Different gelcoat resins require different catalysts, so make sure you are using the proper formula, as well as the right twopart ratio e. Determine the gelcoat batch size for the size of the repair approximately 80 square feet per gallon of gelcoat 20 sq. Kayak and canoe repair kit advancing polymer repair. Ive always found the process of gelcoat repair something of a mystery so i. The cracks are about 18 inch and can only be seen when u are close up to the rv. Restoring cracked gelcoat on canoe boat design net. Canoe repair kayak repair kit kits gelcoat gel coat. Repairing minor damage to the gelcoat surface of your boat west. I repaire a chip in my gelcoat and the following cracks using this kit. Your gel coat may be tough, but it will succumb to the constant battering of the marine environment over time.
From the smallest scratch to a boat torn in half, sterlings kayaks and fiberglass can repair your kayak to likenew condition. Remember that any significant cracks and grooves should be inspected by a professional. To maintain your gel coat and your hulls integrity, follow this simple gel coat repair guide. On the sanded one you can see a light blue line on either side of the cracks showing where the raised edges have been sanded down. Mar 26, 2019 once the gelcoat has fully cured, sand the repair smooth wet sanding works particularly well with gelcoat. Most people think that the best way to prepare a fiberglass boat for a gelcoat application is to have it done in a local car repair shop, where they handle similar coats everyday. You can start with 220grit sandpaper and, for a really slick surface, finish with at least 400 or 600grit. Depending upon the extent of use you plan to give your kayak, repair concerns may. Below is the recommended repair process for cracks that go deeper than the gelcoat, but dont cause a large, gaping hole or change the overall shape of the surface. Mar 23, 2010 gel coat repair on kayak hull learntokayak. 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. Before you begin your fiberglass repair you will need to purchase catalyst methyl ethyl ketone peroxide from an auto parts store, marina, or hardware store.
This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks. Repair larger areas of gel coat scratches, nicks and gouges. The next thing to so is to carefully sand the surface of the repair using a rag and some acetone solvent. How to repair scratches on a kayak gone outdoors your. Full hullbreaching cracks in fiberglass, wooden and thermoform boats is significant damage. Its smooth shiny finish is an indicator of the mold finish. Welcome to kayak sales and repairs ireland kayak sales and.
How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. Use to fill in gouges, chips, breaks in the gelcoat. Gelcoat used to patch existing gelcoat, fiberglass repairs, and for new construction and projects. 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. Gelcoat repairs which includes an instructive video that covers gelcoat restoration, scratch repair, and polishing and. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats.
Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. Simply put, royalex will contract when exposed to cold temperatures. Heres a spot on the cetus mv that received that treatment. If the area around a crack is soft, or after you gently sand the gelcoat off, you can see a stress line in the carbon fiber, then some reinforcement repairs. On old boats, it is sometimes best to leave the crack alone, without repair for newer models, we. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. 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. In larger cracks the bonding problem of gelcoat to cured epoxy becomes an issue. May 26, 2019 cracks are the most serious damage that can occur to a kayak and location is everything. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Tint the batch of gelcoat to match the color of the boat. Cracks like that will show up in most boats, sometimes you see them, sometimes you dont.
As royalex becomes increasingly scarce and tuffstufftuffstuff expedition canoes become increasingly popular, we are confident that the paddling community will easily adjust to the simple requirements of maintaining the gelcoat finish of their canoes. If the boat is fairly new and the manufacturer is still in business, you may be able to get gelcoat that will be. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. Mar 02, 2015 royalex is relatively difficult to repair everything about it resists adhesion, and our standard clunky epoxyfiberglass tape repairs would have added sixplus ounces per crack, or somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty pounds, to the canoe. Finally, apply a coat of highquality marine polish and your repair is complete. Application is easy and in a few seconds, even a novice handyman can. 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. Mar 21, 2007 this video segment is part one of a 2part series that will show you how to do a simple nonstructural gel coat repair. A thin layer of gel coat isnt structurally strong enough to prevent itself cracking off. Result at worst a hole in the kayak and at best a gelcoat repair. A fiberglass layup that is too wet, or has too much resin will crack also.
Either deepen the scratch using a small blade or grinder, or leave it. Full hullbreaching cracks in fiberglass, wooden and thermoform boats is. Gel coat repairs and star cracks skuk sea kayaking uk. Assemble the materials needed for preparing your canoe for gelcoat application. Extensive spider cracking common on older boats is due to aging of the gelcoat. Repair kit for polyethylene or plastic canoes, kayaks. This premium marine grade gel coat may be as gecloat for boats, gelcoat for pools or many other applications. May 23, 20 if your gel coat already shows signs of aging, its time to repair it or to reapply a fresh layer to revitalize your boats look. Cold cracks are fractures of the material usually running perpendicular to the keel line of the canoe and terminating at a fastener along the gunwale line.
May 27, 2009 repair involves either widening each crack line in preparation for a new top layer or wet sanding down past the crevice to unweathered gelcoat. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating. Because gelcoat by its nature is a hard and brittle substance, hairline craze cracks may result with age. These premium quality isophthalic npg gel coats are. 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. While neither solution will fix the crack, both will prevent water from entering the kayak.
Applying gelcoat to a fiberglass surface is not really necessary, as gelcoat is a fiberglass resin itself. However, as it dried and hardened, it was a darker shade and i now have a dark spot on my boat that im going to have to recover to match. It can also be used for patching up chips, scratches, cracks and even holes in different kinds of vehicles. How to repair gelcoat, fiberglass boat repair boating magazine. Heres our video showing how to complete a typical gelcoat repair. These colors are matched to our composite kayak colors only. Kayaking over sharp rocks, shallow stream beds, and shells, can cause scratching and other unsightly damage to your kayak. Plastic boat repair kit with gflex thickened epoxy by. How to repair cracks and chips in damaged gelcoat duration.
Before you add the gelcoat to the cracks, you will need to protect the area around them using painters tape. A gelcoat repair kit can be found online from various vendors that contains colored gelcoat, hardener, sandpaper, polishing compound, and instructions. Gelcoat is basically a relatively thick layer of resin with colorant added. This material property is the cause of what are termed cold cracks.
For making structural repairs such as cracks or holes in just about any type of plastic canoe or kayak. In the case of the fiberglassthermoform boats, id suggest checking with a boat marine repair shop for the former, and with the manufacturer for the latter. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. He has talked to 2 repair places in ca and one said that the fiberglass was not fully cured whaen the paint was applied and out gassing occured as it cured and this caused the paint to crack which caused the gelcoat to crack. This colored filler comes in 11 popular boat colors and is readytouse straight from the tube. Mix the gelcoat after you have colormatched the amount of gelcoat needed for the repair, add catalyst aka hardener. See more ideas about boat, boat restoration and boat stuff. 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.
But if the damage is minimal, you can repair it yourself with a steady hand and a little heat to get your kayak looking new again. Fills in scratches and surface cracks on composite canoes or kayaks. This makes fiberglass and gelcoat repair one of best ways to restore a boat or vehicle to its former glory. Intro and some questions about gelcoat repair new to me. If you notice any chips, scrapes or gouges in the gelcoat exterior of your boat, it is important to fix the damage asap, especially if the damage exposes the fiberglass matting underneath. Drill a tiny hole 116 inch at each end of a crack or split. After applying the gelcoat, stretch a length of tape across the repair sticking it down to the adjacent sound gelcoat. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. Mix paste with evercoat color agents to match the gel coats original color. Use soap and water to remove any water soluble contaminants. For example, if your canoe is a clear laminate canoe, meaning that you can see the kevlar on the inside of the boat, you may notice stress cracks in an area where the gelcoat may also be damaged. Unless the scratch goes through to the glass matting it wont harm the boat. Applying gelcoat to canoes is a slow and demanding process.
I really dont recommend this except the smallest of hairline cracks on the older, thick gelcoat boats. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion 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. How to do gel coat repair was created by ndewet hi there, i accidentally dropped my fenn elite today, the damage appears minor, a tiny bit of the seam chipped off as well as a bit of what i think is called gel coat, releaving what looks like weaved glass underneath. For small jobs, such as repairs to hairline cracks, a piece of plastic shipping tape, of the type mentioned earlier in this article, is a great option. Gel coat repairs and star cracks nigel dennis kayaks. The good news is that gelcoat can be repaired quite easily and if properly maintained your composite canoe will give you decades of use.
Jun 07, 20 for small gelcoat repairs, its most effective to tape off a small area around the crack or chip, grind away any remaining loose material or cracks, and lightly sand the entire repair area before applying new gelcoat. But in cases of impacts, pins or situations where the canoe is wrapped, gelcoat can chip and crack. A fiberglass and gelcoat repair is mostly needed for mending the surfaces of boats. Before you begin your gel coat repair you will need to purchase catalyst methyl ethyl ketone peroxide from an auto parts store, marina, or hardware store. Thin hairline cracks star cracks present a bigger problem. It is important to keep the gelcoat intact otherwise there will be permanent damage to the kayak in the long run and that is where we can help. Gelcoat repair kit fills in scratches and surface cracks on composite canoes or kayaks. You need to have patience and a good eye for detail. Most stress cracks occur in the gelcoat layer of fiberglass surfaces and can be repaired by yourself.
These colors are matched to our composite canoe colors only. Gelcoat crack and crazing repair moderated discussion areas. It dries in glossy finish and is designed to repair small hairline cracks less than 6mm 14 inch. Any mold imperfections would be reflected in the gelcoat as well.
One photo shows the cracks sanded and the other is not sanded. Or if you just have an old boat thats got a lot of character lines, we can restore it to look like it just came from the factory. Welcome to kayak sales and repairs ireland kayak sales. 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 you are looking to do some diy gelcoat repairs, this brief primer will help.
The first thing you need to do in any plastic repair is to clean the plastic. How to repair gelcoat, chips, scrapes and gouges yourself. Use a plastic cleaner like our part number super prep plastic cleaner to remove any sovlent soluble contaminants. White gel coat, precolored gel coat, clear gel coat, neutral tintable gelcoats. I find repairs to be rare on a flat surface when considering kayaks. Whether its fiberglass, gelcoat, varnish or a thermoform finish, a scratch on the outer surface is just that, a scratch a nonstructural blemish. We repair everything, from badly damaged, to star cracks in the gelcoat.
This neutral paste will make permanent repairs on gel coat and fiberglass panels. In the manufacturing process it is the first layer of the hull, sprayed against the inner surface of mold. This product has proven popular with canoe and kayak liveries repairing molded plastic boats, including normal wear and tear on the bottoms near the bow and stern as well as cracks and splits that occur in the hulls. Hull damage on a canoe or kayak can appear several different ways. This is a typical crack that you might find on the bottom of a kayak. Before you begin your fiberglass repair you will need to purchase catalyst methyl ethyl ketone peroxide from an.
Repairing a royalex canoe with gflex epoxy epoxyworks. If you have any surface scrapes or gouges that need repair, check our advisor doit yourself. If structural damage is suspected, you should get your boat. Gelcoat surface crack repairdoes this prep look good. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. The first step is to remove any fractured, cracked or broken gelcoat, fibre or resin from the area to be repaired. Apr 02, 2019 look for stress cracks around stanchions or other areas that might be an indication of an underlying structural problem. Cracks are the most serious damage that can occur to a kayak and location is everything. Many cracks on the top side of a kayak can be handled much in the same way as a hole, with either duct tape or silicone. Gather gelcoat, sandpaper for clearing abrasions and scratches, and acetone or paintbrush cleaner. If your damage is more serious than this, you will need to take steps to temporarily restore the correct while you make the fiberglass repairs. Gelcoat repair kits can be ordered from any authorized nova craft canoe dealer.
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