Stress cracks in gelcoat

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. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for. On top of the stress cracks in the hull there are numerous other ones throughout the boat but this is the most alarming. My point is most stress cracks are from poor repair work or the paint it self that is cracked and lifted. As gelcoat ages it can get hard and brittle, and it starts to crack near fittings and in highstress areas.

A recent survey indicated that my boats hull has numerous cracks in the gelcoat. Dr gelcoat was very creative in this process and answered my numerous questions along the way. Hairline fix seal and color stress cracks and gelcoat crazing. You dont always have to have a 10 year old boat to be experiencing this problem. Wood shop projects woodworking projects diy woodworking workshop woodworking wood woodworking shop layout woodworking organization intarsia. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Gelcoat doesnt flex at the same rate as the underlying fiberglass layer fiberglass is more flexible, so stress cracks appeared all over. Stress by thermal expansion or when bulkheads and liners were installed can cause minor flexing. Before you add the gelcoat to the cracks, you will need to protect the area around them using painters tape. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks. Stress cracks should always be dish ground and fiberglass laminated using 2 or 3 strips of biaxial cloth with matt sewed on the back.

Provides a longlasting repair guaranteed to seal and protect for years. May 17, 2015 if they are truly hairline then they are most likely just stress cracks in the gelcoat. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks. I have a 2011 wx 1850 and when wiping it down last week i noticed the fiberglass showing stress cracks in the hull. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john gabriel. But i have a 10 year old ranger 618 that i run hard. I have painted numerous old boats including two whalers with very bad gelcoat before the paint job, including the 1971 outrage i own now. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters and is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats. We wont go into great detail here, but suffice it to say that stress cracks occur because of voids under the surface of the gelcoat, and or a lack of strength in the underlying fiberglass or compounds used in the sub structure of the boat. 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, sand the primer, remove the sanding residue and then. Fiberglass composites can and do flex more than gelcoat brittle without any adverse effect on the composites strength or longevity. The gelcoat which is applied to the outer surface is not as flexible as the resin with fiber embedded in it is.

A surveyor friend told us that all boats made of fiberglass and having gelcoat will eventually get stress cracks. Sometimes it takes a season of use with the stress and flexing of the hull and deck for spider crack to show up. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. Gelcoat thickness will be greater as will layers of cloth underneath. This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat. In order to prevent stress cracks in the gelcoat, this material needs to be able to move with the boat without delaminating or peeling apart from the substrate. The causes for stress cracks are much the same as for blistering. On recent inspection a series of concentric rings of very fine cracking in the gelcoat on the hullside have appeared.

In addition to the transom replacement, dr gelcoat eliminated several stress cracks in. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Are they gelcoat or stress cracks most likely it is crazing or gelcoat cracks. In this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0. A fiberglass layup that is too wet, or has too much resin will crack also. This was the only way i can keep mine from loosening and causing stress cracks in the gelcoat around the tower feet. Cracks right through the gelcoat, especially if they originate at slide corners, are. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. I am doing lots of reserch and want to do this rjght so i need to be clear on which processes to.

How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. Hairline fix seal and color stress cracks and gelcoat. Also, older fiberglass boats tend to have a thicker application of gelcoat which means they are more susceptible to cracking. May 27, 2009 in this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0. If the cracks are only in the surface gelcoat, and do not extend into the laminate itself, your problem is merely cosmetic and is easily resolved with sandpaper and paint. To fix isolated stress cracks, however, id take the advice of the folks at west system and use a simple can opener and sandpaper to widen the cracks.

Until i owned a ranger i would probably have agreed with the comment. Evidently nonstructural, but according to the surveyor, probably caused by some weight locally compressing part of the outside of the hull, generating an area of expanding rings of stress cracks, about 23 across, presumably when the deformation pressure released. This boat is 2 years old and to be honest i never expected to find something like this. Tint the batch of gelcoat to match the color of the boat. This tape will peel away without sticking, so you can remove it without worrying that you may be damaging fiberglass resin beneath it. Hairline fix is the easiest, most durable way to repair scratches, scrapes, stress cracks, spider fractures, and crazing in fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. Complete the repair in seconds without having to grind out the existing damage.

Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. All about fiberglass boat stress cracks fiberglass boat. 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. Solving it might be as simple as shifting a load from undersized equipment, or installing a larger backing plate to spread the load over a wider area. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Sep 25, 2005 as gelcoat ages it can get hard and brittle, and it starts to crack near fittings and in high stress areas.

The very basic reason for stress cracks in a gelcoat finish is the hull or surface that the gelcoat is bonded to flexed or moved an amount beyond the point that the gelcoat can flex, so it just cracks, because the gelcoat has no structural bearing attributes. Although this usually starts off as a matter of cosmetics, in severe cases these surface cracks can grow, deepen, and eventually threaten your boats structural integrity. If the cracks radiate from the base of loadbearing equipment like a cleat or stanchion, there is probably a problem with the installation that deserves attention before repairing the gelcoat. As a very discriminating customer, this type of close interaction was certainly appreciated. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. Spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they result from relatively inflexible gelcoat that is too thick. Tips with fiberglass and gelcoat repair methods by john. For certain, they reflect the parts flexing to a greater degree than the material can take without cracking.

It also repairs cracks in ceramic tiles and scratches on household appliances. Inspite of this hairline cracks are not unusual on boats. Regarding the tower bolts coming loose, double nut them. To repair it you would need to grind down to the fiberglass, feathering outward. This stress can come from improper design, or it can be the result of imposed. Fish mille lacs from opener to ice up and get caught out in some rough stuff often. What they do mean is that the fiberglass flexed more than the gelcoat is able to bend without cracking. Stress cracks are a common occurance and are not an indication of structural failure. The lower 14 of the transom was rotted, allowing the outer skin to flex. Determine the gelcoat batch size for the size of the repairapproximately 80 square feet per gallon of gelcoat 20 sq. Hull showing cracks skeeter boats indepth outdoors. The next time youre cleaning and waxing your boat, take the time to look for small cracks, scratches and chips in its gel coat. If the gelcoat has broken through, the damaged area needs to be sanded down and a new gelcoat layer applied. I had a mishap towing last fall im not used to swinging this large a trailer yet and flexed the fiberglass above the rubrail causing some stress cracks in the gelcoat.

They are hard to see, but with the flash i think i got a good picture. If they are truly hairline then they are most likely just stress cracks in the gelcoat. Aug 15, 2018 if you have lots of cracks, get friendly with the dremel. Heres a small example of what things looked like before i started, cracks highlighted with a sharpie pen so theyre easier to see. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older. I have a 98 stratos and it has them in two or three places.

Tough to say if these cracks are limited to just the gel coat, or if they involve the laminate under. Regarding gelcoat cracks in nonvisible areas, i wouldnt worry about them. Stress cracks can appear either as a result of a onetime event such as slamming hard off of a wave, or it can be the result of repetitive stress cycles. Andy made three samples of single layer 738 biaxial fabric wet out with 105 epoxy resin and either 205, 206 or 207 hardener.

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. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion areas. Are these caused by stress, or by applying too thick a gelcoat during the boats hull layup. Magicezy hairline fix quickly and easily repairs gelcoat cracks on your boatwithout having to grind them out.

How to prepare your boat for painting a gelcoat sail. Stress cracks are the warning signal that a panel is bending beyond the limits of its strength. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor. Painting over cracked and chipped gel coat moderated. Csm for the finish layers as it sands smooth for finishing gelcoat or. Proper gelcoat repairs involve more than simply puttying the gelcoat onto the surface, sanding it down and polishing it. Shaving fiberglass, new approach to stress cracks and mail call. Magicezy hairline fix is a onepart, precoloured sealant that repairs gelcoat stress cracks, scrapes and scratches. Repairing stress cracks 1988 glastron boat restoration. The best repair is to remove paint down to the gelcoat, if theres no cracks at that point use a good sealer and your done, if theres cracks in the gelcoat it. The gelcoat is applied to the inside of the mold before the fiberglass resin and cloth are layered on. Now, i have had a couple glass boats in the past that got gel coat stress cracks pretty much right out of the box. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks and.

Grind deeper wider and apply multiple strips if repairing corner rounds followed by specified filler, the same procedure as repairing a deep gouge as shown in the instructional using at least a 3. It penetrates deeply into the pores of even the finest of cracks for ultra tough adhesion and durability. Then you can apply new gelcoat and be done with it. Nov 05, 2012 we are in the middle of having our gelcoat touched uprepairedredone by so called proffesionals. These cracks were actually very easy to fix, but the color matching of faded. Using a locking nut with the nylon ring and a locking washer will do the trick. Boat gelcoat stress cracks are a common problem within the marine world when it comes to fiberglass gelcoat boats, a. Cracks from larger issuesa winch, for example, that was inadequately mountedwill need to be. The dots are air pockets in the fiberglass that were covered by the gelcoat. These are vertical fissures that dont appear to be any deeper than the gelcoat itself. 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. Dec 06, 2017 spider cracks can indicate impact damage or serious structural problems that will need to be addressed to prevent spreading, but most often they result from relatively inflexible gelcoat that is too thick. To achieve virtually invisible repairs, gelcoat nicks, scratches, dents, gouges and stress cracks takes more time and involves a number of steps.

It was a quick way to make it look better for a while anyway, but the cracks always reappeared later. Gel coat cracking is the result of some kind of induced stress. Magicezy hairline fix is a colored sealant used to quickly and easily repair fine stress cracks spider cracks and hairline fractures. And while an aircraft isnt subjected to the same type of forces as a boat hull, the fuselage is the hull and must be strong in different ways. Anyone who has ever seen airframe construction, particularly jet aircraft, understands why aircraft can be built with skins that are extremely thin. If the gel coat is thick in this corner as is often the case, the gel coat is more prone to cracking. If thats the case, at least from what ive seen, they are pretty normal and not anything to worry about. One manufacturer use to just sand and polish spider cracks especially on runabouts with metal flake gelcoat. This crazing and cracking is different from the stress cracks that occur around stanchions, cleats and other deck hardware.