HOW do I get rid (invisible repair)of the small gel coat cracks on the deck and on the hatch edges?
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With more patience than I have...
Greg - The application of gelcoat is not too terribly difficult; the trick is color matching. The application goes like this: grind out the crack so that the new gelcoat will have something clean to stick to. Mix up the gelcoat in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Aply to crack. Cover with release film. Wait. Remove film, and burnish. Its really easy. The hard part is the color matching. You will need to get a selection of pigments to mix to get the color you need. Remember that the color you see wet will not be the same as what you will see after it dries. You need to mix and cure some test batches to see the varriance. Then, when you get it right, keep the ratios and make a bigger batch to do the whole thing with. Good luck with it. Its hard, but worth while to see your decks shine. Justin - O'day Owner's Web
Greg - The application of gelcoat is not too terribly difficult; the trick is color matching. The application goes like this: grind out the crack so that the new gelcoat will have something clean to stick to. Mix up the gelcoat in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Aply to crack. Cover with release film. Wait. Remove film, and burnish. Its really easy. The hard part is the color matching. You will need to get a selection of pigments to mix to get the color you need. Remember that the color you see wet will not be the same as what you will see after it dries. You need to mix and cure some test batches to see the varriance. Then, when you get it right, keep the ratios and make a bigger batch to do the whole thing with. Good luck with it. Its hard, but worth while to see your decks shine. Justin - O'day Owner's Web
I Suggest You Use Paint First
Hi Greg: I don't want think you want to grind out "fine cracks." That is overkill. Grinding out is reserved for gouges and other wounds to the gelcoat. What I think you are talking about is the gelcoat "crazing." I suggest that you fill in these tiny hairline cracks with enamel or polyurethane paint. You have to be patient. From what, I read its the third coat that will actually fill in the cracks. Maybe another contributer to the home page can step in and take it from here. I haven't done this myself, but I am contemplating it. Good luck Melody
Hi Greg: I don't want think you want to grind out "fine cracks." That is overkill. Grinding out is reserved for gouges and other wounds to the gelcoat. What I think you are talking about is the gelcoat "crazing." I suggest that you fill in these tiny hairline cracks with enamel or polyurethane paint. You have to be patient. From what, I read its the third coat that will actually fill in the cracks. Maybe another contributer to the home page can step in and take it from here. I haven't done this myself, but I am contemplating it. Good luck Melody
make sure first..
.. you have dealt first with the reason for these hair line cracks..Unless few of them here and there, it often ( it happened to my Hunter more than I like..) happens on curved areas ,or FRP parts, due to not enough stiffness or support of the FRP/GRP mold in the first place. In this case , the cracks will reapear on time , and in the same places..
.. you have dealt first with the reason for these hair line cracks..Unless few of them here and there, it often ( it happened to my Hunter more than I like..) happens on curved areas ,or FRP parts, due to not enough stiffness or support of the FRP/GRP mold in the first place. In this case , the cracks will reapear on time , and in the same places..
Painting gelcoat?
I've been dealing with gelcoat chip and crack repairs for a while and am dealing with the same issues -- namely color matching. It never works. I was thinking about finding a closely matching flat white enamel and spraying the gelcoat. Is this a bad idea? Nobody ever seems to suggest or discuss it as an option.
I've been dealing with gelcoat chip and crack repairs for a while and am dealing with the same issues -- namely color matching. It never works. I was thinking about finding a closely matching flat white enamel and spraying the gelcoat. Is this a bad idea? Nobody ever seems to suggest or discuss it as an option.
Re: Painting gelcoat
A friend of mine repaired a hole in the hull at the toe-rail. He filled with fiberglass and epoxy, sanded smooth, and feathered to the gelcoat. He then removed his cockpit locker door (seat-top), took it to an automobile collision shop, and had them computer- match the color of his sample. The paint was put into a sparay can for him. He then spray-painted the repair, and it blended perfectly with the gelcoat color. You really have to look hard to see that it was a repaired area. Ken, S/V Liberty
A friend of mine repaired a hole in the hull at the toe-rail. He filled with fiberglass and epoxy, sanded smooth, and feathered to the gelcoat. He then removed his cockpit locker door (seat-top), took it to an automobile collision shop, and had them computer- match the color of his sample. The paint was put into a sparay can for him. He then spray-painted the repair, and it blended perfectly with the gelcoat color. You really have to look hard to see that it was a repaired area. Ken, S/V Liberty
Painting gel coat
Ken, that sounds like a great idea. It sounds like it would work fine. What bothers me is that it sounds too easy and too obvious. After reading this board for a couple years and scores of posts about people trying to get gel coat to match, I have never heard someone suggest finding a matching spray paint to make the colors match. Just made me wonder if there was some problem with spray painting gel coat with regular old enamel. But if no one says nay, I think I'll give 'er a try. Thanks.
Ken, that sounds like a great idea. It sounds like it would work fine. What bothers me is that it sounds too easy and too obvious. After reading this board for a couple years and scores of posts about people trying to get gel coat to match, I have never heard someone suggest finding a matching spray paint to make the colors match. Just made me wonder if there was some problem with spray painting gel coat with regular old enamel. But if no one says nay, I think I'll give 'er a try. Thanks.
Gel coat dings
I have used white Marine Tex since time immemorial for the normal little chips one gets. If the area is small enough, it is usually a good enough match once sanded smooth. For slightly larger areas I have used a thin color-matched enamel topcoat which I then feathered with 600-grit wet sandpaper to blend into the surrounding gel coat. No repair is truly "invisible", but you do have to look long and hard to find them.
I have used white Marine Tex since time immemorial for the normal little chips one gets. If the area is small enough, it is usually a good enough match once sanded smooth. For slightly larger areas I have used a thin color-matched enamel topcoat which I then feathered with 600-grit wet sandpaper to blend into the surrounding gel coat. No repair is truly "invisible", but you do have to look long and hard to find them.
Enamel
"Regular old enamel" may not hold up well in the marine environment. However, modern automotive paints are usually acrylic enamels that often contain UV inhibitors and should bond well to the polyester resin base of a FRP layup if properly prepared IMHO. FW&SS, Chris
"Regular old enamel" may not hold up well in the marine environment. However, modern automotive paints are usually acrylic enamels that often contain UV inhibitors and should bond well to the polyester resin base of a FRP layup if properly prepared IMHO. FW&SS, Chris
I should have specified automotive enamel!
Chris is correct, I used automotive enamel spray touch-up paint.
Chris is correct, I used automotive enamel spray touch-up paint.
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