Repairing cracked gelcoat

[canoe42]

Read this article on repairing cracked gelcoat.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/anglerboater/1999/julaug99/fibergls.htm

Posts here and elsewhere said it could't be done unless I sand out all the cracks. Am I missing something in the article?

[the1much]

ya,,,,the person that said/wrote that is an idiot. ;)

[the1much]

and just to prove my point,,,the article says ("The book procedure calls for filling the break with color-matched liquid gel-coat (which is runny and hard to contain) ")
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
obviously the dude has never heard of cabosil,,,another EVERYDAY thing in boat repairs.

[fiberglass jack]

he does mention cabosil "Colloidal silica" same stuff cabosil is just a brand name. i often fill the v out cracks with gelcoat unthicken just seal the gel in with som scotch tape some times u get lucky and need vey little sanding

[Landlubber]

the1much,

He must be right mate, it is in a book! what would you know......

As long as the cracks are painted nice, look shiney, and the boat is never let out of the shed, never stepped on, and never see light again....he is right.

You had better start reading by the sounds of it......ya go ta luv 'em mate don't ya! (I somehow think I will stay with what we both know to be right).

[the1much]

ya landy,,i know,,,i dont know why i would think a book is wrong,,hehe ;) ,,but,,if i do thing "right" and by the book,,,man,,,working on boats IS easy,,hehe ;):D;)

[Landlubber]

That is why so many new people are getting into it, everything is so easy....ask the Chinese, they are looking for 2000 workers on another site!

It is all sooooo easy!

[Kaptin-Jer]

Why is this guy double posting. I'm getting dizzy.
What I all ready said--If the cracks are only small surface crazing or stress cracks he can use glazing putty. Any deeper then he has to get serious and start mixing fills, and then use the Glazing putty to fill the pin holes.

[the1much]

he didnt like the answers on the first thread,,hehe,,we should jus tell him the truth,,that we're all working for the "marine supply" corp. that sells all this expensive stuff that ya really dont need,,,, and that if he just got some automotive spray can primer,,it would fix everything,,hehe ;)

[ondarvr]

I had answered his question on another site and said if the crazing was as he discribed, there was no way to fix it without sanding the cracks out completely. The only product that might hold up with a simple sand and paint would be a flexible truckbed liner type coating.

[Kaptin-Jer]

Like Jim said. He'll keep posting until he finds an answer he likes--right or wrong--