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timflan
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 542 City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Two Lucky Fish +1
Photos: Two Lucky Fish
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 4:26 pm Post subject: How to DIY fix a gelcoat/fiberglass boo-boo? |
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It's not very big, but all the gelcoat is gone and I'm looking at glass fiber.
Photos here.
What do I do?
Thanks!
PS how did it happen: Boat dock wasn't properly maintained, big wave action shoved the hull against a big bolt. _________________ Timothy R. R. Flanagan |
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colbysmith
Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 4549 City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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I managed to put a big gouge in the side of C-Traveler at a dock that had a piece of metal protruding out just below the dock. While my "booboo" was a narrow gouge, I repaired it by grinding out some more material to make it more smooth and to clean up the area to accept the gelcoat from a repair kit. I also bought a paint match kit. It took several attempts to match the blue, and while it's not a perfect match, it does blend in pretty well. I have also found that on my C-Dory, an antique white spray paint matches the white gelcoat pretty well. Heirloom White to be exact. Since your damage appears to be in the white area only, I think I would grind out the edges to smooth them out, and then just get some fiberglass gel to do the repair. Put the new fiberglass in, sand it out well with continuing less course sand paper, down to maybe 1000 or 2000 grit, and then just spray paint with the Heirloom White, fanning it out slightly over the good gelcoat. (Mask the blue trim.) Colby |
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ssobol
Joined: 27 Oct 2012 Posts: 3374 City/Region: SW Michigan
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2008
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: SoBELLE
Photos: SoBelle
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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colbysmith wrote: | I managed to put a big gouge in the side of C-Traveler at a dock that had a piece of metal protruding out just below the dock. While my "booboo" was a narrow gouge, I repaired it by grinding out some more material to make it more smooth and to clean up the area to accept the gelcoat from a repair kit. I also bought a paint match kit. It took several attempts to match the blue, and while it's not a perfect match, it does blend in pretty well. I have also found that on my C-Dory, an antique white spray paint matches the white gelcoat pretty well. Heirloom White to be exact. Since your damage appears to be in the white area only, I think I would grind out the edges to smooth them out, and then just get some fiberglass gel to do the repair. Put the new fiberglass in, sand it out well with continuing less course sand paper, down to maybe 1000 or 2000 grit, and then just spray paint with the Heirloom White, fanning it out slightly over the good gelcoat. (Mask the blue trim.) Colby |
You could use something like this: https://www.boatid.com/interlux/interlux-marinefilm-scratch-repair-kit-3829387223.html
It comes in different colors. There are similar products from other vendors.
You'd still have to fill in the gouge, but you might not have to worry about painting part. |
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thataway
Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 20810 City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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You are going to want to grind off the edges, to make the entire repair smooth and be able to feather in the gel coat. As you do this, there will some "dishing" of the area where the fibers are exposed. This will probably need to be filled with a small amount of mat and finishing resin. After the resin has set, then wash, and begin to sand with a block to get it smooth and flush.
After this is sanded smooth, then you can gel coat the area. You can purchase white gel coat. Buy a "tint" kit, It will take a minuscule amount of yellow, and brown pigment. I end up putting a drop of each in a "dollop" of white gel coat--and then diluting this out about 10:1 as I add more white gel coat to the side and mix it in to get the desired color.
On your boat, you have a "takin" line--and I would clean this with one of the Toilet bowl cleaners, Oxalic Acid, or some other mild acid. (Bleach all of the gelcoat, but don't get any of the cleaner/acid into the "wound".
I usually spray PVA on top of the gel coat--but mylar sheets also work very well to occlude air from the gel coat as it hardens.
There are several good U Tube videos on Gel coating. Boat Works Today has a very good series of videos on fiberglass repairs, including gel coat: Here is the series. _________________ Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
KA6PKB
Home port: Pensacola FL |
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timflan
Joined: 16 May 2006 Posts: 542 City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Two Lucky Fish +1
Photos: Two Lucky Fish
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 11:13 am Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone! I think I can do it myself. |
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mutski
Joined: 16 Apr 2022 Posts: 74 City/Region: Homer
State or Province: AK
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Just Us
Photos: Just Us
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Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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I bought a gelcoat repair kit that comes with a very thin sheet of stiff plastic to lay over the wet gelcoat while it dries. It leaves a smooth glossy surface, looks almost like new when it's done. |
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Safetythird
Joined: 23 Aug 2021 Posts: 45 City/Region: Hopkinton
State or Province: MA
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Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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mutski wrote: | I bought a gelcoat repair kit that comes with a very thin sheet of stiff plastic to lay over the wet gelcoat while it dries. It leaves a smooth glossy surface, looks almost like new when it's done. |
Could you please share which one you bought? |
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