TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:27 am

Hi, I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and help on this site! My dune buggy recently started showing these spider marks over the front (I assume since it actually has some suspension now that o cut off the springs and got rid of the sway bar). Is this easy to fix or is something I should worry about? They’re not cracks I can feel with my fingers.

I also have this pitting with these little dots coming up. Is this easy to fill in or address? Should most body shops be able to handle this or should I take it to a boat shop? ($$$$)

Thanks in advance!

Thu Feb 27, 2020 7:39 pm

About only way you can get away from stress cracks in gelcoat is grind down below level of brittle gel coat, fill depressed area with body filler and contour to body line and paint....

If you don't get down to base material (fiberglass layup) under gelcoat the cracks will just someday come back....

Dale

Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:10 pm

Paint it with bed liner paint, you can get it tinted just about any color these days.

Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:53 pm

The dots are air pockets in the fiberglass that were covered by the Gelcoat. The Gelcoat is applied to the inside of the mold before the fiberglass resin and cloth are layered on. Sometimes, the process is contaminated with tiny drops of oil, etc. from the air compressor, etc. and the resin causes it to ball up. Then the fiberglass hardens and the contamination is trapped between the Gelcoat and the fiberglass layers. Eventually, the Gelcoat breaks open over the "pores" and they're exposed.

They're easy to get rid of. Clean them with lacquer thinner and a brush. Then skim on glazing compound and force it into the pores. Let it harden, sand it smooth and do it again until they're gone. Then paint over it.

Stress cracks are most often caused by the Gelcoat being applied too thick. What Dale said to get rid of them.

Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:49 pm

I have done a 1955 Glasspar boat, and my buggy. On both of them, I opened up the cracks down to the layup, used finishing putty, brushed several layers of resin over that. On the Glasspar, I painted with a 2 part Epoxy paint. On the buggy, I sprayed an epoxy primer, 3 coats, was hell to wet sand, then I painted with a base coat/clear coat, has held up good. I'm sure eventually the cracks will be back. The cracks are in the gel coat.