gel coat repair

[johns]

could anyone give some advice on how to go about fixing my gelcoat
it has got a spiders web like crack about 2 ft by 1 ft on the side above the water line i have removed all the inside panels which show the inside to be undamaged the hull has been painted should i repaint or grind them out and fil with epoxy filler
if so what kind ,how hard is this any advice will be a great help

thanks john

 

[oldsaltoz]

G,day Johns,

If the hull has been painted, no need to use gelcoat.

Grind out the cracks with a dremel to remove as little as possible, this will help maintain an even surface: fill with epoxy resin mixed with micro balloons, sand and repaint.

The cracking you describe sounds like a stress point caused by a hard spot inside the hull, try to locate the cause of the problem or the cracks may well return. If the hard spot can not be relieved, consider laying up about 3 layers of glass and epoxy resin, with each layer smaller that the one before, to provide a feathered edge to spread the load.

Hope this helps.

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