Gelcoat cracks

[steffen]

The previous owner has fit the mainsail track on deck strait through the foam sandwich so obviously the sandwich has cracked.
I removed the inner layer and the foam and fitted pressure plates but now i am still stuck with cracks in the outer layer gelcoat.

Would appreciate ant advise on how to reapir those crack to prevent water ingress into the laminate.

Happy sailing, Steffen

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[vyv_cox]

Not much response likely today, UK is on a Bank Holiday and the weather seems to be good. It's only us Europeans who are keeping things going!

The only solution is to grind the cracks back and refill with a gelcoat filler. It's often difficult to match the colour, so these repairs can look very obvious. I find that it is sometimes easier to match with automotive paint and I keep a sample piece of the deck colour that was cut out when fitting something else for this purpose.

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[Strathglass]

Re: Not only the Europeans

I hate to say this Vyv but UK is not on bank holiday it is <font color=red>England</font color=red> that is on bank holiday.
Up here north of the border as in Europe it is a normal working day.

There was quite a good video on the PBO 'ask the experts' showing how to repair a crack in gelcoat. I don't know whether it is still there and it was a bit slow on a 56k modem but it was quite explicit.

Iain

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[tr7v8]

I've always opened cracks out using either a soldering iron, smelly but works or a Dremel type tool with a pointed grinding bit in. then fill with GRP resin and sand back. I've always found filler of any type cracks, but it depends if that bit moves or is stressed.
As regards colouring the resin to match I was gong to try paint mixed in with the resin, as DIY paint offers a 100% match for both hull and topside colour. Don't know if the resin will go off or how much to use etc.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500

 

[vyv_cox]

Very true

Having lived in Scotland myself for three years, I should have remembered that. A colleague from Aberdeen called a few minutes ago, reinforcing your point.

Where do you find the video? I can't even find 'ask the experts' because the search engine starts with "ask", that is included in dozens of other words. Having found several thousand of them, presumably it then started on "the" but I couldn't be bothered to find out.

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[Forbsie]

Re: Very true

Hi Vyv,

I'll let Iain tell you where it is coz I can't find it but when you want to search a phrase like that, put it in inverted commas - "ask the experts"

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/forbsie?&page=1>My Project</A>

 

[craigbalsillie]

Re: Not only the Europeans

Judging by the levels of traffic this morning, on that civil engineering masterpiece they call the M8, it is a bank holiday north of the border too.

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[oldsaltoz]

G'day Steffen,

Having done a few gelcoat repairs I can confirm that a perfect match is all but impossible, oh you can get it pretty close, but have a look a couple of years later, the old gel ages faster than the new stuff so finish up with a mismatch. However, you cam make a good job of it if you don't mind going the bit, cracking alongside tracks is common when, as you have found out, they are poorly mounted and stress cracks develop.

With the track in place, mark out an area about 25 mm wider and longer than the track base. (You may have to extend this to cover all cracking).

Remove the track and use a plunge router and guide batten/s to remove the top 3 to 4 mm with a good straight edge, then mask the edges with tape, the thin brown one used on removalist cartons is best. You can then apply your gelcoat and cover it with a strip of very smooth plastic, 3 mm plexiglass is good.

Use epoxy based gelcoat if you can get it. The end result will look like the track area has been highlighted rather than repaired, even years later.

Oh, and it might be a holiday over there, but us lot in Oz are still on the job, time fer anudder rum me finks........

PS don't mix paint with resin, it will be a disaster, you can add 'some' powders to resin to provide a tint, but not as white as gelcoat.



<hr width=100% size=1>Andavagoodweekend, Old Salt Oz /forums/images/icons/cool.gif

 

[steffen]

Hi Old Salt, thanks for reply. Your suggestion about the plunger plane got my brain going.
Since its this wafer type anti slip deck i will make a provisional repair for now. When time permits i will route out as suggested and then build up with glass fabric untill it stand out above the wafer pattern. I can then paint same color as the the rest of the smooth surfaces.
redrill holes and refit the track.

Happy sailing, Steffen


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[steffen]

Thanks to all for advises nm.

n

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[Strathglass]

Re: Video

It took some finding because YBW have moved it.- try this
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ybw.com/sp/features/gelcoat/index.html>http://www.ybw.com/sp/features/gelcoat/index.html</A>

Cheers Iain

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[vyv_cox]

Re: Video

Thanks a lot, good stuff!

Vyv

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