Section 07 BODY AND HULL
Subsection 02 (BODY)
then additional reinforcement may be necessary.
This subject will be covered in
COMPOUND
FRACTURES
.
Preparing the Surface
Small Fractures:
Open the cracks up with a
sharp triangular can opener or preferably a car-
bide tipped die grinder. The V groove will provide
a good bonding area for the gelcoat. With 220-grit
sandpaper, sand the sides of the notched out ar-
eas.
Numerous Fractures:
Using a grinder with a
24-grit disk, remove the gelcoat. Sand the area
edge with 220-grit sandpaper.
Filling the Repair Area
Small Fractures:
Refer to the same procedure as
in the
AIR BUBBLES
.
Numerous Fractures Over Large Surface:
Pre-
pare the area for spray application of liquid gel-
coat. Wipe down the surface with acetone. Mask
the area off to protect the watercraft from over-
spray.
Mix the needed quantity of gelcoat and catalyst
according to suppliers recommendations. The
gelcoat can be thinned with acetone up to 10%.
If it needs more consistency you can add cabosil.
Make sure that the air supply is free of oil, dirt and
water.
Test spray the gelcoat mixture on paper to verify
its consistency and pattern. You may have to ap-
ply 5 or 6 coats to cover the area properly. Over-
lap each coat further than the last, leaving at least
30 seconds between passes. Avoid trying to coat
the surface with only a few heavy coats, this will
not allow the gelcoat to dry properly.
Apply a coat of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to seal off
the air and protect the gelcoat surface from dust.
PVA speeds up the curing process because gel-
coat will not cure properly when exposed to air.
Sanding
Wash the polyvinyl alcohol off with water. De-
pending on the size of the area repaired, you
can either block sand as per previous procedure
or you may use an air sander. Sand the surface
down with progressively finer grits of sandpaper
until the desired finish is achieved.
Buffing and Waxing
Buff the surface using a heavy duty polisher with
a buffing pad. Make sure the pad is free of dirt
or you may damage the gelcoat. Carefully begin
buffing with a white medium compound. Finish
off using a fine compound. While buffing, pay
close attention to avoid overheating the surface.
Compound Fractures Repair
Possible causes:
– Thickness of fiberglass laminate
– Direct result of impact.
Compound fractures are those that have gone
past the gelcoated surface and in through the lay-
ers of fiberglass laminate. Two types of repairs
have to be performed. The first is to restore the
structural integrity of the damaged area. Fracture
types can vary from a simple crack to a large
hole. Usually, fiberglass reinforcement becomes
necessary, especially if the fracture can be at-
tributed to weakness. The final part of the repair
is the gelcoating, which cannot be done until the
interior and exterior laminate surfaces have been
repaired.
Outside:
Remove the damaged gelcoat and fiber-
glass with a 24-grit disk using a power sander.
Grind outward at least 2 inches from the fracture
to allow the patch to bond to strong material.
Cut enough pieces of fiberglass mat necessary
to build up the area. The pieces should be cut
so they overlap each other by at least a half inch.
For a smoother finish, the last layer should be
fiberglass cloth. If the fracture is small enough all
you may have to do is fill the area with an epoxy
filler.
Inside:
For the interior repair, you can grind more.
This will allow for more fiberglass material which
will strengthen the area. If the fracture opening is
too large after surface preparation, you may need
a backing support to cover the opening. Cut alter-
nating pieces of fiberglass mat and cloth in over-
lapping sizes.
Patching the Repair Area
Outside:
The outside should be done first. Wipe
clean the area with acetone on a cloth, then mask
off area. For a small crack use an epoxy filler in
the same way you would use gelcoat repair putty.
When laying up a larger area you will use mat,
cloth and fiberglass resin and catalyst. Use a clean
container to mix the resin, mix only what you will
need. Follow the recommended catalyst ratio.
Using a clean paintbrush, brush the mixed resin
on the surface. Place the smallest piece of mat
over the fracture and then wet out the mat. Fol-
low with the remaining pieces of mat and final
layer of cloth. While wetting the pieces make sure
you work the air bubbles out and saturate all the
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