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How To Repair A Fiberglass Hull On A Boat?

How To Repair A Fiberglass Hull On A Boat?

Fixing a fibreglass hull may appear to be an easy job because it basicallyinvolves patching any weakened areas withgelcoat

. However, the preparation that needs to be carried out is the most vitalstep in the process and will have the biggest impact on the integrity of the work you will do. Because of this you will need to be precise when fixing the hull on your boat. Essentially the process involves a bit of sanding, applying coats of polyester resin, waxing and buffing to restore the original gloss. It is important that you do not simply fill any cracks with additional material as this will be liable to break off. This is because gelcoat is extremely brittle once dried and will crack soon after being fixed to the surface.

Required Materials

Polyester Resin

Pigments of various colours How To Repair A Fiberglass Hull On A Boat?


Hardener

Tape

Rubing Compound

Required Tools

Sand Paper

Gloves

Rotary Tool

Screw Driver

Popsicle Stick/Plastic Scraper

Instructions

To begin you will have to create a rough surface to add your filler composed of gelcoat, pigment and a hardener. To do this you will have to use your sandpaper, rotary tool and screw driver. Essentially you will be allowing the gelcoat to have a better grip on the damaged area. Forgoing this step as stated before will cause the gelcoat to crack after it has been laid. Ultimately you will want to take your sandpaper and create a rougher texture to your area. After you have done this you may utilize your screw driver or rotary tool to create a valley in your work area, thuscreating a satisfactory number of rough edges. Once the valley is formed you can then smooth out the surrounding areas and use some of tape to out line the area that will be patched. To make certain you don't ruin the areas that are unspoilt closest to the work area, use additional tape to protect those areas.

It is now time to make your filling. The most difficult part of this exercise will be to get your gelcoat to look like the exact colour foundon the hull as it is now. The best advice will be to mix your colour before you actually mix your polyester resin and hardener to create your gelcoat. If you combine all of the aforementioned materials together all at once you will have only 20 minutes to determine the exact colour by trial and error. Therefore for this section of the process combine only the pigments and polyester resin together and test on a small section of material that is similar to hull and let it dry a bit. It is probable that the colour will look slightly different once the colour is dried. This part of the process will need a bit of skill and some patience will be required.

When you have got the colour to match the hull you may then add your hardener. However, before putting in the hardener pay close attention to the instructions and make certain that you add the correct amount to prevent a poor mixture that will produce a change in the colour you've mixed and an inadequate finish. You should not combine the hardener to the entire amount that you have made but instead to small amounts as you go along. This will ensure you will not need to remix the colour which as you should already know necessitates some amount of time. It will also guarantee that the sections being patched will be the same colour.

To fill the area apply the gel coat with a popsicle stick or any other type of flat applicator. Try to do this as smoothly as possible. It doesn't need to be extremely smooth because it will be leveled with sandpaper. When you have completed filling the area it should be a bit higher than your encompassing area, this allowance should remain untouched to allow easier sanding of the area. You may need to apply a couple more layers while sanding in between to get it to be slightly elevated. Let this dry for 24 hours.

After it has dried you may then sand down the area and remove the masking tape from the undamaged areas to get the section as close to this as you are able to. You may then put on another thin layer orf resin and let dry overnight.

You can then buff your area with the rubbing compound until it looks just as good as the undamaged areas.

You can add a bit once you are finished to give extra protection against UV rays. How To Repair A Fiberglass Hull On A Boat?


Tips

You may want to wear your gloves to prevent the gelcoat from getting on your hand.

Try to work cautiously so that you do not end up damaging any areas that are still in proper condition.

by: Madden
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How To Repair A Fiberglass Hull On A Boat?