Technical data

Section 12 HULL / BODY
Sub-Section 01 (ADJUSTMENT AND REPAIR)
12-01-16
FILLING THE REPAIR AREA
Small Fractures :
Refer to the same procedure as in the air bubbles.
Numerous Fractures Over Large Surface :
Prepare the area for spray application of liquid
gelcoat. Wipe down the surface with acetone.
Mask the area off to protect the watercraft from
overspray.
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. Overlap
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 to seal off the air
and protect the gelcoat surface from dust. PVA
speeds up the curing process because gelcoat
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 (RM
856). Finish off using a fine compound (RM 852).
While buffing, pay close attention to avoid over-
heating the surface.
Compound Fractures
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 nec-
essary, especially if the fracture can be attributed
to weakness. The final part of the repair is the
gelcoating, which cannot be done until the interior
and exterior laminate surfaces have been re-
paired.
Outside :
Remove the damaged gelcoat and fiberglass 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 piec-
es of fiberglass mat necessary to build up the ar-
ea. 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 frac-
ture 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 Bombardier’s gelcoat repair
putty. When laying up a larger area you will use
mat, cloth and fiberglass resin and hardener. 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 lay-
er of cloth. While wetting the pieces make sure
you work the air bubbles out and saturate all the
pieces evenly. Try to work quickly, you may only
have 15 or 20 minutes. You may clean the brush
with acetone.
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