Feb 24, 2014 from what i know from reading posts here, i would need a dremel tool to create a gorge on the gelcoat crack before applying the gelcoat putty. A spider crack is usually the result of a piece of debris. As far as how they did in detail, not 100% sure, just know they laid down a sheet on another area that can take the pattern, then pull off in a couple days, then spray the gel and then apply a sheet of fibre. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass, spreading out from a central point like a spiderweb. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. That is unless you use a spray in bed liner materail but, that will just kill the boat appeal for resale.
First, get your boat to a wellventilated area where it can be sheltered overnight. I have worked on many boats with spider cracks, the best method i have used is a dremel tool to gouge the cracks and fill them with a gelcoat paste made with gelcoat and glass bubbles works wonders, as for sand paper you will have to change grits as you sand and fill. 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 boat s. 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.
Boat gelcoat stress cracks are a common problem within the marine world when it comes to fiberglass gelcoat boats, a. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. 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. The stress cracks are not much larger then the thickness of a. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion areas. You should add a layer of scuffing to the cracks at a wider point than you would need. Because there is no fiber in it, over time it will crack because the hull naturally flexes a bit. I have not had the boat for a while, i got it through a trade. You may want to apply colored gelcoat enamel over the repaired area, so the repair wont be so noticeable.
How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. All gelcoat is, is nonreinforced tinted fiberglass. It can also be a great hobby for anyone who has some basic carpentry experience and enjoys working with their hands. Fixing a crack in the plexiglas is the easiest thing to do yourself so you do not. These cracks are generally cosmetic, and indicate flexing of the hull.
The engines good and transom along with all other goodies that make a boat go. 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. Step 3 now, once youve removed all hardware, toerails, and other paraphernalia. My hull just developed spider cracking on both sides,that go parallel about 5 inches in lenght,then web out 10 inches on both sides of the hull. If not managed, these small cosmetic annoyances can. However, you can easily fix small or hairline cracks in porcelain sinks using repair. Sometimes, however, spider cracks offer a path for water to get into contact with. Apr 21, 2020 fixing them is laborious, and if you want to really do it right, it is expensive due to the need for gelcoat spray. Just noticed a few hairline cracks on my boat today as well. We have this awesome boat that just cannot take enough of a beating, but. This is usually evidenced by a concentric ring pattern as opposed to random crisscross spider webbing. Know what the causes are and fix them,then finish off with repairing the gelcoat cracks and. 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.
Oct 24, 20 friend of mine looking at 2011 cougarcouple spider cracks on each inside bottom corner of splashwellis this common or cause for concernhull is w spider cracks bass cat boats bass cat boats. In this case the cracks need to be examined closely, even chipped away at, to see if they extend through the gelcoats 0. Start by deciding which areas of the boat need attention. How to fix minor cracks in fiberglass building your own boat can be cheaper than buying a manufactured boat. We also strongly advise keeping traffic away from the affected area, if at all possible.
The pop out is a more common issue and easily fixed, normally the result of an air void between the fiberglass and gel coat. How to repair a crack in plexiglass acrylic with solvent cement. Dec 29, 2017 know what the causes are and fix them,then finish off with repairing the gelcoat cracks and. Otherwise clean them out, polish up the boat as best you can and live with them. Apr 24, 2009 the engines good and transom along with all other goodies that make a boat go. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats are, of course, not rare. Sand the damaged area with 100grit sandpaper to roughen the surface. Using sandpaper, you should be able to sand thoroughly into the depths of the crack so that the edges are smooth. They seem to appear out of nowhere, and for no reason. The next thing to so is to carefully sand the surface of the repair using a rag and some acetone solvent. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or impacts. To diagnose spider cracks, inspect your boat and look for the following.
A spider crack is usually the result of a piece of debris or a rock that hits your windshield while driving. I didnt hit any thing but did some wave jumping 1 to 3 waves. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor. Spider cracks in hull boat talk chaparral boats owners club. It may be possible to paint only a portion of the boat. How to repair a badly damaged fibreglass boat duration.
I had this issue on the chine corners on my 226ssi exposed by the lift bull at the dry stack marina, but due to mold deficiency at the factory. Radial cracks spider cracks, star cracks caused by impact or by a fixture bolt that puts strain on a certain area of a boat and cracks occur around the hole. The cracks are really fine and i couldnt even see them until i rubbed some wax over it and the cracks turned white. How to repair a crack in plexiglass acrylic with solvent. Fill the crack with a fair amount of fiberglass epoxy resin, using a plastic applicator. Using highbuild primer to repair fiberglass crazing. The boat is in pretty good condition for its age in my opinion, but the hull does have some minor hairline stress cracks.
Fixing them is laborious, and if you want to really do it right, it is expensive due to the need for gelcoat spray. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks. From what i know from reading posts here, i would need a dremel tool to create a gorge on the gelcoat crack before applying the gelcoat putty. Its the unstable nature of the polyesterfiberglass hull under the gelcoat and its tendency to shrink slightly over time that cracks the gel coat. Aug 15, 2018 unless your boat lives her life dockside cuddled up to a couple of fenders, shes going to get a few scrapes and bruises. Step 2 then toughen the laminate that contains the crack or cracks by solidifying it. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Simply put, royalex will contract when exposed to cold temperatures. The usual causes of stringer failure are disintegration of the stringer core material, impact damage from slamming and. You dont always have to have a 10 year old boat to be experiencing this problem. As a general rule, whenever you see any cracks appear in your asphalt, the first thing you should do is apply crack filler or sealcoating, weather permitting, to try to halt further spread of damage. Stress by thermal expansion or when bulkheads and liners were installed can cause minor flexing. Spider cracks when i asked steve at qcc about the spider cracks he told me not to worry about them unless they are letting in water.
Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. We have this awesome boat that just cannot take enough of a beating, but the gelcoat in some spots seems to craze, or spider web. How to repair gelcoat cracks 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. 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. The first step needs to be ensuring that your spider cracks are just that, and not a sign of a soggy core, or a broken support. Large cracks are typically difficult to repair and require replacing the entire sink. Our test boat has had a few spider cracks since a few months after she came out of the mold. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat spider web cracks in gelcoat. Bass cat owners is a forum for bass cat owners to learn, share, and discuss more about their boats. Since your boat is just a few years shy of a halfcentury old, it is more prone to flexing than a new boat, so my guess is it would just start cracking again. Despite a kitchen or bathroom sinks durability and resistance to wear and tear, cracks are inevitable. I flew up to tokyo yesterday and back on the 15th, so will take some pics for ya then. The quickest and easiest way to remove the appearance of spider cracking is to apply a quality paint job to the boat or at least the damaged area. The texturing of the deck is dimpled, for lack of a better term.
The cracks are called spider cracks, and they are normal for a gel coat finished boat. These scars of a life welllived are unsightly, but usually are just cosmetic. Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured surface. Sometimes, however, spider cracks offer a path for water to get into contact with the fiberglass structure under the gelcoat. Jul 27, 2016 as a general rule, whenever you see any cracks appear in your asphalt, the first thing you should do is apply crack filler or sealcoating, weather permitting, to try to halt further spread of damage. Based on the location i think the winch on the mooring cover probably knocked into the side of the boat at some point. I restored a black gold bell wildfire that had a lot of fine spider cracks in the clear polyester gel coat. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which plague countless boaters. One thing i forgot to mention is to allow the glue to dry for a couple hours. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for.
The easiest repair method is to sand the surface heavily and roll on two coats of epoxy primer followed by two coats of twopart linear. Magicezy hairline fix demonstration how to repair stress. Repairing hundreds of fiberglass cracks to get ready for spraying awlgrip paint. Grind out all the cracks in the gelcoat, regelcoat and put a new nonskid in. Thermal fatigue cracks when gelcoat repeatedly expands or contracts. Spider cracks are small, hairlike cracks that appear on the gelcoat of boats. If you want them gone, take the time to do the job right and do the boat justice. Boatus magazines mark corke shows you how to easily repair those pesky spider cracks that show up in your boats fiberglass gelcoat. All that filler wont allow the gel coat to shrink as much as the hull and the gel coat fractures. Do i grind the stress lines back to the laminate then fill with epoxy 1978 thompson 18 spider cracks. When i suspected the boat was leaking i did a dye test indicating there were some problems with the gel coat in the bow area that had been previously repaired.
How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boat life. This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Car and boat windshields are often made of plexiglas because it is an inexpensive and durable material. Oct 15, 2019 spider cracks when i asked steve at qcc about the spider cracks he told me not to worry about them unless they are letting in water. How to repair a cracked plexiglass windshield it still runs. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. There are recessed spots over the entire nonskid surface. Spider cracks in hull boat talk chaparral boats owners. Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. These might be in a parallel pattern or a nondirectional pattern. It was a quick way to make it look better for a while anyway, but the cracks always reappeared later.
Small cracks forming, especially at the surface of the fiberglass cracks spreading out from the. What to do when you see alligator cracking in asphalt. While theres little chance of vehicles being damaged. A prior owner had fixed a few with evercoat gel coat scratch patch gel coat repair, with ugly results.
These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. Ranger says that they can supply a plate to fit under the deck to reinforce it. How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat. Easiest way to apply a perfect nonskid on your boat using alexseal paint. Ralph, since you got me interested in gelcoat repair one or two per year, i believe you would have some answers for me. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Repairing stress cracks in a nonskid textured deck ive got a 79 f36 trojan. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass, spreading out from a. The biggest problem with plexiglas is that if it cracks or scratches, the entire area around the crack or scratch becomes cloudy. The cracks are purely cosemetic, and not structural to the boat. Hi andy, i have to repair a large area of deck on our boat with is crazed everywhere with large and small cracks.
Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a. Cracks from larger issuesa winch, for example, that was inadequately mountedwill need to be. A spider crack usually has an impact point which may or may not cause a small hole in the center and the glass around the impact point cracks around it and gives the appearance of a spider web hence, the name. Fix them yourself with this straightforward tutorial. Cracked compartment lid bass boats, canoes, kayaks and. When the area is dry, smooth the surface with sandpaper. Step 4 as soon as the crack has been channeled out, wipe it clean. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass with images. One manufacturer use to just sand and polish spider cracks especially on runabouts with metal flake gelcoat. May 27, 2009 this is usually evidenced by a concentric ring pattern as opposed to random crisscross spider webbing. They can occur in any form of fiberglass, including cars, boats and swimming pools.
The damage is midship, spider cracks that extend out in a 2 to 3 inch diameter in the gel coat and in the cockpit. Fixing them can involve more than just slapping on some gelcoat, however, and that is where we come in. May 01, 2014 just noticed a few hairline cracks on my boat today as well. Use a rag to protect your fingers and to do a thorough job of removing dirt and debris that. It sets up quick but needs time to build up strength. Clean the area with acetone and a rag to remove any dirt or other impurities. 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 it penetrates deeply into the pores of even the finest. The location of the cracking is the center of the hull,about 5 inches down from the bump molding. Jun 10, 2017 hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. 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.
I have a 2005 r12x with 7 hours on it, bought brand new leftover this year. And almost every fiberglass boat, even the most mollycoddled, eventually suffers the heartbreak of spiderweb andor stress cracks. Step 1 figure out what caused the cracks to begin with. Repair tiny cracks in your sink with repair compound or epoxy adhesive. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks.
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