Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. Twopart epoxy based wood fillers blur the line between wood putty and wood filler. Next, using a putty knife, fill the areas to be repaired with the paste youve mixed. Not having ever used gelcoat but tons of experience with epoxy and wood boats, my bet is you are on target with epoxy to fair the boat before paint or gelcoat. You can also use a heat gun to remove the epoxy paste. Watch out for epoxy backflow as that could be a result of debris blocking the epoxy flow or perhaps the crack.
Epoxy fillers and epoxy strength while certain fillers will increase the density of epoxy, this does not correlate to higher physical properties or increased adhesion strength. For largerdeeper cracks, see our epoxy mortar kits or liquids. When filling wide cracks, wait some time, not a lot, ensuring that the epoxy is filling the concrete crack. How to prepare your boat for painting a gelcoat sail magazine. After the thickened epoxy has cured, use a hole saw to cut the new hole. Specifically formulated for granite, tile, and all stone repaireasily and quickly repairs chipped, broken and missing piecescovers 350 sq. Additives are used to give epoxy additional physical properties when used as a coating. Filling voids and cracks in wood with twopart epoxy youtube. These holes will not let water intrude but will make the repair much more noticeable. How to fill cracks and voids with epoxy resin youtube. Buy a hawk epoxy kit and save up to 30% and receive free shipping. What filler for scrapesgouges in hull along the keel. Handles like putty hardens like steel and sandable.
My plan is to remove the many coats of antifouling paint below the waterline, then apply three coats of the west system epoxy and repaint it. The more that i read, the more confused im getting. Use them to repair cracked, worn, and damaged surfaces. They are the best resource i have found somebody w gelcoat background might tell you that gelcoat might fill the spider cracks. Optional if fairing is to repair gelcoat blisters below the waterline. Larger cracks require more epoxy injection pressure. What is the difference between wood putty and wood filler. If theyre small or shallow, you can use some thickened gelcoat.
With levante putty gel coat it is possible to repair small cracks with just one product. Putty fillers come in a stick with a resin on the outside and a hardener on the inside. Once youve found an acceptable match an exact one is nearly impossible, mix a final batch using the same ratio. If your boat is more than a few years old, youll probably be surprised at the number you find.
A polythene tracing sheet is laid over the depression, and a series of circles drawn on. How to prepare your boat for painting a gelcoat sail. In addition to bonding, totalboat polyester structural repair putty can be used for filling larger voids and cracks in composites, radius forming, and fabricating composite parts. Gelcoat putty is sold in many sizes, and only requires you mix in a 112% ratio of mekp catalyst. When these gelcoat over epoxy samples were fully cured, he ripped them apart to determine a clear passfail on the bonding strength. As for painting above the waterline, the light blue interior and white exterior gel coat need refinishing. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Aug 02, 2017 for areas with deep cracking or crazing, start with 36 to 60grit sandpaper and apply a highsolids epoxy, such as awlgrip hullgard. Get a great deal from highway marine in marine parts and accessories.
Seal all faired surfaces with epoxy before painting. Finally, apply a coat of highquality marine polish and your repair is complete. In order to prevent stress cracks in the gelcoat, this material needs to be able to move. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Once the gelcoat has fully cured, sand the repair smooth wet sanding works particularly well with gelcoat. Comments from this and other web sites suggest filling in the small spider cracks that are left with a variety of products such as fiberglass resin, epoxy resin, epoxy spraying putty, white polyester putty or gray autobody putty. When filling deeper cuts and gouges it was suggested to mix colloidal silica into epoxy resin to thicken it. Once mixed properly, you can use a putty knife to work the putty in the cracks. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the. Let me introduce our spider crack repair kit, including everything you need to fix those pesky cracks.
Simply scoop out equal parts, mix on a piece of cardboard until evenly mixed, then apply with putty knife or trowel. Complaints of auto filler used on boats comes from most auto filler containing talc, which is reported to absorb water. Some beautiful pieces of wood come with unfortunate cracks and voids, rob johnstone shows how a bit of epoxy and dye can fill these areas and make finishing the larger piece much easier. There are some myths out there as to whether you can apply gelcoat over epoxy. If the gelcoat is in good condition with no major cracking or crazing, the job is relatively straightforwardclean and prepare the surface, apply an epoxy primer. Crack repair epoxy putty armorpoxy coating products. The ones on my boat are onequarter inch diameter, so i use epoxy filler, which has the consistency of peanut butter. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters and is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats. Nov 22, 2014 when the epoxy used in your reinforcement has gelled, use epoxy thickened with 403, 404, or 406 filler to fill the hole. Use the fitting as a template for locating the new screw holes. The crack repair putty is a two component 100% solids epoxy crack filler that you mix together to fill all types of cracks, dinges, joints expansions, and hairline fractures in your floor. Dry fit the new thruhull fitting, trimming the fiberglass as needed. The sanding dust, called swarf, combines with the stillwet glue to fill the crack. 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.
Once dry, you will sand to a nice, smooth surface and you are ready for the last part. You can also contact reynolds advanced materials for assistance. The only hesitancy i have filling structural cracks with epoxy is doing it in the dry season then having it swell and crack further because i put something hard in there. Step 1 figure out what caused the cracks to begin with. Painting over cracked and chipped gel coat moderated. Step 3 now, once youve removed all hardware, toerails, and other paraphernalia.
Fairing filler epoxy mixtures cure to light, easily sandable material that is generally used for cosmetic or surface applications like shaping, filling or fairing. Will epoxy primer penetrate crazing gelcoat moderated. Gelcoat repair filler is a high quality lightweight polyester body filler designed for trade and handyman use in the repair of chips, scratches and cracks in polyester gelcoats as found on fibreglass boats etc. Besides wood putty, there are several gluebased fill options. If you dont open the crack, you wont be able to force the gelcoat into the repair area or expose. Go with gelcoat as long as the gouges are no deeper than the cloth or matt. If the hull or other surface is very unfair, a notched applicator is ideal for applying putty instead of a flat plastic spreader. Ilpa boat repair tutorial with epoxy putty, epoxy vetrokit. Watch out for epoxy backflow as that could be a result of debris blocking the epoxy flow or perhaps the crack is not continuous. Expect to spend 90% of your total time on surface prep, sanding lightly between each coat, including primer. Crazing craze cracks are hairline fractures that do not go through the thickness of the part. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself. We carry thousands of quality products for all your boating needs.
You can start with 220grit sandpaper and, for a really slick surface, finish with at least 400 or 600grit. I wanted to make a quick video for you guys using the things that ive learned along the way about filling cracks, voids and knots with epoxy resin. Size listed is the combined total of the two parts. The reason is that gelcoat is polyester and marine tex is epoxy. Its simple 1 to 1 mix ratio by volume changes to a green color when the individual blue and yellow components are mixed properly. Although this usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can. Mix these twopart surface fillers together to repair leaks and cracks as well as to rebuild rough spots in metal.
When you are finished filling, seal the repair off from the air with a pva curing agent or a piece of saran wrap or wax paper gelcoat does not cure properly. One note is to use a slow epoxy cover coat, as the last step, before toothing for the polyester gel coat. The gel coat is in pretty rough shape cracked, chipped and pitted. 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. Its simple 1 to 1 mix ratio by volume changes to a green color.
Totalfair has excellent sag resistance on vertical or inclined surfaces and is easy to sand when cured. Take special care to thin it as they recommend, especially on the first coat, as this will seal the crazing and allow subsequent coats to fill in any hairline cracks. So, wondering if there now might exist a flexible crack filler that is bright white and glossy that would adhere acceptably without scraping out the crack but just filling the darn thing and be done with it. Scratches are typically able to be repair without the need for filler. Force the filler into the holes using a putty knife. Use above and below the waterline for reshaping, filling. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. But your small gunwale sounds like a simple cosmetic repair covered above. Step 4 as soon as the crack has been channeled out, wipe it clean.
Gelcoat is a fiberglass resin that has had a pigment added to it. Hairline cracks, stress cracks or spider cracks star cracks that occur in gelcoat surfaces on fiberglass boats or other water craft are often seen as a cosmetic issue. Pans 19 boat parts and accessories 18 caulking 1 clothing 54 detailing 46 epoxy resin and glue 35 fiberglass 8 foamcore material 16 gel coat 3 hardware 3 hardeners 22 mold fabrication 51 paint 8 polyester resins 25 puttyfillers 22 safety 9 solvents. Spring time gelcoat repairs jamestown distributors. Epoxy is strongest without filler added to it, but adhesive fillers are excellent for increasing the viscosity of the epoxy mixture, bridging gaps, preventing the epoxy. Jan 26, 2015 filling a hole in fiberglass when you are trying to repair a small hole in fiberglass, the best type of product to use is a premium epoxy. Ive also seen posts talking about using some sort of putty to fill gouges in the gelcoat. May 27, 2009 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. Deep repairs that are beyond the superficial scratch will need some filler before gelcoat application.
Itll stick and better than you think, again so long as its not highly loaded. So when the wood is the narrowest in the middle of winter heating season, the putty falls out. Make sure no air bubbles or gaps are left in the cracks, and use a plastic resin spreader, putty knife, tongue depressor, or similar object to smooth out the surface. Amazons choice for granite filler epoxy granitile 3608 oz. Chips in the gelcoat will have to be filled in with thickened epoxy or polyester filler. It contains no cellulose, but because it cures hard enough to sand, its closer to a filler than a putty. You should then take a small piece of sandpaper, and rub this briskly against the sides of the hole. Ot filling fine cracks in boat gelcoat practical machinist.
Wood moves with the change of indoor humidity and the dry hard putty filler does not. With time, it is possible that gelcoat can become cracked, simply through wear and tear or a specific incidence of damage. Totalboat polyester structural bonding and repair putty. Mix these twopart epoxy surface fillers to create a strong repair in wet environments or underwater. Marinetex can be used to fill gouges in wood and fiberglass, making the repaired area stronger than before. Fortunately i accidentally did this before opening the can and then reading the guide. Septone marine body filler gelcoat repair filler 400g. Step 2 then toughen the laminate that contains the crack or cracks by solidifying it. Filling the cracks with a non flexible wood putty almost always results in the putty cracking out. The inevitable gaps can be filled with some epoxy thickened with a filling powder. You can tint it, but it is difficult, and may not hold the color. This lightweight, twopart epoxy putty is perfect for fairing, filling, and shaping. Kardol epoxy glue may be used to repair tanks, pipes, windshields, floors, fiberglass, aluminum boats, concrete, and styrofoam.
Firm and sturdy, epoxy putty can be formed and holds its shape, making it ideal for grafting detail. If they are deeper than that, fill them with polyester putty first, let it cure, then add the gelcoat. Its high strength and versatility make this fastsetting structural adhesive, filler. It goes on like spackle but is 5x stronger than concrete, and has 4x the bonding power to concrete vs. For very small cracks, add drops of cyanoacrylate into the crack while sanding the area. If this is a critical project, we encourage you to verify estimator results using the longhand method of correlating the volumetric yield of the material with mold cavity. If it is highly loaded like a slammed hatch lid might be, bulk up the area with fabric and epoxy, so its overly stiff and stable, to lower stresses and gel.
Totalboat totalfair is a lightweight twocomponent epoxy putty used for fairing, filling, shaping, and repair. Concrete crack repairs using epoxy the balance small. To make putty mixture simply mix cabosil and gelcoat in a paint cup to peanut butter consistency. If youre hesitant, this stepbystep repair will demystify the process. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. Buy epoxacoat epoxy gel coat from reynolds advanced materials. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat. You can successfully complete basic fiberglass boat repair by following these steps. Marine fillers and putty for filling pinholes, scratches and other surface defects on fiberglass and gel coats. Gelcoat repair filler s buttery texture makes it easy to apply with no sag even at high build levels. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Repair and rebuild metal surfaces that are exposed to heat.
The forum is a free service, and much like the free content on public radio, we hope you will support woodenboat by subscribing to this fabulous magazine. For small scratches cabosil mixed with the gelcoat to a peanut butter consistency will suffice. Its high strength and versatility make this fastsetting structural adhesive, filler, and repair compound a must for any composites shop. When only bridged the cracks reappear in a short period of time. It is applied as a common putty, but the final result is a shiny and polished paint effect. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. If your house has damaged wood, epoxy can be an essential restoration material. Marine tex 2 oz white putty filling fiberglass cracks boat fix maintenance boats ebay. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into the fiberglass and cause more serious damage.
If the gelcoat has been damaged to the point where you can see the cloth pattern underneath or it has become delaminated, it will need to be repaired prior to. Using an epoxy wood filler is a great way to restore rotted wood. The putty mixture will fill the repair quickly with just one application, but the finished result will have numerous tiny pinhead sized holes. Use above and below the waterline on fiberglass, wood, aluminum, and steel. Epoxy filler selection guide for marine grade west system epoxy. Epoxy will stick to gelcoat, but gelcoat will not stick to epoxy. Plasters hawk or hand board to hold a large volume of fairing putty. The top 7 best concrete crack fillers for 2020 are. Epoxy wood filler is a pure plastic that can be used on finished or unfinished wood. When the epoxy samples were cured, water washed and sanded, he bonded the epoxy and polyester samples together with polyester gelcoat. Epoxy fillers modify marine grade west system epoxy. Mar 09, 2016 the levante putty gel coat is a twocomponent putty available in 200 gr or 500 gr cans. On the keel, the repair will most likely work, will be tough, but will probably show with time. Using epoxy putty to fill cracks in old plank floor.
But then i read that you cant put gelcoat over epoxy, and that gelcoat will only go over a polyester resin such as bondo fiberglass resin. 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. Epoxy putty works for standard gap filling, but it comes into its own on figures where the ease of blending and sculpting can be used to replace or enhance organic detail. Feb 24, 2014 interlux recommends trowelling a thin mix of epoxy with gouge filler over the whole bottom before application of interprotect. For larger areas the cabosil mix will shrinkback and mudcrack, so instead use an auto putty body filler or thickened epoxy. Buffing, rubbingout, or fine wet sanding 600 grit can polish out some levels of surface crazing.
Most stores will provide a little item known as a gelcoat repair kit. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into the fiberglass. Practice a mix, 5 small mounds of filler with 1 equal mound of catalyst. 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. For use in processing equipment that carries large particles 116 in diameter and larger, these ceramic. Reynolds advanced materials assumes no liability for loss or damage associated with use of material estimators. This helps to provide a slightly rough edge which will help the gelcoat repair putty to cling more tightly to the space. Force out any air holes and be sure to overfill, as gelcoat has a tendency to shrink as it cures. This will insure a proper repair and will not allow for shrinking of the material and create a water tight seal. The building up of the hull is simply a rerun of the everdecreasing circles method. Painting supplies free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Marine tex gel coat repair moderated discussion areas.
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