Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. 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. Maybe you still dont know if you should restore your existing finish or simply bite the bullet and have it painted. In the automotive environment, this means cracks, breaks and splits in the body of your corvette.
When i was looking at boats, all of the cracks were around the tower legs and near the swim platform brackets. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. The problem is if the cracks arent removed theres a very good chance theyll be back soon. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Choose from traditional gel coats including white, clear, and neutral, as well as tooling gel coats in orange and black. Dry clear coat begins to flake and peel, showing white flaky areas where the coat is peeling. If you can see black in the cracks that is the base coat. He is checking with honda to see if they will paint the hood and fenders for me.
Gel coat will need to be sanded prior to final buffing. Choosing the right fiberglass kit car for you1941 pro street willys coupe duration. Sitting in the hot sun in fla or az the dark colors can absorb a lot of heat it may get up to 140f and when the gel coat expands the fg restrains it and the thermal stress. Also repairs countertops, appliances, bathroom tubs and sinks. Add to that some of the more adventurous owners of many of these cars, you may have to repair fiberglass panels to get things back to normal. Sometimes, theyre merely cosmetic, meaning they dont penetrate the gelcoat. Cracks and chips in the windscreen are among the most common car problems. Gel coats iso gel coats in 3 sizes, kits and color options.
These days, auto glass repair shops can easily fix cracks up to 18 inches long. Most gel coats have additives to make them reasonably uv stable and so shouldnt fade and i believe the factory uses a high quality gel. Apr 10, 2007 if the gel coat cracks are on a bass boat, that is a common occurrence. You recently discovered a crack in some fiberglass, which youd like to repair. In the case of very fresh, shallow crazing, sanding alone. Jun 09, 2017 finishing the repairs are just like any other fiberglass body work project. A clear coat is a protective layer applied over the car paint that protects the metal from uv rays and the weather. Localized cracking of the gel coat in a few areas is probably due to stress or movement, coupled with perhaps a gel coat layer that is a bit too thick. Then, soak 2000grit sandpaper in water for an hour before sanding around the damage to blend the repair area with the clear coat. Corvette bodies are made entirely of fairly thin fiberglass, and the sensuous curves of our cars are what gives the bodywork some crosssection to maintain its rigidity.
If the gel coat cracks are on a bass boat, that is a common occurrence. Then the cracks can be repaired using the usual techniques for repairing gel coat surfaces. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat. In this tech article corvette fever provides an auto painting guide to show you how to repair, prep, and paint your classic or latemodel chevrolet corvette. How to paint a car at home in 4 easy steps eastwood duration. Since 1968, west marine has grown to over 250 local stores, with knowledgeable associates happy to assist. As soon as you start with ssr definitely necessary on th. Over time, the clear coat will naturally start to flake and peel, so it is important to stop it receding any further as soon as it is noticed. Boat fiberglass repair supplies marine gel coat repair. Regarding cost of having these gelcoat repaires done. Premium polyester gel coats deliver top cosmetics and lasting durability for parts and molds. Pva is best used for spot repairs, or where access is easy while the gel coat is still wet.
Maybe the gelcoat is entirely salvageable but there was a big fiberglass repair made. Sanding the repair smooth and then using a body filler and highbuild primer to finish it. Radial cracks spider cracks, star cracks caused by impact or by a fixture bolt that puts strain on a certain area of a boat and cracks occur around the hole. May 27, 2010 in this tech article corvette fever provides an auto painting guide to show you how to repair, prep, and paint your classic or latemodel chevrolet corvette corvette fever magazine. The wax rises to the top to create an air tight barrier. Surface gelcoat scratches can be buffed with polishing compound, and deeper scratches can be filled. A thin layer of gel coat isnt structurally strong enough to prevent itself cracking off. One of the projects that every restorer of an old corvette eventually has to tackle is a crack in the fiberglass. Sand the fiberglass down until theres no shine left, so you know the gelcoats surface has been removed. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. Unless youre planning on maintaining the gelcoat color, forget about resurfacing with it its brittle and subject to fading and cracking all over again. Add the catalyst to the gel coat according to the manufactures advice and mix well. Damaged vehicles for sale boats, bikes, jeeps, rvs, campers.
Linear crack caused by flexural strain thermal fatigue cracks when gelcoat repeatedly expands or contracts. Gel coat crazing repair moderated discussion areas. The explanation that im hearing from a lot of people is that since the government prohibited the use of lead in gel coat, gel tends to crack like crazy on boats these days. Jun 10, 2017 hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Crazing can be from poor cure, gel coat being too thick, or too much flex in the laminate. Gel coat cracks motorhome matters motorhomes forum. That may not seem all that long ago to some of us older guys, but these cars are now 30 years old and entering prime project car territory. 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. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Use a hard rubber sanding block and start with 400grit wetdry paper to level the gel coat. Where the gel coat layer is too thick, as we often see in areas of a molded boat where it can easily accumulate such as corners or radii, the shrinking gel coat may create its own stress, resulting in cracks.
For this reason, fiberglass repairs rely upon the adhesive quality of their resin for. Most of the time they are just cracks in the finish and do not bother the structural integrity. How to fix a hairline crack in a fiberglass tub home. Apr 21, 2012 ive seen this problem occur on several black cars, including mc2hills truck, the black dodge ram that was detailed by daytonajae, mc2hill and myself and now this 99 accord. Contains colors, polyester gel paste, hardener, release paper, mixing sticks, blending chart and instructions. How to repair fiberglass body panels napa know how blog. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. If the gel coat is applied too thick it has a tendency to crack because of the difference in thermal expansion, resin will expand much more than the fiberglass substrate. Gel coat cracking on 2000 tritonanyone else having this.
How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration. Damaged and repo boats, cars, and motorcycles every year thousands of vehicles gets damaged. Unless youre planning on maintaining the gel coat color, forget about resurfacing with it its brittle and subject to fading and cracking all over again. Just grinding out the surface and laying up light cloth may do the trick. You may be able to obtain a small amount from an auto body shop. From your picture, it looks like the gel coat is pretty thick. Gelcoat blisters wouldnt be more than a cosmetic concern, if theyre treated and not ignored. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. There are various professionals in the industry to assure perfect shower repairs with long lasting results. Your boats paint job will not stay pristine forever. In most cases the base color paint is not damaged but to prevent further damage, you should get your vehicle in for clear coat repair as soon as you notice flaking. Either deepen the scratch using a small blade or grinder, or leave it. You can start with 220grit sandpaper and, for a really slick surface, finish with at least 400 or 600grit. Finally, spray some gel coat in preparation for primer and paint.
Gel coat repair fiberglass repairs fall into two classes. Extend each coat farther than the previous one, with the last coat out to the tape line. Structural damage is an actual break in the fiberglass such as a crack with a visible gap or a delamination in the layers of fiberglass. 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. Although it can be a diy task, it is always better to hire a professional to repair the gel coat if you expect a professional finish. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. You can carefully cover the repair area with plastic film, such as saran wrap, to prevent this tack. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. Paint the crack itself, as well as a 2inch section around the crack.
Mix colors directly against hull or deck for perfect match. Once the gel coat has reached a full cure, progressively sand the area to a polish. To do a job like this, youll need a dualaction sander and sanding discs in a variety of grits from 80 to 200. Fiberglass kit car repairsgelcoat stress cracks fixed the easy. To repair such cracks the underlying problem of movement has to first be solved. Most people that use there boat eventually will develop some type of stress cracks in there gel coat. You can also add pva after the gel coat starts to cure. When i done the rear hatch panel where there were lots of cracks it took me about 5 hours just to sand down to glasss fibre, i was doing it by crack to crack and afterwards i think it would have been better to do the whole panel.
One extra step should be taken, which is to use a sprayable polyester primer. Improper spray techniques create excessive overspray, droplets and flooding. If it is a case of gelcoat crazing what do you recomend to use as a filler. They both require different levels of understanding, and different tools and supplies. Never spray filler onto anything, and handlay all of your repairs. It feels like the bodywork is more substantial than it really is. A halogen shop light is handy for both light and heat. Wipe the repair with styrene to reactivate the old gel coat. If only the gel coat is affected, you might just glue. Sadly the location of the damage makes an interior repair very. Mar, 2011 choosing the right fiberglass kit car for you1941 pro street willys coupe duration. These marks were not apparent during the wash or claying process. Maybe your boat, like most, is showing its age with fine patina of scars, nicks, and gouges. Choose from white, clear, neutral, and tooling gel coatsall available in quarts, gals and 5gal pails to suit your project needs.
Gelcoating 1966 corvette with evercoat gelcoat youtube. Most stress cracking is purely cosmetic, moisture is unlikely to penetrate to the laminate in the topsides and deck, and can easily be detected with a moisture meter. Vintage fiberglass repair and much conflicting information. Repairing a brokencracked fiberglass hull rc groups. Which cracks and chips can be safely fixed on your. Another option is to add wax to the final coat of gel coat. How to repairing fiberglass gel coat cracks in bathtubs. If the surface of your boat looks like a cracked eggshell, the gelcoat is suffering from crazing sometimes called alligatoring. How to repairing fiberglass gel coat cracks in bathtubs, boats, cars automotive, bathrooms, paint whether you are getting ready to fix your bathtub, boat, truck cap or other fiberglass item that has seen some abuse you are probably going to need to replace its outer gel coat in the process. Jun 23, 2006 if the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. My concern is that this is a symptom of a bigger underlying problem, like more cracks forming a year from now. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. Use a suitable flexible paint and primer meant to be sprayed over aged fiberglass surfaces.
Gel coats are available in quarts, gallons, and 5gallon pails to suit your project needs. The paint is starting to get cracks on the hood and fenders of my 2008 honda civic its dark blue with 43,700 miles the dealer said the warranty for paint is 36 months or 36,000 miles. Its a good idea, by the way, to mix up a couple of small batches of gelcoat to help you approximate the color you need. To fix a peeling clear coat on your car, start by scrubbing the peeling area with grit sandpaper to get rid of the damaged coat. Gel coat cracking on 2000 tritonanyone else having this problem. How to keep car clearcoat from peeling more it still runs. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. Epoxies can be used to cover the cracks, but youre relying on the epoxy to be strong enough to bridge over the cracks and not fail, but as soon as it gets. When the time comes that it needs to be touched up or repaired, come to bottom paint store and look through our wide selection of fiberglass and gelcoat putties, resins, restoration solutions, repair kits, and toolsmaterials. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. The number of boats that develop serious blister problems is extremely small. Gel coats iso gel coats in 3 sizes, kits and color. For all your shower refinishing and repair needs, contact specialized refinishing at 9197479800. It is nevertheless important to establish the origins of any crazing in the gel coat to try to prevent it happening.
Gelcoat crack and crazing repair moderated discussion areas. Why do i get stress cracks or crazing in my gelcoat. Get a longboard hand sander and a bunch of sandpaper from 80 to 200 grit or so. Gel coat repair series cosmetic scratches or cracks. I have a 2001 tr21 that is starting to do the small stress cracks just in front and behind both consoles. Finally sanding and surfacing with an easy to use and sand car body polyester resin. All of these boats had some type of gel coat cracking going on. Brush the gel coat over the area, remove the masking tape and leave it to dry thoroughly. Over time, the clear coat will naturally start to flake and peel, so it is important to stop it receding any further. Take for instance the 1967 corvette convertible we have here.
Once the basic shaping is done, you can make similar repairs to any other cracks in the same area. They said its the clear coat and the black and dark blue paint has been doing this. Since the 1980s, automotive manufacturers have been painting cars with twostage base coatclear coat systems. Wax is excellent for large, hardtoreach areas, but it can cloud clear gel coats. Unless the scratch goes through to the glass matting it wont harm the boat. They are either under a dock that fell, took on a lot of rain water and their pump went down, or something else happened to them.
Dec 02, 2014 most stress cracking is purely cosmetic, moisture is unlikely to penetrate to the laminate in the topsides and deck, and can easily be detected with a moisture meter. Damaged vehicles for sale damaged and repo boats, cars. How to repairing fiberglass gel coat cracks in bathtubs, boats, cars automotive, bathrooms, paint whether you are getting ready to fix your bathtub, boat, truck cap or other fiberglass item that has seen some abuse you are probably going to need to. Once the gelcoat has fully cured, sand the repair smooth wet sanding works particularly well with gelcoat. As far as repairing the damages they appear to be repairable. 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. Use a paint brush to apply the gel coat to the patched area. The repair technique recently rediscovered by l h g in the boston whaler literature sounds.
There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Special release paper and norun polyester gel makes slick, nosand finish quick and easy. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear. Now if you have a couple of chips near the top, passengerside corner, you might. The appearance of the crazing is an important indicator and. This layer of protection stops the paint and metal bodywork from fading and corroding.
This provides a chemical bond rather than just a physical one. Step 4 as soon as the crack has been channeled out, wipe it clean with a solvent like acetone and, using a plastic putty knife, flushfill it with gelcoat matched to the color of the surrounding area if the channel isnt too deep. How to repair clear coat kevin tetz shows the best way to fix paint. Ive seen this problem occur on several black cars, including mc2hills truck, the black dodge ram that was detailed by daytonajae, mc2hill and myself and now this 99 accord.
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