The topic of gelcoat is often a mystifying subject for boat owners. Go on you tube and there are a million howto repair gel coat videos. Gel coat search sort by manufacturer, year, and basic color using the drop down filtershaving trouble. Hairline cracks, stress cracks or spider cracks star cracks that occur in gelcoat surfaces on fiberglass boats or other water craft are often seen as a cosmetic issue. There are several reasons it might need to be repaired. How to remove paint oxidation from a fiberglass boat gone. The evercoat marine gelcoat repair kit permanently repair nicks, gouges and scratches in fiberglass hulls and decks. Next, youd have to apply a fresh coat of the base gel coat, then apply the clear with the proper flake,color and size. These cracks usually go through to the fiberglass and require that the gelcoat be removed down to the glass. A clear gel coat repair can yield almost invisible repairs depending on how deep it goes in the colored structure. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Magicezy hairline fix snow white fiberglass crack repair fills and colors fast.
Now that the cracks are ready, mix your gelcoat repair kit and the hardener together. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. 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. I got a pretty good science lesson about gel coats and polyflakes. Offering a sale of discontinued and obsolete skeeter parts, dependable fiberglass repair for boats, graphics, wiring harnesses, restoration and hamby we are located in longview texas. When finished you couldnt see where the repair was made. Jul 06, 2016 gel coat is strong and durable but like any other finish, it can be subject to damage. 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. Premium polyester gel coats deliver top cosmetics and lasting durability for parts and molds. Deterioration caused by exposure to the elements or the use of cleaners or. Cultured marble repair procedures also known as simulated marble, fake marble and synthetic marble. How to remove paint oxidation from a fiberglass boat. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat.
Use to fill gouges, chips, scrapes and deep scratches in the fiberglass gel coat. A twopart system consisting of polyester resin and catalyst, gelcoats the first thing into the mold during manufacture. The highestquality, iso npg marine finish gel coat used to permanently repair or replace original, highgloss finish. The tape will help to ensure that your fresh layer of resin doesnt go too far across the surface. If the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. Cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web.
In this post, we are going to focus on scratches and cracks that are strictly cosmetic. The time required for this job will obviously vary quite a bit depending on the number of cracks and how widespread they are, but should take no more than three hours per square foot of repair area. Try not to remove any of the fiberglass resin or cloth. How to fix scratches in the gel coat from dockingslipping. Buy fibre glassevercoat co gel coat repair kit 1 oz steering free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Using the correct design, equipment, technique and materials, it is not difficult to obtain perfect results using contact moulding, particularly after some experience has been obtained. Gel coat consists of a high quality resin thats pigmented with color and has additives to protect from ultraviolet rays. If youre an angler, the next step is to lay down a coating of protective bees paste wax. Take care that they are completely mixed together, otherwise the hardener and gel coat will not set properly, and you will be left with a sticky mess for weeks. Blend coloring agents to achieve a match to almost any color. Let it cure completely, then sand the crack again for a smooth finish.
Here you can learn about what is needed to apply a gel coat. The process to apply white gel coat makes it the most susceptible to stress cracks. Gel coat is easy to use and looks great when finished. Structural damage, caused by manufactures build process is different than the gel coat cracking. Jun 25, 2018 there are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Gel coat finishes including, but not limited, to cracks, crazing, checking, discoloration or blistering. Prep the area removing all of the damaged gel coat keep the repair as small as possible. Tough to say if these cracks are limited to just the gel coat, or if they involve the laminate under. Basscat has repaired gel coat cracks well above and beyond expectations. Extensive spider cracking common on older boats is due to aging of the gelcoat. Sep 05, 2012 learn how to repair a gelcoat scratch. Because gelcoat by its nature is a hard and brittle substance, hairline craze cracks may result with age. I just use a small tube of gel coat scratch repair, but it only comes in white and offwhite.
Jan 21, 2020 epoxy filler, although a great product is not suitable for a gelcote top coat. For certain, they reflect the parts flexing to a greater degree than the material can take without cracking. A prior owner had fixed a few with evercoat gel coat scratch patch gel coat repair, with ugly results. The objective of replacing all of the gelcoat is to inoculate the entire bottom against future blistering, but if 99 percent of the original bottom is already resisting blisters, that makes 99 percent of your investment wasted. It has been getting progressively worse since i discovered it, and spreading to the rest of the gunwales.
Extend each coat farther than the previous one, with the last coat out to the tape line. Hey guys so, i have an older skeeter ss 90 which has been in the elements basically from day one. Aside from the durable shiny luster gelcoat adds to any fiberglass boat, most owners know little more than wash and wax it frequently. The process involves cleaning the area, wet sanding the crack using medium grit sandpaper and filling the crack with pigmented gelcoat paste. Gel coat cracking on 2000 tritonanyone else having this. Polyester gelcotes will not chemically bond to epoxy. Some blister repair involves drilling a few very small holes and injecting an epoxy compound.
Skeeters goal, to build boats that are engineered like no other, permeates everything we dofrom our design and manufacturing methods to the courtesy we extend each time you walk into a dealership. Either deepen the scratch using a small blade or grinder, or leave it. These craze cracks usually develop on surfaces where the gel coat is heavy. Ive had the boat back for 3 months and the cracks are back and look even worse and the gel coat looks like i left the boat in the sun for a couple of years. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. A thin layer of gel coat isnt structurally strong enough to prevent itself cracking off. Individual blister repair is where to start until it becomes clear whether your bottom has pimples or pox.
Gel coats iso gel coats in 3 sizes, kits and color options. I have a 1986 fiberglass chris craft that has scratches and small hairline cracks in the gel coat. Repair chips in gelcoat below the waterline boat talk. Itll help make it easier to remove fish blood, scales, and chum. I have worked on many boats with spider cracks, the best method i have used is a dremel tool to gouge the cracks and fill them with a gelcoat paste made with gelcoat and glass bubbles works wonders, as for sand paper you.
This was the first type of fiberglass delamination and the failures damaged the boat building industry badly since many manufacturers had transitioned to all. Choose from traditional gel coats including white, clear, and neutral, as well as tooling gel coats in orange and black. Jan 29, 2020 mechanical bonding is the larger issue since the new patch is only connected to the hull through adhesive properties. The only major difference in that case is that you would use a clear gel coat to carry the deep colours required, rather than a white one. Bass boat clear coating bass boats, canoes, kayaks and. The suns ultraviolet rays can harm your boats gel coat just as much as wind and water can. Tinys fiberglass repair old skeeter boats, skeeter parts. The chip is probably about half inch all around, and looks like it went all the wa.
In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into the fiberglass and cause more serious damage. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor. 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. The objective of replacing all of the gel coat is to inoculate the entire bottom against future blistering, but if 99 percent of the original bottom is already resisting blisters, that makes 99 percent of your investment wasted. General exclusions from warranty this warranty will not cover the repair of damages as a result of abuse, alteration, modification or neglect.
All of our gel coats offer incredible durability, and resist uv degradation and water absorption. To bulk out a clear coat, a colloidal silica would be used instead of the filler powder we used for this job. Fiberglass boat cracks repair forums iboats forums. Our customers have complemented us on how well it works. Window breakage, and leakage around windshields, windows or hatches or other apertures. The paint gel along the upper rail is faded washed out badly. Once the gel coat has reached a full cure, progressively sand the area to a polish.
It can be done with a tool like a router, where you remove the gel coat to the base color. Common gelcoat repairs are often applied for spider web cracks or eroded gelcoat to the point where the base laminate is starting to show. The clear exterior coat on fiberglass boats is formed by a substance known as gelcoat. Blend the included coloring agents to achieve a match to almost any color. Fiberglass metalflake repair with no professional tools russell marine products, llc. Varnishes, paints, or chromeplated, stainless steel, or anodized aluminum finishes. This requires a structural repair, removal and replacement of fiberglass then spraying the. Once you do it for the first time, you will wonder why people take their boats and pay outrageous. The other repair for spider cracks involves a little more work. Gel coat repair series cosmetic scratches or cracks. The type of cracks the op is seeing are not structural and are likely due to gel coat that was applied too thick.
The repair can require spraying to make the boat look like new. Dec 29, 2017 fiberglass metalflake repair with no professional tools russell marine products, llc. They have been known to build customers a new boat if it was found to be a bcb issue and not totally a customer induced neglect and abuse. To fill in damaged areas, start by sanding them with coarse 36 grit sandpaper to remove any. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration. Bass boat clear coating bass boats, canoes, kayaks and more. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into. Youll want to take care of any damage on the fiberglass first so you have a smooth surface to apply the gelcoat to. Fiberglass metalflake repair with no professional tools.
Aug 05, 2017 diy gelcoat repair with flake jeremy hoffman. I believe once your skeeter falls in a certain year, they drop the urgency about it. This produce worked great to cover, perfect color, waxed right over, no problems. As it cures, gelcoat bonds to the layers of structural fiberglass laid on it to create a smooth, shiny. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Soon the inner and outer fiberglass layers couldnt do their job and broke down from repeated flexing. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. If the underside is accessible, laying up heavy glass to a well ground surface is the surest path to a repair which will not recrack.
Consequently, minor surface repairs should be done only on the clear. Defects in the exterior cosmetic gelcoat finish cracks or crazing and. This warranty provides you with protection against the expense of repairs for your boat. Cultured marble repair procedures multitech products. Next, youd have to apply a fresh coat of the base gel coat, then apply the. Skeeters warranty is for the fiberglass, not for the gel coat.
If you find that your gel coat seems to be sticking to your part, this could be the result of an improper release of the mold surface. Gel coat repair is pretty easy if you know how to spot the nicks, dents, gouges, and scratches that can potentially compromise your hulls resistance to water. Using the correct design, equipment, technique and materials, it is not difficult to obtain perfect results using contact moulding, particularly after some experience has. Search overtons for a wide selection of fiberglass and gelcoat repair products. Gel coat repairs and star cracks skuk sea kayaking uk. On old boats, it is sometimes best to leave the crack alone, without repair for newer models, we offer a gel coat craze crack repair. Typically, glitterflake is used in molding applications. Other colors of gel coat are chemically stronger and less likely to stress crack. Buff the area with a mild compound to remove the 600800. Go to a boat store near you, or search online, for small gel coat repair kits. They have tattle tells incorporated in the build for this purpose.
Skeeters xtreme and excell composite construction ensure a smooth, dry and safe trip to your favorite fishing hole. Repair chips in gelcoat below the waterline sign in to follow this. Rayplex has a great web page that will give you all the information you need to get a good gel coat match. Unless the scratch goes through to the glass matting it wont harm the boat. Jun 01, 2011 the only way to repair a section of gel coat is to remove the bad section, not to merely cover it up. Deterioration caused by exposure to the elements or the use of cleaners or chemicals not recommended in writing by skeeter.
Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. Fiberglass hulls flex and shift a bit under load one of the reasons, in addition to hull design difference, they ride better than tin hulls and if the outer gel coat is too rigid or stiff it can crack when the underlying fiberglass moves when running at high speeds in rough conditions, etc. Nov 27, 2010 i went and looked at a boat today 24 wellcraft airslot. And natural the crack would appear more prominent in the white anyway. Small cracks allowed the wood to become soaked and it swelled and then rotted. Just grinding out the surface and laying up light cloth may do the trick. Our gel coat repair kit includes just about everything you need to tackle small repair jobs up to 6 square inches. The only way to repair a section of gel coat is to remove the bad section, not to merely cover it up. Old skeeter boats, skeeter parts, obsoletediscontinued skeeter boat parts in longview texas. Apply polish now its time to apply a coating that will help seal the gel coat, and make it shine. Skeeter s xtreme and excell composite construction ensure a smooth, dry and safe trip to your favorite fishing hole. Heres an easy way to fix and color stress cracks in seconds and its so tough it comes with a 3 year durability guarantee.
Warranty repairs will be performed by skeeter, or its authorized representative, in accordance with the other provisions of this limited warranty. A special release film and norun polyester gel makes a slick. This repair has been to a white hull, but exactly the same principles apply to pigmented hulls. If your boat is more than a few years old, youll probably be surprised at the number you find.
Fiberglass boats are painted with a fiberglass resinbased paint called gel coat. Used this product to make a repair to boat gel coat after fixing some minor fiber glass damage. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. The same vibrations that formed tiny cracks will cause the boundary of the patch to loosen. Start by wiping down the area with acetone and sanding the damaged gel coat down to the fiberglass. A special release film and norun polyester gel makes a slick, nosand finish quick and easy. Also, there are some mildew stains, especially along the stern, and of course some uv fade water lines etc. Next, gouge out small, narrow cracks and scratches that are too deep to remove with rubbing compound until they are wide enough to fill with gelcoat paste. Gelcoat can also be rolled or applied by foam brush in patch areas, but spraying tends to yield best results with the least amount of followup sanding.
Varnishes, paints, powder coating, chromeplated, stainless steel, or anodized aluminum finishes. How to remove scratches from gel coat by wet sanding and polishing duration. When looking at a scratch in the gelcoat, you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch. If you are looking to do some diy gelcoat repairs, this brief primer will help. Once the gel coat has reached a full cure, progressively sand the area. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. Hull showing cracks skeeter boats indepth outdoors. There are lots of different kinds, get the simplest one.
Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. If its just a small white or off white repair rayplex has repair kits with a simple color guide for matching. Jun 30, 2017 gelcoat repair is inevitable for the vast majority of boats after a sustained period of time on the sea. How to repair a flaking clear coat on a fiberglass boat it. Even with the protective qualities of gel coat, over time it will become dull and faded from oxidation. This in the fourth gel coat scratch patch ive tried. Anyone else having this problem i have a 2000 triton 186 that the gel coat has been getting hundreds of tiny white cracks on the right gunwale since 2008, when i first noticed it. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. Gelcoat crack and crazing repair moderated discussion areas. Skeeter s goal, to build boats that are engineered like no other, permeates everything we dofrom our design and manufacturing methods to the courtesy we extend each time you walk into a. Seeing the backup pattern through your gel coat layer could either be an indication of inadequate thickness in the gel coat, or improperly cured gel coat.