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Thread: Gellcoat sanding

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    589
    I have a bunch of cracks in My gellcoat alot on the deck and a few on the sides of the hull.I think they are gell splits and not stress cracks.
    The boat has ,at one time been re-gelled and where I have scraped and sanded the gell down to the original gell,I can see that the cracks are in the original gell.
    My question is ,to all you that are experianced with this,what is the best tool,a DA sander or circular sander,to use?what is the best grit to use,to cut the gell down to the glass?I was using 80grit on a DA but did'nt seen to be cutting it too well.I want to take all the gell off the top deck.
    On the sides can I just sand down the gell where the cracks are ,to the glass and then fill the spots in with a filler or what is best to use?
    I want to prepare the spots to where they will not return.what is the best method to go about this?
    Here are a few pics.
    deck
    http://www.***boat.com/image_center/...azing5-med.jpg
    sideshttp://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/2774crazing4-med.jpg
    Thanks for any help...Hal

  2. #2
    texas-19
    I'd post this on the "how-to-section" under paint.Billy B is the man and he is real good about answering your question.In fact you may just have to read the paint section.Pretty sure it's been covered.Good luck.

  3. #3
    DUCKY
    If you want them to go away, they need to be ground down until you can see the glass, and if you can see the cracks in the glass itself (little white lines) then you need to keep going until they are gone and glass them back up. The ones on the deck are a 50/50, but that one on the side is coming from something inside the boat (like a bulkhead fitting too tight) and you can bet that it's broke all the way through. If the ones on the deck are just heat checking (like from a dark colored cover and blankets etc) then you can do a skim coat of quality body filler (just to kill your grinder marks) and gelcoat over.

  4. #4
    502 JET
    The cracks look to be in the gell.You can cut it down with a da sander working the whole area so you dont make lowspots.If the gell is very thick on the deck start with a grinder with 36 grit go slowly and work down the entire area.Then da sand until the cracks go away.On the side you need to use a die grinder and V out the cracks then grind the whole area around the damage repair with layers of resin and matting then redo the gell.If you can access the inside of the sides grind out and reinforce the inside too.

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    589
    Texas 19,I did post it on the howto section on an earlier time and billy did tell me what I had to do.
    I then posted another asking what is the best tool and grits to use,but I didnt get an answer and was pased over,so I posted here,becouse I know that many of you out there have allready gone through the same thing.
    Bill is very knowledgable and very helpfull,But i am in the process and an impatient person...Thank's...Hal

  6. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    589
    Ducky,You may be right about the heat checking.I do cover the boat with a dark boat cover,but Billy said covered with plastic would do this.My cover is fabric,but it is dark blue and here in vegas it does get awfully hot under the cover.The boat had a couple ,when i got it ,but more have appeared since then.I wont put the cover back on it.
    I wont be regelling it ,I am going to paint.When i grind down the areas on the sideswhat material is best to use as a filler? thanks ...Hal

  7. #7
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    589
    Thank's 502 jet

  8. #8
    BrendellaJet
    If not fixed properly, they will come back. They will come through the paint faster than they did the gel. If the boat is covered with this I would consider replacing the hull with something else. You will be miles ahead.

  9. #9
    Wally_Gator
    For big surface areas, use an inline sander. These work very well in avoiding low spots or waves in the final gel...
    As far as grits... Use what you feel comfortable with to take down the old gel.
    I tend to be a little conservative with a 60 or 80 grit.

  10. #10
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    589
    Ok I posted this in the howto section,under paint,but have not got a response in four days and would like to proceed with the work.
    I have got the deck sanded allthe way to the raw glass.alot of the cracks were in the old gell,but there are a few stress cracks(wkite lines ) in the glass its self.My question is ,do I V grind them with a die grinder or do i need to sand them down on a larger scale,deeper into the glass and then rebuild it with glass.Do I use mat and resin or do i need to use alternating mat and cloth.
    When done do I use a body filler to fair out the entire deck or should i use a gell resin mixture with micro baloons as a filler. Do I fair it out to the thickness of the gell coat that was not removed ,further towards the back of the deck,where the gell has been feathered?
    Lastly What is the best type of primer to use on the Deck,And the whole boat for that matter, Will the deck be strong enough without the gell coat on it as the deck will not have an underlying layer of gell,while the rest of the boat will...Thanks in advance for You'r help....Hal

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