filling cracks on gelcoat

[johns]

can car body filler be used to repair large areas of gel coat above the water line if it is painted over is it just as strong as the gelcoat if not what is the best stuff to use colour is not important as the hull is painted

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[stamfordian]

Simple answer is you shouldn,t,but you can.It,s a lot cheaper than marine stuff but having said that you can get epoxy that is for above the waterline which is the best for your job... p38 crap job really if you get a chip water can be absorbed causiing blister,
my view anyway but no expert

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[bigmart]

Plastic Padding sell a Gel Coat Repair kit. Should be suitable if your patch isn't too big.

Martin

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[Avocet]

I've used that stuff for some gouges in the gelcoat but cracks may be a bit more of a problem. If the crack was caused by impact damage, the lminate under it may be weakened and more prone to flexing in use. You might find that filling these cracks with any kind of filler allows them to show through the paint again after a few months. If you have cracks caused by a bump, you're better off reinforcing the hull behind them with a few layers of glass mat and resin before grinding out the cracks with an angle grinder to give you a decent bonding area, then fill it with whatever you like if you're going to paint it.

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[steffen]

I would advise against it. Preferably use proper 2-comp epoxy filler. The difference in price is very small compared to the amount of money spent on your boat.
Perhaps, if the cracks are recent and not contaminated, you could use epoxy resin to impregnate the cracks before filling in and painting.
Most important, find out what the reason of the cracking is or all work is for nothing.

Happy sailings, Steffen

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[gjgm]

As implied, gelcoat doesnt just crack. Patching over probably wont solve the problem. Its either flexing,impact or stress. Like any "decorating", preparation is the key. Having said that, the marine based plastic pading products costs about £ 6, harden in 10 mins, and can be sanded and polished smooth. Otherwise, contact one of the fibreglass companies you can find by doing a search. Most have plenty of marine knowledge, and buying industrial products is often alot cheaper than buying some retail product in your local shop. CLS or CFL or something in Redruth were very helpful and send loads of work notes too.

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