How to fix corner gelcoat chips?

[Cdn_bacon]

Pulled out my window and I had a few sizeable chips on the corner of the window frame come out with it. See pics. I’m not experienced with filling or gelcoat at all. Looking for advice on how to repair this. I’m thinking try to epoxy the chips back in place but then how do I remove the crack seams? Gelcoat won’t take to epoxy. Fill with marine bondo or such and then try to gelcoat over? Experience with 3M bondo glass has been sticky to say the least.

Pics posted rotated in the wrong direction. These are cabin windows and are vertical and not flat in the deck.

[GreenWave]

How important is color matching to you on this?

[Tupaia]

You will never successfully put the chips back in. Grind out using a Dremel or die grinder. Be brutal make sure you have fresh clean solid surfaces and no loose gel coat. Fill the chips with polyester paste. Make this by adding microfibres to resin mix. This does not need to be smooth as you are going to grind the surface again when set. Grind to just below the profile. Finish with colour matched gel coat so that it is proud. Sand until it matches the correct profile.


The most difficult bit will be matching the colour.

[Cdn_bacon]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

You will never successfully put the chips back in. Grind out using a Dremel or die grinder. Be brutal make sure you have fresh clean solid surfaces and no loose gel coat. Fill the chips with polyester paste. Make this by adding microfibres to resin mix. This does not need to be smooth as you are going to grind the surface again when set. Grind to just below the profile. Finish with colour matched gel coat so that it is proud. Sand until it matches the correct profile.


The most difficult bit will be matching the colour.

I have a local shop that will color match the gelcoat if I bring the chips in (or reasonably close). What would you recommend for a filler? Something other than 3M bondo glass? This is meant to be a one and done for these windows repairs so I want to fix as much as I can. Also have spider cracks at the corners I was going to grind out and fill.

[Tupaia]

I'd use regular polyester resin mixed with microfibres to resemble cream cheese.

With regards to the spider cracks grind them out to below the gel coat and drill holes at the ends of the cracks to prevent them from spreading after you fill them.

[deblen]

There are several marine puttys available-both polyester & epoxy based.
https://www.westmarine.com/fillers-putties/


videos on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...chips+on+boat+