How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Complete the repair in seconds without having to grind out the existing damage. Heres an easy way to fix and color stress cracks in seconds and its so tough it comes with a 3 year durability guarantee 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 in one application it penetrates deeply into the pores of even the finest. 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. Spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they result from relatively inflexible gelcoat that is. Cracks from larger issuesa winch, for example, that was inadequately mountedwill need to be. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for.
Spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they result from relatively inflexible gelcoat that is too thick. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Gel coat hardened too quickly or with improper curing temperatures and conditions can also promote stress cracks in the gel coat itself. In this case the cracks need to be examined closely. I have a 79 11ft whaler and it is covered in cracks in the gel coat, but none seem to be wide enough to tell me there is a problem. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best.
How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. This requires identifying and removing all damaged material. All about fiberglass boat stress cracks fiberglass boat. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare.
In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water could penetrate into. 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. Finally, apply a coat of highquality marine polish and your repair is complete. Heres everything youll need to know to repair these cracks. Hairline cracks, stress cracks or spider cracks can occur in the gelcoat surfaces of fiberglass boats or many other water craft and are often seen as a cosmetic issue. Grind deeper wider and apply multiple strips if repairing corner rounds followed by specified filler, the same procedure as repairing a deep gouge as shown in the instructional using at least a 3. Medium oxidation will require a more rigorous process. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying. This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat using polyester resin.
Sometimes, they re merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. As a very discriminating customer, this type of close interaction was certainly appreciated. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion areas. This includes the material costs and labor charges as well. Dr gelcoat was very creative in this process and answered my numerous questions along the way. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat. 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. Shaving fiberglass, new approach to stress cracks and mail call. To ensure good adhesion it is critical that the repair patch is adhered to undamaged laminate. For certain, they reflect the parts flexing to a greater degree than the material can take without cracking. Interlux recommends trowelling a thin mix of epoxy with gouge filler over the whole bottom before application of interprotect. It can be difficult to diagnose spider cracks, especially when youre not aware of them.
Cost of fiberglass and gelcoat repair can vary depending on the level of damage on the surface. Movement means an area were a stiff or built up area of lamination meets an area of less lamination. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration. Just dont put on the gelcoat so thick that itll crack.
Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass. Adhesion failure in the repair laminate is the most common failure mode for fiberglass repairs. Magicezy hairline fix is a colored sealant used to quickly and easily repair fine stress cracks spider cracks and hairline fractures. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats.
Also used to provide a glossy topcoat for 9 second chip fix repairs. In addition to the transom replacement, dr gelcoat eliminated several stress cracks in. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. One manufacturer use to just sand and polish spider cracks especially on runabouts with metal flake gelcoat. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older. I had ian haul out my j120 to power wash the bottom today and to my surprise there were a lot of cracks in the area between the hull and the keel. Stress by thermal expansion or when bulkheads and liners were installed can cause minor flexing. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Fish mille lacs from opener to ice up and get caught out in some rough stuff often. Gelcoat is hard and brittle whereas fiberglass composite is somewhat plyable. You can start with 220grit sandpaper and, for a really slick surface, finish with at least 400 or 600grit. Stress cracks should always be dish ground and fiberglass laminated using 2 or 3 strips of biaxial cloth with matt sewed on the back. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull.
Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. You can fill in the cracks and microscopic pitting with carnuba wax or a sealant. Determine the gelcoat batch size for the size of the repairapproximately 80 square feet per gallon of gelcoat 20 sq. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. The cracks are about 18 inch and can only be seen when u are close up to the rv. Repair involves either widening each crack line in preparation for a new top layer or wet sanding down past the crevice to unweathered gelcoat. I found cracking on the inside of the sump as well. But, stress cracks in gelcoat can and do occur without cracking of the fiberglass composite. He has talked to 2 repair places in ca and one said that the fiberglass was not fully cured whaen the paint was applied and out gassing occured as it cured and this caused the paint to crack which caused the gelcoat to crack. Stress cracks stress cracks are cracks in the gel coat of a boat that let you know there is undue stress on a particular area or a problem under the gel coat. If the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks.
Going too thin with the gelcoat will let you burn through to the repair, over and over. Until i owned a ranger i would probably have agreed with the comment. Provides a longlasting repair guaranteed to seal and protect for years. Think of a fiberglass composite pole vaulting pole. Heres a small example of what things looked like before i started, cracks highlighted with a sharpie pen so theyre easier to see. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john.
How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. The next time youre cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gel coat. It is possible to fix a crack in gelcoat easily, as it can be sanded over. Stress cracks are those nasty spider web looking cracks that occur a point of impact or where there is movement in the fiberglass deck or hull. Sometimes it takes a season of use with the stress and flexing of the hull and deck for spider crack to show up.
Now, i have had a couple glass boats in the past that got gel coat stress cracks pretty much right out of the box. It also repairs cracks in ceramic tiles and scratches on household appliances. The lower 14 of the transom was rotted, allowing the outer skin to flex. The good news is that spider cracks can be far easier to handle once you know what to do. We wont go into great detail here, but suffice it to say that stress cracks occur because of voids under the surface of the gelcoat, and or a lack of strength in the underlying fiberglass or compounds used in the sub structure of the boat. The causes for stress cracks are much the same as for blistering. Widening is done because most topcoats new gelcoat, primer for paint, epoxy overlay, fairing compound wont wick into the extremely thin cracks, they only bridge them. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor. Hairline fix seal and color stress cracks and gelcoat. Magicezy hairline fix is a revolutionary fiberglass and gelcoat nanosealant and adhesive that structurally repairs and colors fine stress cracks spider cracks, and hairline fractures fast. Hairline fix is the easiest, most durable way to repair scratches, scrapes, stress cracks, spider fractures, and crazing in fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces.
Although this usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats structural integrity. You will need some fibreglass filler and hardener to fill in the cracks. Magicezy hairline fix quickly and easily repairs gelcoat cracks on your boatwithout having to grind them out. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. If you see cracks take the gelcoat in that area down to the substraight. J109 j120 stress cracking in keel hull connection jboat. Boat gelcoat stress cracks are a common problem within the marine world when it comes to fiberglass gelcoat boats, a. Tough to say if these cracks are limited to just the gel coat, or if they involve the laminate under. It was a quick way to make it look better for a while anyway, but the cracks always reappeared later. 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. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the. The very basic reason for stress cracks in a gelcoat finish is the hull or surface that the gelcoat is bonded to flexed or moved an amount beyond the point that the gelcoat can flex, so it just cracks, because the gelcoat has no structural bearing attributes. How to repair spiderweb cracks in fiberglass with gelcoat.
Gelcoat doesnt flex at the same rate as the underlying fiberglass layer fiberglass is more flexible, so stress cracks appeared all over. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. For mild oxidation, you will just have to apply a fiberglass cleaner that will restore the shine and take out the dirt. Magicezy hairline fix is a onepart, precoloured sealant that repairs gelcoat stress cracks, scrapes and scratches. Tint the batch of gelcoat to match the color of the boat. These can be done with a roller spraying it wont give you enough buildup. But i have a 10 year old ranger 618 that i run hard. If the boat is fairly new and the manufacturer is still in business, you may be able to get gelcoat that will be. For gelcoat spot repair be sure to sand far past the repaired area to be sprayed to make sure your gelcoat spray does not exceed over the unsanded surface, use the. Hello andy on repairing stress cracks, could i use the west system with.
Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. For more details on some of the things that can go wrong in the fiberglass during the manufacturing process please refer to the blistering article. Once the gelcoat has fully cured, sand the repair smooth wet sanding works particularly well with gelcoat. The cracks run the whole length of the joint on both port and starboard side. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters and is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats. Well, i agree that gelcoat cannot be used to repair a composite failure.