These cracks are generally cosmetic, and indicate flexing of the hull. Is there information and advice available on repairing these cracks. How to repair spider cracks in fiberglass boatlife. Repairing hairline cracks and how to do repair gelcoat magicezy. The cracks are purely cosemetic, and not structural to the boat. If not managed, these small cosmetic annoyances can. Now, before you simply fix them, you want to make sure the reason the cracks are there isnt because something is just broken underneath the fiberglass, causing flexing.
Crusting can occur when you stamp a pattern on concrete that has dried too quickly. Camper nicholson 31 owner repairs cracks and crazing in the gelcoat on the hull. Magicezy hairline fix quickly and easily repairs gelcoat cracks on your boatwithout having to grind them out. Cracks spreading out from the center, much as you would see in a spider web. Gelcoat repair is inevitable for the vast majority of boats after a sustained period of time on the sea. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into. Spider cracks in hull boat talk chaparral boats owners. They can occur in any form of fiberglass, including cars, boats and swimming pools. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat spider web cracks in gelcoat.
Learn how to treat wearinduced spider cracks that appear along the hull of your dinghy. Clear coat applicationspider crack questions dont see why you couldnt clear coat gel coat many fiberglass hulls get coated with two part lpu coatings. Cracks occur when there are pockets of gelcoat that accumulate and end up being too thick. I flew up to tokyo yesterday and back on the 15th, so will take some pics for ya then. This thicker gelcoat cannot stand any flexing without showing cracks.
Because glazes are a very thin coating, most will pull apart or craze under very little tension. Hi guys, i just looked at a fully restored 20 bertram yesterday and the boat was having the bottom redone. I used the product on non skid hell coat on my sailboat. These are very fine surface cracks that resemble spider webs or shattered glass. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or. Gelcoat products has supplied gelcoat and other fiberglass support materials to the marine, shower, and rv industry for over 25 years, and have over 8,000 standards in house, our goal is to make the ordering process as simple and informative as it can be to the home, boat, and rv owners. Because there is no fiber in it, over time it will crack because the hull naturally flexes a bit. Spider cracks in gelcoat moderated discussion areas. Magicezy hairline fix is a colored sealant used to quickly and easily repair fine stress cracks spider cracks and hairline fractures.
This damage is often caused by slight flexing of the hull. Fiberglass fenders, need advicehairline crack repair. I restored a black gold bell wildfire that had a lot of fine spider cracks in the clear polyester gel coat. Now your spidercracks are fixed and the surface is ready for the matching gelcoat not included to make your repair unnoticeable and the area look like new. 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 boats. Since it was below the water line it was supposed to dry for 8 hours 30 minutes above water line but no waxing for three days. Crazing can make a food safe glaze unsafe and ruin the look of. As it is more brittle than the laminate, when something stresses the laminate too much such as flexing or something hard hitting the deck it cracks to resemble a web pattern. Jun 10, 2017 hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. I used a gelcoat repair which seemed similair to the majicezy product.
Common gelcoat repairs are often applied for spider web cracks or eroded gelcoat to the point where the base laminate is starting to show. If you have any surface scrapes or gouges that need repair, check our advisor doit yourself. 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. Aug 27, 2012 the cracks are called spider cracks, and they are normal for a gel coat finished boat. This condition makes it easier for solvent molecules to penetrate the molecular structure of the acrylic and diffuse throughout the polymer chains. Alligator cracking, which is also called fatigue cracking, refers to the types of asphalt cracks that resemble a reptiles scales or a spider web. How to repair alligator cracking on an asphalt driveway. Bump a dock too hard and they will show up, and very common around the corners of the transom at the splash well. Apr 02, 2019 look for stress cracks around stanchions or other areas that might be an indication of an underlying structural problem. 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. We both agree that star cracks and spider web cracks in the gel coat are typically caused by some form of impact to the outside hull. Jun 26, 2012 camper nicholson 31 owner repairs cracks and crazing in the gelcoat on the hull. 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.
It sealed the hairline cracks and cleanup with a kleenex left the non skid undusturbed. In this report, they offer the magic fix for hairline gelcoat cracks. There are many ways to repair cracks in fiberglasswhich ones the best. The gelcoat is clear, and i really dont want to paint the. That how they keep the gelcoat from sticking to the mold. Provides a longlasting repair guaranteed to seal and protect for years.
The gelcoat will not tolerate flex and therefore you develop stress cracks at the stress points. Craft seahawk is developing spider web cracks in the. Magic fix for hairline cracks in gelcoat practical sailor. However, we distinguish between cracks and crazing, since they have a different appearance and somewhat different causes. The stress tends to pull apart the tightly coiled polymer chains. I actively searched for the best way to patch small holes in fiberglass on the web, and couldnt quite find concise answers this lead to a mo. Spider cracks are nonstructural damage to the gelcoat of a boat. Spider cracks are small, hairlike cracks that appear on the gelcoat of boats.
Crazing appears as very small micro cracks that look like a spider web on the acrylic surface. In order to avoid the problem, some builders simply use oversize washers under the nuts of through deck bolts. Fixing them can involve more than just slapping on some gelcoat, however, and that is where we come in. They blasted off the bottom paint to gelcoat and i noticed that the gel coat had spider cracks throughout the bottom. Email with link on how to use product was excellent. How to repair spider cracks on your fiberglass boat. Jul 24, 2006 the sun doesnt generally cause spider cracks. If the top of the concrete slab dries too quickly, crazing cracks can form. Crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks, plagues countless boaters. Know what the causes are and fix them,then finish off with repairing the gelcoat cracks and.
How to fix spider cracks, hairline cracks, and crazing in boat. Mar 12, 2020 alligator cracking, which is also called fatigue cracking, refers to the types of asphalt cracks that resemble a reptiles scales or a spider web. I have a bell northstar blackgold canoe that is now about 19 years old. Stress cracks in fiberglass bass boats, canoes, kayaks. Applying gelcoat to fiberglass is simple if you have the right tools and take care to. Crazing is an incredibly common issue on modern fiberglass boats, and. Sometimes, however, spider cracks offer a path for water to get into contact with. They do however have some hairline spider cracks that i dont want coming back. Solving it might be as simple as shifting a load from undersized equipment, or installing a larger backing plate to spread the load over a wider area.
My previous post was based on the thought that the underlying glass was intact, with no glass delamination or other damage beneath under the gel coat. May 11, 2016 now your spidercracks are fixed and the surface is ready for the matching gelcoat not included to make your repair unnoticeable and the area look like new. 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. I have 1977 fiberglasss 30 ft sail boat that has spider cracks all over the hull,no leaking just fine cracks. Clean the surface, then wax andor polish it with the same products you use on the. Spider cracks in hull boat talk chaparral boats owners club. Spider cracks are a form of fiberglass damage that occurs from minor flexing or impacts. I have a 2005 r12x with 7 hours on it, bought brand new leftover this year. Similar to marine tex, it was easy to use and can be finished using the crack repair product. It also repairs cracks in ceramic tiles and scratches on household appliances. You spray blue gelcoat in the mold, and glass to it. These hairline fractures also occur in boats of the mid 1970s vintage which often had thicker gelcoat layers than newer boats. Youd actually cause more damage and weaken the panal if you did v them all.
I didnt hit any thing but did some wave jumping 1 to 3 waves. How to fix crazing in gelcoat, also known as spider cracks or stress cracks which. There are numerous, inexpensive products on the market these days. Small cracks form in the outer surface of the fiberglass, spreading out from a central point like a. Look for stress cracks around stanchions or other areas that might be an indication of an underlying structural problem. Crazing cracks can be unsightly, but are not a structural problem. The cracks are probably just in the gelcoat but i need to fix them. Sometimes, however, spider cracks offer a path for water to get into contact with the fiberglass structure under the gelcoat. Hairline fix is the easiest, most durable way to repair scratches, scrapes, stress cracks, spider fractures, and crazing in fiberglass and gelcoat surfaces. Craft seahawk is developing spider web cracks in the gelcoat.
Gelcoat repairs which includes an instructive video that covers gelcoat restoration, scratch repair, and polishing and. Complete the repair in seconds without having to grind out the existing damage. May 01, 2014 i found some spider lins on the hull under the water line when i was cleaning her last weekend. Discussion in cosmetic started by john holden, feb 27, 20. We have this awesome boat that just cannot take enough of a beating, but. Stress cracks, spider cracks, and hairline cracks in the decks of older boats. Heres a helpful list of the tools and products i used in the video. All gelcoat is, is nonreinforced tinted fiberglass. May 05, 2015 cracks occur when there are pockets of gelcoat that accumulate and end up being too thick. Chris craft seahawk is developing spider web cracks in the gelcoat. The cracks are called spider cracks, and they are normal for a gel coat finished boat. A crack is defined as a single separation of a surface. I would like to use this on a few hairline cracks on the crosshatch textured bottom of my fiberglass tub.
Gelcoat is a liquid that hardens to form a thick layer thats used to protect fiberglass and give it a shiny, smooth finish. Its the unstable nature of the polyesterfiberglass hull under the gelcoat and its tendency to shrink slightly over time that cracks the gel coat. Cosmetic gelcoat surface damage 1 small scratches 2 hairlinespider cracks 3 gelcoat chips. It is starting to show its age with stress cracks from being dropped on portages, etc. Hairline spider cracks must be opened wider and filled with an epoxy filler to be permanently repaired. These types of cracks are no the same as impact or flex cracks and only go so deep into the gelcoating and would not require digging out to repair. Gelcote international 6 neal drive peterborough, on k9j 6x7 canada t. 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. The location of the cracking is the center of the hull,about 5 inches down from the bump molding. Crazing appears as very small microcracks that look like a spider web on the acrylic surface. If the cracks radiate from the base of loadbearing equipment like a cleat or stanchion, there is probably a problem with the installation that deserves attention before repairing the gelcoat. This tension occurs when the glaze contracts more than the clay body during cooling.
All that filler wont allow the gel coat to shrink as much as the hull and the gel coat fractures. In most cases this is true, however it is important to seal them correctly otherwise water may penetrate into the fiberglass and cause more serious damage. Fiberglass comes out of the mold painted the color its going to remain. Thats as long as they are stress cracks, fine hairline like spider web, not something you can see into. With alligator cracking, interconnected cracks form in a pattern of small geometric shapes. They seem to appear out of nowhere, and for no reason. This is caused by impact to the hull, manufacturer error in too thick gelcoa. Are spider cracks not usually just cracks in the gelcoat. Dec 29, 2017 know what the causes are and fix them,then finish off with repairing the gelcoat cracks and.
As the substrate flexes as it is designed to do, the gel just cant deflect the same amount and will develop these small cracks. The appearance was considerably improved by wet sanding the entire hull down to 2000 grit, then applying several thin coats of system three clear coat epoxy, which is a very low viscosity epoxy. I believe hes descibing crazing and spidering not actual flex caused depth cracks. The fact that yours are extensive and below the water line should get the attention of both the dealer and the builder. Nov 11, 2007 cracks in gelcoat that ressemble a spiders web. 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. 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. Before you tackle repairing hairline cracks in gelcoat, youll need to prepare. Apr 24, 2009 if the cracks do not appear to care if there is a bulkhead or major frame member behind them then it may be a more cosmetic issue, perhaps a failure of the top coat for some reason of application, or age and weather. Once youre sure youre dealing with these types of cracks in the outer gel coat of the fiberglass, your fix can be limited to the fiberglass exterior. How to fix spider cracks in fiberglass it still runs. Crazing is caused by the glaze being under too much tension. Cracks were erased just like using an eraser on a chalkboard im dating myself. Spider web cracks in gell coat originally posted by wedoseadoo its a pretty common thing and an absolute biotch to repair,it will not leak though and is just cosmetic.
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