of mold. Laminate should be laid up sooner to obtain satisfactory bond with air exposed surface of gel coat b. If the gel coat does not completely cover the coat in one stroke, you should allow the first coat to harden into a sticky lump before applying a second mix. Unless the scratch goes through to the glass matting it wont harm the boat. Are they gelcoat or stress cracks thanks mate, was convinced it was going to be something more sinister. These blisters might also be an indication of improper wetting of the backup fibers, a bad bond between the gel coat and backup laminate which can be an indication of contamination. Gel coat cracking on 2000 tritonanyone else having this. The repair technique recently rediscovered by l h g in the boston whaler literature sounds. Upon inspecting the underside, i noticed a crack in the gelcoat about 2 feet long on the bottom side of the hull under where a passenger seat would normally be located.
A thin layer of gel coat isnt structurally strong enough to prevent itself cracking off. If you dont want to use paint, you can grind away most of the crazed gelcoat and replace it with a fresh application of colormatching gelcoat paste. The 10 best gelcoat repair services near me with free. Gel coat repairs and star cracks skuk sea kayaking uk. Why do i get stress cracks or crazing in my gelcoat. Gelcoat crack and crazing repair moderated discussion areas. I do fiber glassing repairs the cracks are from a structure movement no gelcoat will repair it as it will just crack again even putty will crack only repair is to grind out the cracks and fiberglass layers then fair and gelcoat use wax on the last coat or it will stay sticky. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
Fixing gel coat cracks in fiberglass for professionals only. A twopart system consisting of polyester resin and catalyst, gelcoats the first thing into the mold during manufacture. Fixing gel coat cracks in fiberglass for professionals only youtube. Other products in gelcoat repair marine outfitters canada. No other gel coat manufacturer has a deeper commitment to the marine industry. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. Over time, the gelcoat can fade, oxidize and become pitted and dented. You being a veteran, may be familiar with this hull. Any mold imperfections would be reflected in the gel coat as well. There are several reasons it might need to be repaired. I tried a 40 grit 6 sanding pad but it was going to slow. Gel coat repair series cosmetic scratches or cracks.
Im just about done tearing out all the old gel coat cracks with the entire boat here bow to stern just with these two chisels in the nice weather. Repairing gelcoat on fiberglass boat the topic of gelcoat is often a mystifying subject for boat owners. We had similar gelcoat cracking issues on one of boats built to our designs. If your boat is more than a few years old, youll probably be surprised at the number you find. I kicked up a fuss at autotrail factory as i had lots of other quality problems and someone from lamplas who make the bodies for autotrail came to my home and made a superb repair. Im showing you how to figure out whats going on that caused this part of the gel coat to crack so bad. Gelcoat repair kits are available in over any ral or bs colour please click or tap items below for further information and to buy. The black lines show the gelcoat was a bad match,the red line show how wavy the line is. The company now offers a similar kit using the preval sprayer, but its. It is nevertheless important to establish the origins of any crazing in the gel coat to try to prevent it happening.
The basic procedure for making repairs is surface preparation, gelcoat application, sanding and finishing. Just grinding out the surface and laying up light cloth may do the trick. Extensive spiderweb cracks, chunks of missing gel or wear through to the glass laminate are worth taking a look at. Instead, modern fiberglass boat hulls relay on a limited number of major girders and frames. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the faq by clicking the link above. I ordered this and the chip repair which go hand in hand for what we need id recommend looking over the company s detailed website and videos.
Either deepen the scratch using a small blade or grinder, or leave it. Hk researchs highquality marine gel coats are engineered to outlast anything the elements or the production line throw at it. As for painting above the waterline, the light blue interior and white exterior gel coat need refinishing. It can crack, peel, blister, change color, wrinkle or distort. The clear exterior coat on fiberglass boats is formed by a substance known as gelcoat. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. The gelcoat seals the fiberglass and can be left alone or painted over. The fiberglass being cheap is not correct either, fiberglass is fiberglass.
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