How to fix spider cracks in Gelcoat.

Building the Explorer Episode 29. How to fix spider cracks in Gelcoat, we will repair the spider cracks and make an attempt at color matching. actually make several attempts.
#buildingtheexplorer
#kayakmothership
www.smokinreels.com

[@chunkyfather29]

Great work 👏 👍

[@dwayneroberts6616]

I'm two years late but I'm actually planning on doing this myself. I just hope that aluminum oxide bit strong enough to go down to the fiberglass.

[@dwayneroberts6616]

If you wet sand and buff the boat before you start ordering paint it's way easier to get a true match that doesn't show up in different stages of oxidation.

[@dwayneroberts6616]

The simple thing to do would have been to just plan on doing all your patches then putting a a few coats of gelcoat on the top side rail.

[@dwayneroberts6616]

I'm going to use Gelcoat paste to fill the hairline cracks unless I have to do any glass repair. Then I'm going with polyester structural repair puddy and gel coat paste. I am trying to stay away from epoxy. I like gel coat and you cant gelcoat over epoxy.

[@SmokinReels]

Great point!

[@Grey0056]

Great help with this - may I ask which Dremel bit you were using at the outset?

[@SmokinReels]

It was a conical stone

[@Grey0056]

@@SmokinReels Thank you, sir!

[@danwilliams6882]

Really good stuff for matching gelcoat. Did you find it easier to match in the sun or in the shade?

[@SmokinReels]

The direct sun was brutal to try and match, I think you want to have bright light just not enough to wash out what your seeing. With the white tent top up the lighting seamed pretty good.

[@justsomeone6913]

What is that rotating on the end of the Dremel please. Got a few repairs I need to do my self. Tia

[@SmokinReels]

That is just a cone shape dremel stone, they are pretty widely available. Thanks for watching!

[@greg9149]

The new gelcoat will fade in with the older gelcoat in time.

[@SmokinReels]

I hope so. Thanks for watching

[@brandylee665]

Those will come back in a year or two. He didn't go deep enough with that Dremel to give a good base to build the gel coat up from.

[@SmokinReels]

Thanks that does make sense but so far so good. Only time will tell

[@Whalermansteve84]

What kind of boat is it ?

[@SmokinReels]

It started out as a tracker marine party barge express 240. It was basically a pontoon boat on a catamaran hull.

[@bassneckfishing2505]

You probably should have used yellow pigment

[@SmokinReels]

In one of the videos I used some yellow as well. Having never mixed colors before this was a learning experience. Like the whole boat has been.. thanks for watching.