My h34 has developed Mumps or something... Fairly rapidly, this bubble (see attached Pictures) erupted from the Portside cabin top-side (sorry don't know the technical name of this location). How should I go about fixing this???? Thanks Jon
Fiberglass bubble Eruption??? Help!
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That is crazy Jon. From a distance it looks like a gel coat void that collapsed but close up looks almost like the gel coat was splashed with a drop of acetone or some other solvent. Only one spot ? Tom
Yes... Only 1 spot.. it is convex. almost like air bubbles. I never had any acetone or any other solvents that I can think of... maybe it happened early last year when the PO put the boat up for sale... I first noticed something small a few months ago, not it's like a Revenge of the Gel Coats.... coming to a theater closer to me.
Looks like some kind of foam goo was used to repair a gouge and the stuff is finishing its reaction.. Ya probably going to have to grind that out and re-repair correctly. New gel coat on top of the repair..
I bought a really nice Igloo cooler a few years ago that had a late reaction in the insulation inside the lid. It made the lid bulge out so far that it would no longer close. A call to Igloo and they told me that it was too bad and it was out of warranty.. I haven't bought anything from Igloo since.
I bought a really nice Igloo cooler a few years ago that had a late reaction in the insulation inside the lid. It made the lid bulge out so far that it would no longer close. A call to Igloo and they told me that it was too bad and it was out of warranty.. I haven't bought anything from Igloo since.
Do I need to lay it up with Fiberglass first? Can I fill it with chopped glass and resins? Also what do they mean when they say, when the fiberglass kicks???? Thanks... Jon...
Claude, I'll add Igloo to my boycott list along with Rutgerson!
Claude, I'll add Igloo to my boycott list along with Rutgerson!
Jon, it looks small and non-structural.. I'd guess that a good thickened epoxy or polyester would be fine .. "Kicking" is the term for the chemical reaction between the resin and hardener .. IF the goo is not mixed thoroughly, stuff like that can happen.. Rich may want to comment further about the reaction..
Had this happen to my boat, just lots of small blisters that developed over time in small sections of the topsides. The culprit was probably someone at the yard when the boat was being built got air bubbles in the auto catalyst/resin mixing 'gun' when applying. When I excavated the 'blisters' I found a lot of still uncured resin in the 'cosmetic' (non-structural) matting layer under the gelcoat layer.
For the repair, Id suggest that you fully grind out all the area until youre sure that youre into 'solid' glass. Then, epoxy-layup small layers of cloth (12 oz. cloth goes in and builds thickness quite fast) leaving about 1/8" space which will be then filled with epoxy filled with "CaboSill" or WEST System "colloidal silica" filler --- to 'mayonaise or peanut butter consistency', then flat sand with a 'long board' to a perfect surface to match the surrounding surface. Then you can eyeball 'match' the gelcoat - apply with a Preval Spray gun, etc.
One of the 'best' videos on how to do this type of repair that Ive ever found is: "Professional Gelcoat Repairs without a Mess" by John Gabriel www.boatrepairvideos.com This video is 'really' worth the cost.
Here's the Preval aerosol powered spray gun: http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...t.do?pid=2155&familyName=Preval+Spray+Gun+Kit
This type of repair isnt all that big of a deal. If you DIY repair and are 'careful and diligent' youll probably save at least $1000.
If you really want a perfect gelcoat color match, cut a plug out of the hull and send it to a gelcoat supply that has a color matching computer ... get 'paste' and/plus already mixed gel ready for 'spraying'. Usually ~$100 for the color matching and another $100 or so for the gel ... check their 'minimum charges' first.
I prefer to order my color matched gel from Gelcoat Products in Seattle, WA.
If youre over 40 years of age, dont depend on YOUR eyes to do the color matching if you do the color matching yourself; rather, get a YOUNG person with still good color perception to be the final judge on the color match ... once you are over ~40 you dont see 'reds' very well.
If DIY is not your forte, seek out a local gelcoat 'artist' to do this for you.
For the repair, Id suggest that you fully grind out all the area until youre sure that youre into 'solid' glass. Then, epoxy-layup small layers of cloth (12 oz. cloth goes in and builds thickness quite fast) leaving about 1/8" space which will be then filled with epoxy filled with "CaboSill" or WEST System "colloidal silica" filler --- to 'mayonaise or peanut butter consistency', then flat sand with a 'long board' to a perfect surface to match the surrounding surface. Then you can eyeball 'match' the gelcoat - apply with a Preval Spray gun, etc.
One of the 'best' videos on how to do this type of repair that Ive ever found is: "Professional Gelcoat Repairs without a Mess" by John Gabriel www.boatrepairvideos.com This video is 'really' worth the cost.
Here's the Preval aerosol powered spray gun: http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...t.do?pid=2155&familyName=Preval+Spray+Gun+Kit
This type of repair isnt all that big of a deal. If you DIY repair and are 'careful and diligent' youll probably save at least $1000.
If you really want a perfect gelcoat color match, cut a plug out of the hull and send it to a gelcoat supply that has a color matching computer ... get 'paste' and/plus already mixed gel ready for 'spraying'. Usually ~$100 for the color matching and another $100 or so for the gel ... check their 'minimum charges' first.
I prefer to order my color matched gel from Gelcoat Products in Seattle, WA.
If youre over 40 years of age, dont depend on YOUR eyes to do the color matching if you do the color matching yourself; rather, get a YOUNG person with still good color perception to be the final judge on the color match ... once you are over ~40 you dont see 'reds' very well.
If DIY is not your forte, seek out a local gelcoat 'artist' to do this for you.
I can't tell how deep it might be but you may be able to cut out the old and just fill the spot with gel coat repair. I recently purchased gel coat (with the catalyst and surface agent) that matches my boat from Spectrum Color and have repaired many spots on my boat. This stuff comes in a quart and only has a shelf life of 6 months. I keep mine in the frig and hopefully can extend the life some.
Take it Slow ....................
..................... and don't make a lot of work for yourself. From your picture, the area doesn't look to be much bigger than about an inch across which is just a cosmetic repair above water line.
Beg. borrow, or steal a small Dremel grinder and gently grind away the defective area until you are into solid FG. If the cleaned area is still quite small and not too deep, tape off the adjacent area with masking tape and fill the area with thickened, waxed, polyester resin. Use FG putty if you're really lazy. Don't worry about making a mess as it can always be sanded out. When satisfied, gently sand it out and cover with colour matched gel coat. Finally sand the gel coat with progressively finer paper and then polish.
This first defect will be a learning experience but as long as you protect the surrounding area, you can't really do too much damage as long as you take it slow and easy. You will also find a plethora of material on small gel coat repairs here and elsewhere on the web.
I do one or two surface spider web cracks every year just for the entertainment :cussing:.
..................... and don't make a lot of work for yourself. From your picture, the area doesn't look to be much bigger than about an inch across which is just a cosmetic repair above water line.
Beg. borrow, or steal a small Dremel grinder and gently grind away the defective area until you are into solid FG. If the cleaned area is still quite small and not too deep, tape off the adjacent area with masking tape and fill the area with thickened, waxed, polyester resin. Use FG putty if you're really lazy. Don't worry about making a mess as it can always be sanded out. When satisfied, gently sand it out and cover with colour matched gel coat. Finally sand the gel coat with progressively finer paper and then polish.
This first defect will be a learning experience but as long as you protect the surrounding area, you can't really do too much damage as long as you take it slow and easy. You will also find a plethora of material on small gel coat repairs here and elsewhere on the web.
I do one or two surface spider web cracks every year just for the entertainment :cussing:.
This is exactly what I needed!
With any kind of fairing out the hole, this is going to run into those hunter blue stripes. Any idea how those stripes were created?
This forum with all of you has been a fabulous resource for my return to sailing! I just hope one day I'll be able to pass all this information on to others! Thanks Again! Jon
With any kind of fairing out the hole, this is going to run into those hunter blue stripes. Any idea how those stripes were created?
This forum with all of you has been a fabulous resource for my return to sailing! I just hope one day I'll be able to pass all this information on to others! Thanks Again! Jon
Hi Claude... Maybe if I tack really slow, no one would notice the difference in the trim.... Hmmmmmm. Thanks, I'll take a closer look!. Jon
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