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Using the highest speed possible bits turning at lower speeds tend to grab and rip the gelcoat causing chips and splinters instead of a smoothly ground surface start at one end of each remaining crack and grind all the way to its other end. How to Repair a Crack in Fiberglass.
Once dry sand the surface to a smooth finish.
How to repair stress cracks in gelcoat. To repair this type of cracking remove the gelcoat from the area and inspect the fiberglass for deeper cracks. Simply wipe the area with a wet cloth so the cracks or fractured fiberglass will appear as white lines in the laminate. Continue until the fractured laminate is removed then do a traditional fiberglass repair following these steps.
Locate the stress cracks in your gelcoat. Clean the area with a wax and silicone remover that can rid the area of any surface contaminants such as oils and wax. After wiping the area down use a clean towel to dry it.
Using a V-shaped tool you can begin to open the crack. As you continue to scrape along the crack you will start to widen it. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired.
Learn how in this tutorial with Andrew Price. How to Repair a Crack in Fiberglass. Drill a tiny hole at each end of the crack.
This will stop the crack from extending any further. Wipe the crack with a dry rag to make sure its clean and dry. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin using a plastic applicator.
Let the epoxy dry for a day. Furthermore what causes spider cracks in gelcoat. However if the cracks are stress cracks then you need to fix whatever caused the cracks in the first place.
Gelcoat is generally less flexible than the underlying laminate and if an area of fiberglass is bending due to stress the gelcoat will generally crack before the underlying laminate is actually damaged. Gelcoat stress crack repair 2003 Sportsman 1900. My 2003 Sportsman 1900 has stress cracks on the deck in the areas around the bimini attachment points probably due to side to side flexing of the bimini.
I plan to clean this up this coming off season. First I will reinforce and maybe change the hardware used on the deck attachment points. 160 rows Wash mould surface with detergent and water then polish.
Once the crack is open and it has a good size you can sand and clean the area. For cleaning you may use acetone or soap and water. Now you are ready to use the Gelcoat Putty.
Mix in a 1-12 ratio of MEK-P Catalyst into the putty and mix it properly. Use a putty knife to fill in the spider cracks. Once dry sand the surface to a smooth finish.
Repairing Gelcoat Stress Cracks Gelcoat cracks and crazing are an unfortunate reality for fiberglass boats but you can fix them yourself. 2021-04-01 - By Terry Monville - GBI Technical Advisor Knowing how or why your boats gelcoat cracks occurred in the first place is the key to a successful repair. The instructions direct you to clean the cracks out with a fine needle and then to wash rinse and dry.
Although slightly tedious the needle step. The instructions direct you to clean the cracks out with a fine needle and then to wash rinse and dry. Although slightly tedious the needle step is very important.
Do not attempt to widen the crack-the Fix will seep into very thin cracks. They then direct you to carefully fill level and wipe around the crack. If you choose to do a DIY gelcoat repair you can seal hairline cracks using a DIY repair solution kit.
The solution applies easily and will seal most cracks. Sealants come in a variety of colors to match your hull. They provide a smooth streamlined look that restores your boats surface.
The lower 14 of the transom was rotted allowing the outer skin to flex. Gelcoat doesnt flex at the same rate as the underlying fiberglass layer fiberglass is more flexible so stress cracks appeared all over. Ive fixed all my rotten wood issues so Im ready to fix the cracks.
Step 4 As soon as the crack has been channeled out wipe it clean with a solvent like acetone and using a plastic putty knife flush-fill it with gelcoat matched to the color of the surrounding area if the channel isnt too deep. Polyester filler if the channel is of medium depth. Or polyester resin and fiberglass strands if the channel is very deep and wide.
Its a good idea. Using the highest speed possible bits turning at lower speeds tend to grab and rip the gelcoat causing chips and splinters instead of a smoothly ground surface start at one end of each remaining crack and grind all the way to its other end. Stress cracks can be successfully stopped however.
The crack must be ground out thoroughly. It needs to be ground deep enough to reach good fiberglass fiberglass that is not whited out or shattered or separated and it needs to be ground out wide enough to reach the good fiberglass on either side and end. CHECK OUT OUR NEW FIBERGLASS GUIDE HERE.
Brush a thin layer of gelcoat onto the sanded area feathering it out a bit onto the surrounding fiberglass surface. Step 9 Allow the gelcoat to sit for three hours then spray it lightly with Polyvinal Alcohol to help it fully cure.