Fiberglass Repair ~ Stress Cracks

*** CHECK OUT OUR NEW FIBERGLASS GUIDE HERE: tinyurl.com/ycyaffxq
This show covers how to repair fiberglass stress cracks on your boat using polyester resin. Previous episodes go over other types of fiberglass repair using West System epoxy.

[@toni_jerafe]

Thanks a stack for this video. I am a south african lady who had a stress crack in her pool...got a repair kit, read the instructions and was a bit overwhelmed...watched this video and repaired my pool...by myself! so proud. :).

[@boatworkstoday]

+Toni Joubert That's awesome Toni! Well done ;-)

[@reefveiw]

Glad I came across this youtube. Great presentation and full of material for those taking on a project like this. GOOD JOB!

[@bowesproject2304]

I live in the UK thanks for your videos there a great help on my boat restoration hadn't been for you would have had to pay someone to redo my fiberglassing on boat keep them coming

[@kentkarlsson8277]

Thank you very much for this one. Love watching people that know what they do with ease.

[@M6K9B]

I am in the UK. Rebuilding a 1970's Lotus Europa. This video has been invaluable. Professionally presented so that even an novice, like me, can feel confident tackling fibreglass repair.

[@thedevilinfrankenstein6503]

You have to be the Bob Ross of boats! Thank you for sharing your expertise. I was looking for repairs for my van with a fiberglass high top. That is how I found your channel, and now you have a new subscriber! 👍👍👍😁😁😁

[@cvonkleist]

This is a fantastic video which thoroughly covers every step of stress crack repair, and the closeup camera work is excellent. I'm going to use this video as my primary reference when repairing a similar crack in a corner of my deck. Please keep up the great work.

[@jamesstewart5619]

Your series of videos are very informative and helpful. Your use and explanation of the why for many of the products and techniques helps avoid the pitfalls and gives some solid advice and direction. Many thanks.

[@KennethRayable]

I have done some fiberglass repairs to a small degree before. But I have never heard such beautiful guitar music playing in the background while doing so. As a guitar player myself I am twice blessed by watching your channel.

[@Fireship1]

Your videos are relaxing and satisfying to watch. I wish I could be this calm when I work on my boat!

[@stormcerj]

Thanks Andy! Love your tutorials! Best Fiberglass work Ive ever seen!

[@dynodon427]

I have done fiberglass repairs years ago on truck frontends and corvettes. I learned a lot from your video, thank you.

[@edwardschmitt5710]

I have built in repaired a TON of fiberglass. I have learned i know nothing, so SUBSCRIBED.

[@jcfpv3454]

thanks for the videos you have truly save me thousands of dollars

[@billarroo1]

Really great VIDEO, never did epoxy resin, lots of great information. Thanks William

[@robertwilbert1317]

Ive been watching you for awile now and youve helped me alot....i will continue to watch....

[@NitroRoo]

Great job on the video, good level of detail and explanation of why you were doing each step.

[@TheMarpalm]

You are an excellent teacher. Thanks for your work.

[@tompelican]

Great job on this tutorial. It was well produced and easy to follow.

[@IslanderSailboatInfo]

These are fantastic videos, thanks so much for making them!

[@mtnbiker49]

Excellent how-to. Easy to follow and understand.

[@CnCEndeavors]

really enjoying your show - thanks for taking the time to do it

[@jameszx7]

Awesome video! The way you demonstrated reminded me of that old tv show with the artist Bob Ross and his painting.

[@thetraveller3577]

Mate thanks for this fantastic presentation. Really appreciate you sharing your expertise !

[@AngelDeVille]

Thank you, I'm restoring a Baja VW Beetle. Old fiberglass.... Gotta love it......

[@mikemalone9896]

You make fiberglassing look easy, bet if I tried to do it, it would look much harder to accomplish!

[@efdalzeren2047]

always a pleasure watching your video's. Thx a lot for sharing your knowledge and experiences

[@boatworkstoday]

Hey Anthony, I use a 1.4 tip for repairs (would not use this size for an entire boat though :-) I mix non-waxed laminating gel with a product made by Duratec (high gloss additive). 60%gel W/ 40% Duratec. This additive works as a thinner as well as a curing agent to allow the gel to fully harden. With the 1.4 and the flow about half open with a tight pattern 30psi it sprays very nice. VIP Catalyze the mix 2%. Or try going over the tacky gel you sprayed with PVA. I never use gel with wax anymore.

[@perpetualmocean1]

Great videos! Very well done. You explain each step and why you are doing it and then each step is nicely shot on video.

[@RudiRednoseChannel]

Thanks for all the information, great job!! Cheers from NorthRineWestPhalia, Germany

[@meradu2]

That looks like hard work ,I'm working on my Healey wide body ,stop by Thanks Radu

[@goodson77784]

Your videos are really great man! Good work, keep it up, I'm learning a lot!

[@ynotsail]

Thanks for the video Andy. You do great work, and your explanations are excellent. Looking forward to the next video. Tony R

[@CigRacing]

Thanks for this, and for taking the time to go through in detail, much appreciated.

[@markporterporter3259]

Great one, exactly what I needed. Thank you.

[@johncasor9698]

WOW incredible talent, great skill... Thank you so much...

[@allamericanjoekansas977]

Great information , I am a new subscriber and fan of your videos!

[@eag725]

This guy really deserves his hits. Well done.

[@Burkesmemories]

Excellent teaching. Thanks!

[@philipnussbaumer184]

A Good Instructional Video. Thanks very much

[@brucetaylor3806]

Great instruction Andy.

[@boatworkstoday]

CSM for the finish layers as it sands smooth for finishing (gelcoat or paint). But generally I use 2 types of glass; 1.5oz csm and 1708 bi-ax

[@abeaiona9796]

love it really helpful hope my patch comes out like yours

[@Meyersmanx1]

awesome..I am going to use this info to repair my meyers manx buggy..thankyou matey.

[@karengreen5599]

You're a great instructor!

[@familykeepersca]

Thank you for your sharing. Lots of helps.

[@moriver3857]

I learned lots, thanks. Great video.

[@whileysea]

I am always afraid to mess up. Your videos help me enourmly to even try to start such work. Even more so importend as I have not the funds no more, after the divorce, to hire Professionals. With your videos, I can manage to fix things and thus not give in to in live. THANK YOU, ROVER

[@Allformyequine]

This is super, now what steps would come next OR which video would take us thru the primer and finishing process?

[@boatworkstoday]

Thank you!!!

[@eriksvsirocco]

Thank you!

[@boatworkstoday]

In a pinch you could, but it's going to be a much harder surface to sand and it wouldn't smooth out as nicely (will still be a little porous). I've done it, but try to avoid it when possible. Thanks for the comment!

[@brucebelyea7433]

About ready to repair 2" cracks in hull of '75Sunfish then gelcoat entire hull. Thanks for giving me much insight about wht this entails and especially confidence! I will be reviewing your vids a few more times beforehand but your details have been great! Nice work! Many thanks.

[@hbrookes]

you're a true craftsman!!

[@fransvoogt4857]

great video, many thanks !

[@johnsmith-bv2wc]

thanks for your knowledge a big help

[@Sprucegrove123]

Good video I'd like to thank you for posting

[@boedekerj1]

When I find "dry laminate" layers, I take a small drill bit and drill into the hole, then mix a very small batch of resin, then inject the resin into the dry void with a needle. You can actually watch the resin saturate the dry laminate from the surface. It works well. For areas where there is plenty of glass, but someone just didn't quite brush/push out the air from the glass, the adhesion and structure seems to be absolutely fine. Overall, much less sanding/tooling and less disturbing of the surrounding good glass laminate.

[@Kodihuskey]

Thanks mate, really good and informative. Restoring my boat purely using the school of Boatworks Today.

[@RobertStrickland9619321]

Thanks... you're a big help.

[@rufustoad1]

You do unbelievable video's for us cream puffs but please do a video on the touch up painting process as well. OR if you already have one point me to it. Again great job!!

[@mike-ology22]

Brilliant video and certainly learning a lot. Too much epoxy to learn haha

[@70dejavu]

Thanks Andy i think i had to open up the flow more on my gun. ill let you know how i make out, im going to be at the boat yard next week. Thanks again

[@rwehuman]

Fiberglass and finishing it has always been like a mysterious black art to me. That was until I came across your videos. Thank you for making them and sharing your knowledge. I'll be working with vinyl Ester resin. Is there a certain type of gelcoat I need to use?

[@daleshaeffer4059]

Great instruction. Thanks

[@vipulsoni744]

thanks for this video... its really helpful.....

[@takayama1638]

Great job!

[@julianachandler2975]

Excellent explanation

[@martinsalzke2579]

very helpfull ,thankyou , well explained.

[@seanrhone5306]

Did not find it on your page but you should offer weekend course on this. I'd be interested in taking them if close enough?

[@jappecoco]

Very nice, thx for sharing

[@danielfreixo179]

Greetings from Portugal! Nice videos, thanks for the excelent explainations, u make it look so easy.... Just a question, can u use epoxy resin and biaxial on that kind of repair? Thanks !

[@dalehandski8212]

very nice work

[@mazdarx7887]

My biggest problem with stress cracks is what has let go underneath to allow the cracks to form?

[@uzaygemisi1716]

Thank you from Turkey :)

[@Sergevdb28]

You sir are the master! Tx!

[@JesusLivesandRules]

A total list of the items you used to create this repair would be great!

[@TheAlbrowniv]

Love your videos and subscribed. I've seen in other videos that you alternately use woven roving mat and csm for repairs. What about this job made you device not use any mat? I'm under the impression that csm takes shaping better, but the mat is the strength.

[@homer655]

Hi, i enjoy your videos a lot keep em coming. Since you are working mainly with fiberglass and it produces lots of nasty fine dust from grinding. I was thinking you must have a great shop vacuum /dust collector for you grinding tools. What kind would you recommend?

[@HARDMIKE06]

Nice repair my friend

[@davidayj8109]

A good tutorial explains tools used etc. What grit sandpaper on the grinder, or was it even sandpaper. Would like to have seen the dremel in action...that's why I'm here. Also like to see what your mixing together in your compound. Again, that's why I'm here. Like a cooking show, I want to see the mix as it happens. Good insight on the color tip offs about too little or too much hardener..

[@popsoldboats3406]

Just pulled this one back up to show my 13 year old son what we would need to be doing on one of our boat. As You were applying the faring compound my son said " He sounds like Bob Ross". By the way he loves Bob Ross.

[@RichardRichmond123]

Very helpful!

[@alexbowie6316]

That is good work buddy!

[@boatworkstoday]

Thank you Alex!

[@jimcrews1125]

Quick question. I recently discovered a soft spot on the deck of my 2002 Sea Ray 340, due to the previous owner had an accident. Removed the hatch and ground out all the mush, vacuumed it all out. I had repair a crack in the Fiberglas and had to sand about a square foot of factory anti-skid (diamond pattern) the first problem I’m having is the repair epoxy is bleeding through the factory color matched gel coat. What do I use as a color block? Then I order the factory anti skid pattern mold from james town dist. Do you think it is possible to blend in a square foot of anti skid perfectly, in the middle of about 6 square feet of anti skid? Thanks! Really enjoy your videos!

[@schesoo6]

hi, when you finish up with the fibreglass works, do you leave a space for the gelcoat? or you can apply a very this coat?

[@byronhowe6753]

really good video

[@rmm1086]

Awesome videos!! If I send you some photos of some stress cracks on my boat, can you tell me by looking at them if it's just the gelcoat that cracked, or if I have to actually repair the fiberglass? The cracks are much smaller than in this video, and were caused by a collision with the dock. Thanks in advance for any help.

[@AllEarsOnDeck]

Awesome good stuff dude!!

[@maxwebster7572]

Hi. I have been doing truck hoods for 25 years and am trying to improve my skill set. We mold using gel coat but during a repair we use resin and Vette Panel Adhesive which is more or less body filler with extra resin. I understand the differences in the poly resins but why do marine repairers use gel coat for repairs? It seems to complicate things IMHO. Total quality repair yes but in our industry we'd get about 2.5 hours to have that in the paint booth and our jobs sit outside in the sun and go down the road vibrating every day. Great vid and thank you

[@tatooouellette9814]

Good job

[@redneck3211]

Do you have long videos because i am rebuilding my floor and transom in my 1966 thunder hawk 14" try haul

[@SaxophoneHitman008]

Nice job on this "stress" crack. Couldn't have done it better myself:) I do have a question about procedure in repairing a noising line on steps in a fiberglass swimming pool. The crack is 4-5 inches long horizontally along the edge where the step and riser meet. It is not however, a stress crack, it is fully cracked through so that we have a leak. I applied a temp fix with epoxy putty [underwater type], but now it'll need a permanent approach. Could you steer me in a specific direction. I have a pretty good idea on how I'll approach, but any other expert opions are entirely welcome. I don't want to do the job twice. The pool is only 2 years old and in installed in-ground. Thanx. Greg

[@compositestechbb9087]

Thank you for the quick response. :) what I was asking is would a coat of pva over the glass work the same in helping it to cure, would it keep it from gassing off and slow the cure? An old timer showed me the pva trick, it seemed to help with blending the color better, I was putting in a bow thruster and using flag blue. Is it the heat of the gelcoat kicking that does it?

[@ekhles104]

Very Excellent

[@MRKUE]

lot's of help,thanks

[@billarroo1]

Question, repairing a big truck hood, Epoxy or Polyester ? Thanks William.

[@vibratingstring]

You might want to reinforce the laminate from the back side as well. Also look at what sort of backing plate, if any, is under there. Add one if there isn't one (along with new screws or machine screws). If you are getting cracks where a leaning post is fastened, it may keep happening unless you make it stiffer.

[@moreclips805]

You’re a legend

[@michaelfalscroft4892]

For the spider cracking, do you recommend the epoxy adhesive or fairing compound?

[@chrish2996]

1.2 million views. . . . Awesome 👌