Re: [Paddlewise] Eddyline Repairs

Nancy -

Assuming you're working with a fibreglass boat -

If it's just superficial scratches in gelcoat, most of us wouldn't sand
those out. After a short while, you won't see them yourself - and of course
if you do sand them out, the gelcoat will be thinner after the sanding, and
you'll get new scratches anyway.

If the scratces are all the way through the gelcoat or almost that deep,
there are several good ways to fix the problem. One way is to **very
carefully** rout out the deeper scratches with a Dremel tool and apply new
gelcoat to the scratch. That's not an easy thing to do, and it never looks
"like new". Gelcoat can be obtained from Great River Outfitters and (I
think) from West Marine in several different colors, and there are other
sources as well. As you rout out the scratches, take extreme care not to
damage the underlying glass fibers - you don't need to go that deep. Cover
the Gelcoat with Saran wrap as it hardens, then wash off the waxy outer
coating with vinegar or dish soap (vinegar works better) and rinse well,
dry, before sanding. The gelcoat will need sanding and buffing with an
automotive rubbing compound after it hardens (see below).

A better way, in my opinion, if the scratches are very deep, is to rout them
out as described in the paragraph above and then fill the scratches with
epoxy which has been thickened with a mixture of Cabosil and silica
microballoons, 1:3. Mix it up so it's the thickness of very soft butter,
layer it into the cracks, cover it with Saran wrap or similar, and let it
harden, then wash & rinse as described above.

**Do not beathe in** the Cabosil or the microballoons. Wear a good HEPA
filter mask, putting it on before you open the packages, be very gentle as
you mix, and don't take off the mask until after the powders are all mixed
into the epoxy. Pigment for the epoxy, in at least a few colors, can be
obtained from West Marine, GRO, or System Three resins - and doubtless
several other sources.

If using gelcoat or epoxy, don't try very hard to complete the job in one
coating. Two or three thin coats will do a much nicer job and will save time
in the long run, because you'll need to do less sanding. Wash, rinse, dry
between each coat.

Finally, if you decide that sanding is all that you need, an auto-supply
store is a good source of materials and advice. You want "wet-or-dry"
sandpaper or emery paper in (about) 220, then 320, grits, and then finer
grits. Wet the boat's surface and the sandpaper with water before you start,
and re-wet it a few times as you sand. Sand br hand. After sanding, you will
probably want to rent a buffing tool and use at least two different grades
of buffing compound. Let the auto supply store guide you. If you keep
changing your sandpaper so that it's always "sharp", this whole operation
need not take very long. Most of us (including me) tend to be too cheap, try
to make the sandpaper last too long. We end up taking way too much time and
elbow grease, and getting a less-than-ideal job in the bargain.

Good luck -

Bill Hansen
Ithaca NY
Bill Hansen
Ithaca NY

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