Use a palm sander to sand the weak spot below the level of the sound fiberglass surrounding the weakened area. 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. To make sure youre stripping away all the damage, always remove an area at least. Stress cracks can help us understand what caused the damage. They may indicate whether something inside the boat has broken loose and. Listening to that advice would have been a big mistake because your typical fiberglass repair kit wont work on smc. It shouldnt be a big deal, or too expensive a repair. The texturing of the deck is dimpled, for lack of a better term. Surface gelcoat scratches can be buffed with polishing compound, and deeper scratches can be filled. Any crack that goes deeper than the gelcoat definitely needs attention.
Nov 20, 2017 explore pbittengles board boat repairs fiberglass, followed by 142. Its faster and easier to fair and finish the project if only the inside laminate is cut since the fiberglass is much thinner under the deck than above it. The key to deck and hull repair is using the right material. The chine of a fiberglass boat is a long hardspot, much more rigid and less flexible than the hull or deck sections adjoining the chine. Even major repairs and construction flaws can be finished, and hidden by sanitreds versatile and flexible. Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass. You may want to apply colored gelcoat enamel over the repaired area, so the repair wont be so noticeable. Ever wanted to fix a crack or hole in a fibreglass boat.
Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. I thought about using it to glue an aluminum sheet or some other kind of brace on the underside. This will slow down the resin cure, allowing the resin to penetrate deeper into the plywood. Use the resinbased putty to fill in the depression or hole, working the putty into the depths of the damaged area carefully with the smallblade putty knife.
Rot repair in glass boats epoxy products to repair and. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. A friend of mine said to get fiberglass sheets and resin and cover over the crack. Minicraft has color matched gelcoat for many boats, so if you do spend the time and effort to fix the cracks using color matched gelcoat will make. 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. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. How to repair a fibreglass crack for beginners youtube. When you notice a small soft spot in the deck of your boat, its often easy to ignore it, thinking the problem is one of limited scope. In order for the epoxy repair material to attach to the fiberglass and material underneath it, you need to drill out the damaged material.
How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. The stress cracks are not much larger then the thickness of a. Grind down to the plywood substrate in a pattern that creates a tapered edge that is about 12 inches outside of the crack or damage. In the smaller fiberglass boats the wood for the engine mounts is usually part of the stringer assembly and encased in fiberglass. Since the fiberglass has already thinned or cracked, you may sand all the way through the fiberglass in spots. Repair it from the inside and you have only a 3inch hole to refinish. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boat life. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin, using a plastic applicator. A second reason to make the repair from the inside is that you can back the hole on the outside with a polished surface, creating a mold that allows you to layup the repair the same way the boat was built. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured deck ive got a 79 f36 trojan. These fiberglass cracks can be purely cosmetic, or can severely degrade the boats ability to stay afloat.
Repairing a soft spot in a fiberglass deck is both a monstrous. After allowing the gel coat to cure overnight, you can smooth the area out with sandpaper, clean out the sanded area, and then both prime and paint the fiberglass if the colors off. Try a fiberglass boat repair kit for smaller fixes to save on the labor rates. The basic plastic boat repair methods described here still represent best practices, but for optimal results use these methods with gflex 655 epoxy on plastics. This will open up the damaged area so that your epoxy can get inside and bond. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats with the new west system fiberglass boat repair kit. If your budget wont allow for it, then do the suggested reserch, get the supplys, and try your hand on a small out of the way spot first. How to fix a crack or hole in a fibreglass boat the new. Dave opted to remove the inside fiberglass laminate in order to replace the core, rather than cut through the fiberglass deck. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. This damage looks like a big drop onto something hard, right on the chine.
Repairing a fiberglass deck is moderately challenging, but you can repair it yourself with a bit of patience and grit. To repair a fiberglass boat, start by cutting away the damaged area. The number of boats that develop serious blister problems is extremely small. Cracked compartment lid bass boats, canoes, kayaks and. Theres a marine adhesive called sixtyten or something like that that ive used in the past. How to do a fiberglass deck repair and new decking. There are recessed spots over the entire nonskid surface. A small crack that goes beyond the thick gel coat into the fiberglass can cause much larger issues if not immediately addressed by an expert in fiberglass hull repair. Sanitred is the only waterproofing system that can repair and seal any salt or freshwater ship, work, or pleasure boat deck paint, bilge area, vertical or inverted marine structure permanently, no matter how damaged or deteriorated. Often the cracks will reappear in a few years because the underlying problem, flexing in the deck or the transition from core to uncured fiberglass will cause the cracks to reappear. Just repairing the cracks with gel coat will only be a short term fix, it will soon crack again, probably the first time you walk on it. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats with the new west system fiberglass boat repair. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. The problem, though, is that soft spots indicate an underlying problem that, if ignored, will spread.
Repairing hairline fiberglass deck cracks sailboat. He checked the stringer to make sure they were still good. This manual provides repair and maintenance solutions to many of the problems that afflict fiberglass boats. To repair a fiberglass deck, first remove all damaged areas by grinding the fiberglass away with an angle grinder. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john. Cracks on my boats deck a striper has a molded liner, so sealing the entire thing would be difficult and required quite a bit of work to make it look good. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Charles in dallas repaired his boat deck using fiberglass warehouse products. And covered it with knitted fiberglass, gp resin and isonpg gel coat. After the new layer of fiberglass dries, it becomes part of the boat, rather than a superficial patch. This can range from small defects that need a little patching up to major damage that affects the overall shape of the surface.
How to repair soft spots in fiberglass on a boat gone. Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured surface. Repairing a deck not only becomes necessary from time to time but also increases the durability and life of the fiberglass deck. Gelcoat blisters wouldnt be more than a cosmetic concern, if theyre treated and not ignored. Want more ways to clean, maintain, and repair your boat. Plan on using a variety of sanding tools if you are dealing with a repair that bridges both a flat area and a detailed area such as a chine or gunwale. Painting supplies free delivery possible on eligible purchases.
Brush on the resin and apply the precut mat to suit your area to be repaired. When plywood is not wet or hot pour resin with hardener mekp onto plywood and immediately spread it onto the plywood. Repairing yourself lets you save on costs for professional repair and also saves a lot of precious time. Stepbystep fiberglass deck repair the ensign magazine. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. If you have adequate skills and you are confident that you can accomplish the repair job, consider repairing the fiberglass of the boat yourself. While fiberglass may make grady white boat hulls more durable and longlasting, they require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure you fix small problems before they. In fiberglass boat repair the repair area may have hardness very similar to the original laminate and you can accidentally change the shape of the surrounding area. To repair the wood would mean removing the engine, cutting the top off the stringer, replacing the wood, and then reglassing the top of the stringer back in place. Just grind out the broken and splintered roving from the outside and repair with resin and fiberglass reinforcement. The old deck had rotted out and need to be replaced. 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. When the area is dry, smooth the surface with sandpaper.
Repeat this process until three layers have been applied. Easy ways to repair cracked fiberglass with pictures. How to repair deep cracks in fiberglass boats youtube. This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat using polyester resin.