How To- Fiberglass & Gelcoat Repair- Stresscrack- Regal

Today we are showing you how to do a fiberglass and Gelcoat repair to stresscracks on a Regal boat. We will walk you through each step on how to do a basic fiberglass and Gelcoat repair.
#gelcoat #fiberglassboat #boat #boatrepairs #boat #boatrepair #howto #how
Products Used:
FGCI Polyester Resin
1.5 oz CSM- Chopped Strand Mat Fiberglass
Mirka Black Guide Coat
USC Icing Polyester Glaze
3M Premium Marine Filler Vinylester
Combination of different sandpaper: 220/400/800/1200
Preval Sprayers
CERAMTEK-Heavy and Medium compound
3M Finesse It Polish
Presta Marine UV Crème Wax

[@BryanBowser]

Just my two cents as a retired fiberglass guy. I would remove the gas fill and canvas clips first. It's tough to sand with a block when they're in the way. Just use one layer of 1-1/2 ounce mat. The second layer was probably all ground off to keep the patch within profile anyway. Should have just kept grinding where the other cracks are instead of trying to minimize the work and filling them with putty. Gelcoating on top of the new wet mat helps fill in the voids. From there, I would block sand the whole thing to get it level. Brush on gelcoat to fill small voids and resand. When it's fair, spray gelcoat, thinning with styrene (not acetone). No need for vinylester resins and putties in my opinion.

[@Bally46]

exactly what I was thinking. And they destroy polishing pads. Its just a screwdriver and 60secs of work

[@wetcoats-inc]

After DECADES of doing body work I can say this: THANK god I don’t do it anymore and the keyboard pros in the comment section are helarious… Having a handle we can’t look up and talking smack without allowing folks to see your great work is SO empty… 😂 Thanks for showing this, and glad it’s not me. 🤙🏻👍🏻✊🏻

[@ChettyH2O]

Haha, thank you. There are many ways to doing these repairs and what works for one may not work well for another but the comments crack me up sometimes.

[@igotatan1]

Thank You, very much, it was uber informative.

[@greensdreams]

Just like the other, excellent tutorial. Please keep them coming!

[@ChettyH2O]

@randygreenberg6656 thank you, I appreciate the support! More to come in the future.

[@djneese4276]

love the Cardinals Flag

[@ManuManu-ch8te]

Fantastic job, great result.

[@ChettyH2O]

Thank you!

[@DIYNauticalDream]

Great instructional video. This is exactly what we needed to know. We have a 52ft project sailboat that has a few sections of stress cracks in the gelcoat on deck and various other areas on the swim step areas. We are now subscribed and looking forward to learning more from your videos. Thank you for your great work.

[@ChettyH2O]

@diynauticaldream thank you and good luck on the new project. I’ll be trying to put new techniques in the near future

[@DIYNauticalDream]

@@ChettyH2O looking forward to watching. We have a little time as of now we are focusing on our interior leaks and teak repairs. Gelcoat repairs will be next season for us.

[@barryblackwood6050]

Well done fellas. Great flag. Thanks.

[@ChettyH2O]

Thank you! @barryblackwood6050

[@chunkyfather29]

This is an artwork

[@ChettyH2O]

Thank you!

[@ameriguardextermination]

Looks Great! could you list out the products used for the repair in the description please. Thanks in advance

[@ChettyH2O]

@ameriguardextermination Thank you!

[@rmd1629]

What is the name of the black coating that you used before sanding that highlights the high and low areas? Good informative video, thanks.

[@ChettyH2O]

Thank you! It’s called “guide coat”

[@Freedomjunkremoval]

How did you measure the 2% mekp for the 2oz of gelcoat? It has to be a very small amount.

[@yantaccard4794]

Hello Chetty. Mastic epoxy or notre epoxy? can you give me the brand of products used to repair the cracks? THANKS

[@piotrtrocki3842]

would it be good idea to use polyester structual putty instead of fiberglas and then gelcoat on top? thanks

[@ChettyH2O]

@piotrtrocki3842 You can do that, it just depends on the repair. Laying glass on the repair will make it stronger and hold better.

[@joshuamcgirr6638]

I noticed you said the polyester was good for above the waterline. What would you use for below the waterline? I think it was originally a polyester layup.

[@ChettyH2O]

@joshuamcgirr6638 normally we use vinylester for below the water line.

[@quiquecars]

This is so far one of the best how to videos, thanks a lot, can u tell how Much labor rate on this kinda jobs??? Will really help me a lot.

[@ChettyH2O]

Thank you @quiquecars Our labor rates are $140/hr

[@quiquecars]

@@ChettyH2O the filler could be any automotive too??

[@56coster]

Great tutorial! Question, after you laid up fiberglass you then gel coated and sanded back down and used 3m filler. Wondering why to gel coat right after laying up glass?

[@ChettyH2O]

@56coster so there’s a couple reasons why I coated it with Gelcoat with wax*. I was using laminating resin so the Gelcoat with wax helps seal off the resin and makes it nice and hard and ready to sand without gunking up the sand paper. Also it helps fill voids and makes a much easier fairing process.

[@56coster]

Thanks so much! Makes sense.

[@Fluid36]

@@ChettyH2O I do the same but have wondered if you can't just use the filler for the same purpose, ie to cure the resin?

[@neebolopez8995]

You could have just covered your glass patch with a piece of peel ply and let it kick off. You could have peeled the peel ply off and had a tack free patch. Why would you ever put gel with patch aid on top of of something you are going to wipe or spray again. Makes no since to top coat something with wax (Patch Aid ) in it. Not correct repair procedure.@@ChettyH2O

[@ChettyH2O]

@fluid36 yes you can do that too. I like to do the Gelcoat because I think it smooths it out nicely.

[@user-ij6tr7iu6e]

Hi, thank you for sharing, I have a 34 foot sailboat that needs some gel coat repair in the cockpit; am located on the west side of st. petersburg florida, can you recommend someone? I can email you photos if you like. Thanks again for the video.

[@ChettyH2O]

@user-ij6tr7iu6e I’m sorry, I don’t know anyone in that area.

[@smallnuts2]

Is there suck a thing as to much resin? 🤔 as long as you have no airbubbles it should be fine correct?

[@ChettyH2O]

@smallnuts2 usually the thicker the resin the more brittle it will become. The strength comes from the glass and not so much from the resin. With a little more than 1oz polyester resin it should cover 1.5 SF of chopped strand mat.

[@amandashaughness2180]

Hi there - I'm new to this and grateful for your video - hoping you can clarify something for me. I was instructed to spray the first coat without the patch aid; to use the patch aid (Spectrum) on the second coat. Can I use patch aid on both coats? Was there a reason for the instruction I received? I'm also excited to see the aerosol spray as I'm not comfortable with the compressor and spray gun.

[@ChettyH2O]

Hey so those instructions from spectrum are correct. when I was saying coats I was continually spraying layers before it hardened. Had I left the first coat with patch aid to harden I would have needed to sand it before spraying the second. The patch aid will leave a film similar to a wax additive to seal the surface of the Gelcoat.

[@amandashaughness2180]

I have a 30 yo boat we purchased last year with LOTS of dings, bangs, and cracks. I was told to use sika biresin and 3m platinum filler. I started this adventure but clearly need additional instruction! Do you recommend using the above? My products arrived with red and blue hardeners (is that okay for white gel coat)? What recommendations do you have? REALLY appreciate your guidance.

[@ChettyH2O]

I am not familiar with the sika biresin, the 3m platinum filler is great. The red and blue hardener should be fine, it will help while learning to mix the product thoroughly, the white hardener tends to be difficult to see when it’s mixed completely. On bigger jobs with lots of dings and scrapes we tend to do all the body work at once, then scuff all areas needed to spray, then tape off and spray all areas at once. That way you aren’t jumping around and wasting product

[@amandashaughness2180]

@@ChettyH2O AWESOME...thank you! Now another question :-) I found the Preval sprayer unit at West Marine and gave it a whirl a few minutes ago (tested it on a piece of wood) - sprayed great, looks good - really happy so far. Going to let it set and then guide coat, wet sand, per your instructions :-) QUESTION: Would you explain how to clean the glass bottle? I fear I added too much MEKP (it is very hot to touch...ugh), and is already hardened in the bottle. DOPE, I'm always learning the hard way. Grateful for your assistance. Also: Spectrum says 70% Gelcoat + 30% Patch Aid + 2% MEKP to total weight. I followed your example in the video with 2 oz Gelcoat, 1 oz patch aid, .06ml MEKP. Aren't I just so much fun!?

[@bubbabigbucks1]

Was this repair done in a day?

[@ChettyH2O]

@bubbabigbucks1 this was done in 3, 4hour days as we were working in 98 degree weather and 1 rain out day. If this was brought to our shop we could have knocked it out in 1 day.

[@user-sp6xv6fl8w]

where can i buy dye coat

[@ChettyH2O]

@user-sp6xv6fl8w we purchase it through our local auto body store. It is also available online and on Amazon. We use the dry black powder guide coat. Black is preferred, it does come in other colors.

[@amandashaughness2180]

This is where you buy Guide Coat Dura-Gold Premium Black Dry Guide Coat Kit, 7 Ounces (200 Grams) - Powder that Instantly Highlights Auto Bodyshop Repair Surface Imperfections, Identify Body Filler Pinholes, Sanding Scratches Defects

[@je7758]

Where in Florida

[@ChettyH2O]

We serve Collier and Lee counties in SWFL- Marco-Naples-Ft Myers-Cape Coral areas

[@chattanoogafiberglass]

Always grind out instead of dremel bc they will show up 4 months tops.

[@ChettyH2O]

@chattanoogafiberglass it’s been 9 months and still holding. Certain ones I do grind out but this one did not need that.

[@grkblood]

After watching this I just want you guys to fix my boat instead of doing it myself. How much does a job like this run?

[@ChettyH2O]

@grkblood We get that a lot! Repair costs vary from job to job because they’re all different even though it looks similar. We take a lot into consideration when quoting such as; age/color/glass/size. If you’re in the SWFL area let me know and we can offer a free estimate.

[@ivantheterrible2109]

Man, mask up the inside of the boat next time... You're honestly doing way more steps than u shpuld. After sanding down the fiberglass just use polyester glass for lows and then fillers for pinholes. Spray the gelcoat, sand and buff..

[@ArthurFleck-tx9di]

Good job, not knocking anyone, but why not spend a little more time on your filler so you dont need as much glaze.... just end up packing if not anyway...

[@joefish1498]

I have a hard time understanding filling and glazing to the finished level of the surrounding gelcoat. The new gelcoat has to be very thin. It seems if you ever had to compound this are in the future you could easily burn through.

[@ChettyH2O]

Should be plenty thick with the proper amount of coats, you could use a mil gauge if you were worried about it. Also once shiny all one has to do is keep up with polish and wax.

[@ChettyH2O]

Arthur the icing glaze I’m using is a polyester two part self leveling filler. Not sure if you were thinking it was similar to the single part paint glaze? But big difference. It’s amazing stuff, I recommend trying it in addition to your regular filler as your last pass with filler

[@bobvecchi304]

Love the let’s go Brandon flag.

[@controlavirus9839]

Who don’t

[@user-rh6tn5oc3k]

Your using incompatible chemicals. Polyester won’t bond to vinylester. You should be using a mekp polyester filler with gel coat. Will most certainly have issues down the road doing this. Cream fillers are brittle and used for pin holes only.

[@ChettyH2O]

There is no one way to do repairs. Vinylester is a tie coat that bonds to epoxy and poly. So you’re telling me boat manufacturers that spray polyester Gelcoat into there molds and then do a vinylester lay up are using incompatible materials?

[@user-rh6tn5oc3k]

No vinyl ester will bond to poly but not vice versa

[@user-rh6tn5oc3k]

your chemicals will separate year or so down the road if your not careful do some research if you don’t take my word for it. I see this mistake all the time even at big marinas with million dollar boats smh

[@darrellbrown8547]

I'm digg'n the "Let's go Brandon" flag.

[@mporta]

Let's go Brandon flag 😂😂😂😂

[@willieforonda7129]

LGB!!! FJB!!