Stress cracks can be identified as longer parallel surface cracks on the hull or deck. These scars of a life welllived are unsightly, but usually are just cosmetic. Theyre not affecting the integrity of the boat, so dont stress out pun intended if you have a few. This type of repair is necessary if you run aground, run into a rock, or have some of crack caused by age and use. 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. Cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web. There was also a six inch crack in the front from a rock hitting it on the road.
Hull repair is fairly easy for someone who owns a small fiberglass boat of their own. The boat is complete but it has a couple cracks in the hull. To fix fiberglass that has cracked, you must first assess the extent of the damage and then prepare the surface. Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass, your fix can be. This was the first type of fiberglass delamination and the failures damaged the boat building industry badly since many manufacturers had transitioned to all. If you want them gone, take the time to do the job right and do the boat justice. Sep 28, 2018 follow along as i attempt to repair a damaged section of our boat s gel coat. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats youtube. If the surface of your boat looks like a cracked eggshell, the gelcoat is suffering from crazing sometimes called alligatoring. Clean off cracked portions working with a fiberglass, or even a wooden hull, you will need to start by cleaning out the crack and affected area. When that happens, the gelcoat cant flex with the fiberglass, it just cracks. A simple sanding with an orbital sander will be enough for this. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats.
How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Otherwise clean them out, polish up the boat as best you can and live with them. When the area is dry, smooth the surface with sandpaper. How to repair fiberglass cracks on boats ezinearticles. How to fix a hole on a fiberglass boat complete diy guide. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. And almost every fiberglass boat, even the most mollycoddled, eventually suffers the heartbreak of spiderweb andor stress cracks. How to repair a fibreglass crack for beginners youtube. Jun 06, 2016 fixing fiberglass cracks keeping fiberglass solid june 6, 2016 in rv counsel by hamiltons rv crack is whack, especially when its in your rvs fiberglass. This can range from small defects that need a little.
This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat using polyester resin. Although fiberglass can be considered as a sturdy type of material, cracks cannot be avoided due to the constant stress a boat can encounter on sea. Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. 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 existing damage. Chips and dents in the shiny hull of your fiberglass boat will happen. Carefully mask around the edges of the fiberglass boat repair area with twoinchwide 3m scotchblue multisurface painters tape no.
Aug 15, 2018 unless your boat lives her life dockside cuddled up to a couple of fenders, shes going to get a few scrapes and bruises. Any crack that goes deeper than the gelcoat definitely needs attention. Dec 28, 2018 fixing fiberglass stress cracks with andy from boatworks today boat maintenance and repair expert and master youtuber, andy miller, is busy in his wisconsin shop this winter. To ensure good adhesion it is critical that the repair patch is adhered to undamaged laminate. Step 1 figure out what caused the cracks to begin with. Epoxy is a little better, but if it cracked the first time due to stress even with glass in it, then neither one alone will be the right solution. This requires identifying and removing all damaged material.
Wipe the crack with a dry rag to make sure its clean and dry. Chip away any loose fiberglass from around the hole. Let it cure 24 hours just to be sure then take the tape off. Adhesion failure in the repair laminate is the most common failure mode for fiberglass repairs. Learn how to fix stress cracks, dock dings and other fiberglass injuries. Fixing fiberglass stress cracks on a bertram moppie powerboat. Discovering fiberglass cracks on a boat is every boat owners nightmare. To diagnose spider cracks, inspect your boat and look for the following. Repairing structural cracks involves several steps.
Ever wanted to fix a crack or hole in a fibreglass boat. Using highbuild primer to repair fiberglass crazing. Also, mask off any adjacent areas or items to protect them from inadvertently applied gelcoat or errant sanding. I have not had the boat for a while, i got it through a trade. I was always under the impression from fiberglass kayak experience that hairline cracks didnt really pose a problem. Forester cutty cabin, and im currently restoring it from stem to stern. They may indicate whether something inside the boat has broken loose and.
Hes taken an old bertram moppie powerboat epic yacht, if you ask me and many others and is redoing someone elses restoration. How to repair fiberglass on a boat the family handyman. Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass. Restoring boat exteriors to their original condition is expensive. Apr 06, 2020 if your fiberglass boat only has superficial damage, such as scratches and cracks, sand the area and remove the wax with a solvent before applying a storebought plastic filler such as gelcote. The boat is in pretty good condition for its age in my opinion, but the hull does have some minor hairline stress cracks.
Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Ive owned a 30 ft wood boat,a pembroke huge pain in the butt and an 18 ft cc starcraft. Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Weve put together an easy to follow guide specifically aimed at those new to fibreglass. This resin can be used as a protective surface over the top of fiberglass, or simply as a finish, much like you might varnish a piece of outdoor furniture. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin, using a plastic applicator. That is unless you use a spray in bed liner materail but, that will just kill the boat appeal for resale.
Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. 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. The first said they didnt work on hulls or offer any repair kits. Polyester resin has little strength on its own, so just filling the cracks with resin wont do much. Next, use a sander and coarse grit sandpaper to expose grind away the crack. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip paint. I put the gelcoat over the spot then apply the tape,it smooths out the gelcoat and puts it in right where you want it.
Oct, 2014 repairing hairline fiberglass deck cracks. First, remove all wax and grease from the work area by wiping down the area with acetone and a clean rag. Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass repair using west system epoxy. Jan 29, 2020 small cracks allowed the wood to become soaked and it swelled and then rotted. You may want to apply colored gelcoat enamel over the repaired area, so the repair wont be so noticeable. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. Mark them with masking tape so you wont forget any.
Repairing fiberglass powerboat transoms epoxyworks. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks. How to fix a crack or hole in a fibreglass boat the new. Listening to that advice would have been a big mistake because your typical fiberglass repair kit wont work on smc. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. Easy ways to repair cracked fiberglass with pictures. Most common location for these to occur is on corners and radiuss where the layup of fiberglass is typically thinner, and the amount of resin is usually more than what it should be. Cracked couple layers of fiberglass, not quite through into the boat. Dear boat doctor, id like to start sailing my older mfg pintail daysailer. 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 boat s structural integrity.
It also repairs cracks in ceramic tiles and scratches on household appliances. The fiberglass can take a lot of that flexing and twisting, but the gel coat is so brittle it sort of wants to just, well, snap. By removing all of the damaged material and exposing solid fiberglass you will be able to effectively add epoxy resin and sheets of additional fiberglass to repair the area. Grind out all the cracks in the gelcoat, regelcoat and put a new nonskid in. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks and. Debris in the water and loading and unloading from trailers can contribute to the collection of dings and dents that mar your boat s finish. Unless you can stop the flexing, youre wasting your time fixing the cracks. Repairing a fibreglass crack doesnt have to be daunting. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. If youre replacing pinstripes, license decals or other graphics, remove them next. The second said they could order one for use, but added if we didnt want to wait, just about any fiberglass repair kit would work. May 27, 2009 ill be taking the boat out of the water after each use, and storing inside.
Most of us know that fiberglass has a very limited ability to bend instead it cracks when overstressed. Creating sharp corners when shaping the area to be repaired. Soon the inner and outer fiberglass layers couldnt do their job and broke down from repeated flexing. Small cracks forming, especially at the surface of the fiberglass. Stress cracks can help us understand what caused the damage. Shaving fiberglass, new approach to stress cracks and mail. Hairline fix is the easiest, most durable way to repair scratches, scrapes, stress cracks, spider fractures, and crazing in fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. All about fiberglass boat stress cracks fiberglass boat repair. Small cracks forming, especially at the surface of the fiberglass cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web 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. If they really need to be fixed to keep the boat from absorbing water, can i just sand the whole thing and roll a layer of epoxy over everything.
Magicezy hairline fix quickly and easily repairs gelcoat cracks on your boatwithout having to grind them out. How to repair a fiberglass boat hull from the outside you take good care of your boat, paying special attention to even the smallest cracks and dings that form in the hull. Step 2 then toughen the laminate that contains the crack or cracks by solidifying it. How to repair a fiberglass boat hull from the outside. If your fiberglass repair is not too big, you can get away with buying a repair kit to fix the problem yourself. Give yourself a 16th of an inch of unmasked margin around the scratch, gouge or hole. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. Jul 26, 2014 if the fiberglass skin is in good condition, it is usually reused and glued back in place over the new core.
One of the things that the basic boat owner should have some knowledge about is boat hull repair. When the boat flexes and twists, the fiberglass flexes and twists and so does the gel coat. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. The cuts made in the fiberglass skin to gain access are repaired with multiple layers of fiberglass cloth and epoxy. If its not clean and dry the epoxy wont adhere well. Wait for the plastic filler to cure before applying another coat. These fiberglass cracks can be purely cosmetic, or can severely degrade the boat s ability to stay afloat. Next, take a small grinder and smoothen the edges of the hole, as well as the exposed fiberglass. Because many lack the knowledge to repair composite parts and molds, damaged items are often replaced. Depending on the size of your repair,first give the area a light sanding then you can mix however much gelcoat you need,what i do is use the two inch celotape packing tape. Fill any deep gouges and spend your time sanding out scratches while the filler sets up.
After youve ground the area, you should now be down to the solid laminate. One advantage that might not be obvious is the ease and durability of repairs. In this short video i take a minute to fix up an old bad repair. Two coats are usually enough to repair standard damage in the typical fiberglass boat. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. There is a fiberglass repair kit on amazon called west system 105k fiberglass boat repair kit that is great for repairing cracks, scraps, gelcoat blisters, loose hardware, damaged keels and smaller holes.
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