Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip. Fiberglass laminating and gelcoat repair video, tips and repair methods to avoid, spraying gelcoat with styrene, wax additive or patch booster are out of date. Open up the crack a bit to give the repair the best chance of seamlessly blending into the existing gelcoat. Then you can apply new gelcoat and be done with it.
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. Hairline cracks in fiberglass hull my friend, mine has the 200hp straight six, what a sound when that thing is running. The easiest repair method is to sand the surface heavily and roll on two coats of epoxy primer followed by two coats of twopart linear. Needed multiple applications to fill the gel coat crack but the color match was very close and it buffed well with my 3m imperial hand glaze. Heres an easy way to fix and color stress cracks in seconds and its so tough it comes with a 3 year durability guarantee. Click here to visit our frequently asked questions about html5. Inspite of this hairline cracks are not unusual on boats. This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat using polyester resin. Fill the repair slightly higher than the surrounding surface to allow for sanding. At first the crazing will appear like it does on old china, where you can see the crack but cannot feel it when you run your finger over it. The other repair for spider cracks involves a little more work.
Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. The spraying part of this video will be out next week. To repair it you would need to grind down to the fiberglass, feathering outward. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. A fiberglass and gelcoat repair is mostly needed for mending the surfaces of boats. Are they gelcoat or stress cracks most likely it is crazing or gelcoat cracks. Cracks right through the gelcoat, especially if they originate at slide corners, are. It is possible to fix a crack in gelcoat easily, as it can be sanded over. This fast setting epoxy simplifies the plastic repair process by eliminating substrate identification and adhesion. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. Magicezy has developed a range of worldfirst gelcoat repair products that repair and color damage in seconds. The gelcoat seals the fiberglass and can be left alone or painted over. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration.
How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats youtube. Magicezy hairline fix is a revolutionary precolored fiberglass and gelcoat repair product that fixes and colors fine stress cracks spider cracks, and hairline fractures fast. Wall repair free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Aside from the durable shiny luster gelcoat adds to any fiberglass boat, most owners know little more than wash and wax it frequently. Buy products related to gelcoat repair kit products and see what customers say about gelcoat repair kit products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Learn how to remove gelcoat by following a few simple steps. Apply a gel coat, followed by fiberglass cloth and another layer of gel coat. Cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web. This video segment is part one of a 2part series that will show you how to do a simple nonstructural gel coat repair. Magicezy hairline fix navy blue boat gelcoat crack. If you are looking to do some diy gelcoat repairs, this brief primer will help achieve adequate repair. Other products in gelcoat repair marine outfitters canada.
Buy magicezy hairline fix navy blue boat gelcoat crack repair fills and colors fast. This can be done using a sharp wood chisel or scraper. Cracks like that will show up in most boats, sometimes you see them, sometimes you dont. The topic of gelcoat is often a mystifying subject for boat owners. West marine sells gelcoat repair kitsap and many you tube videos on it. I am waiting till i pick up another boat to put the engine and od in. Boatus magazines mark corke takes you through the steps necessary to repair gelcoat on your own boat.
Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. A professional should check stress cracks below a waterline.
Gelcoat oxidation can sometimes be repaired, but if the damage is extensive the gelcoat must be removed. Fiberglass and gelcoat are two different substances that make a firm surface when combined together. They say its near impossible to match color exact but being white will help. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass, your fix can be limited to the fiberglass exterior. As the cracking progresses, however, you will begin to feel it, and the crack will keep expanding. One manufacturer use to just sand and polish spider cracks especially on runabouts with metal flake gelcoat. Start by wiping down the area with acetone and sanding the damaged gelcoat down to the fiberglass. The best way to repair a pool crack home guides sf gate. Using gelcoat paste, add a coloring agent to match the color of your gelcoat, if necessary. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters.
For hairline cracks and scratches in fiberglass and gelcoat. This diy is not difficult and could save you a lot of money by. If you feel like giving this repair a go and have some experience with home improvement techniques, follow a few simple rules to help you complete this job. How to repair a gelcoat scratch, cracks or hole when looking at a scratch in the gelcoat, you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch. Repairing a fibreglass crack doesnt have to be daunting. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip paint. Boatus how to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Most boat owners know that doing fiberglass boat repairs is a nightmare. Spider cracks in gel coat question a good wet sanding with 3m quality grade wet dry sand paper is all that is needed, start coarse to fine ending in 320 grit. Magicezy hairline fix is a onepart, pretinted available in 10 colors sealant that allows you to complete the repair in seconds without having to grind out the. This video is part 3 of a series on fiberglass that focuses on how to repair a very common type of damage in preparation of applying a new nonskid surface using awlgrip paint. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available. Over time, the gelcoat can fade, oxidize and become pitted and dented.
Magicezy hairline fix repairs cracks on nonskidnonslip. If you have any questions or would like to buy any of the products featured in the video, you can. Heres our video showing how to complete a typical gelcoat repair. Swimming pool cracks are easily fixed in a weekend. Finally, theres an easy way to seal and color crazing in gelcoat and hairline cracks in fiberglass, ceramics, plastic and metal. Try not to remove any of the fiberglass resin or cloth. Putty free delivery possible on eligible purchases. My friend pete shows us how to make a fiberglass paste to repair stress cracks in gel coat. Eventually they went to fixing the cracks the correct way of grinding out the gelcoat and lamination layers that were damaged. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Using a mixing stick, apply gelcoat to the cracked area. Gelcoat thickness will be greater as will layers of cloth underneath. If the surface of your boat looks like a cracked eggshell, the gelcoat is suffering from crazing sometimes called alligatoring.
Using the correct design, equipment, technique and materials, it is not difficult to obtain perfect results using contact moulding, particularly after some experience has. 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. Evercoat maxim 898 double sided plastic repair maxim multifix plastic repair is a two component epoxy repair material that provides speed, incredible strength and sandability. It can also be used for patching up chips, scratches, cracks and even holes in different kinds of vehicles. How to fix cracks in fiberglass gel coat using fiberglass resin.
The good news is that gelcoat can be repaired quite easily and if properly maintained your composite canoe will give you decades of use. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. How to repair a fibreglass crack for beginners youtube. Apply gelcoat use a small wood or plastic putty knife to spread the gelcoat smoothly over the gelcoat repair. Simply grinding a gelcoat stress crack using a dremel grinder then a fill even with epoxy will crack sooner than later. But in cases of impacts, pins or situations where the canoe is wrapped, gelcoat can chip and crack. Now for the bad news, mt used some poor quality gelcoat during their production run, and i have seen 5 where the entire hull had the cracks. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Today im going to show you how to repair spider cracking in gelcoat. It was a quick way to make it look better for a while anyway, but the cracks always reappeared later. How to prepare your boat for painting a gelcoat sail. Before i start, dont forget if you find this video useful give us a like below, add a comment, and dont forget to subscribe to our youtube channel. Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass repair using.