View Full Version : Gelcoat Cracks


Fish On
06-01-2004, 04:33 PM
Got a few more this year. Anyone know a website where they describe the best way to fix them?

Fly Rod
06-01-2004, 07:30 PM
:) I don't know if this will help ya, but I have a DVD of fiberglass repair which helped me alot since I knew nothing about fiberglass repair and gel coating!!! Out of the five chapters there is a small sigment on cracks!!!

And I just bought the one on trasom repair!!!

www.fiberglass-repair.com

ed mancini
06-04-2004, 04:29 PM
Fishon-

Do you want to know the right way to fix those cracks or the quick and easy way??

The right way is to grind them out into a v-shaped groove, braid some strands from a piece of 24oz Roven together, wet the braid out on a sheet of cardboard, then lay the braid into the crack. Once the glass cures, grind down the excess, then fair it, brush on some gelcoat, then fair it again. Now, quickly rough up the area surrounding the crack with some 180 grit paper and then wipe down the entire surface with some acetone to get it squeaky clean. Once the surface is dry, spray on some gelcoat . You can use a Preval sprayer for a small area....anything larger you will want to use a compressor and disposable paint gun.


The quick way is to grind out the cracks, wipe them down with acetone and then fill them in with a gelcoat/cabosil mixture. There is a good chance of them coming back, especially if the crack extended into the glass. The reason why this happens is because the glass in that area is flexing, and thus causing the gelcoat to crack. If you build up the glass and stop the flexing, the gelcoat cracking should stop also.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Ed