{"id":2308,"date":"2020-11-19T15:42:52","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T20:42:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/?p=2308"},"modified":"2026-02-17T12:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T17:06:13","slug":"gelcoat-putty-repair-spider-cracks-and-fill-gouges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-putty-repair-spider-cracks-and-fill-gouges\/","title":{"rendered":"Gelcoat Putty \u2013 Repair Spider Cracks And Fill Gouges!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"post-updated\"><strong>Last Updated:<\/strong> February 16, 2026<\/p>\r\n<!-- Quick Recommendation Box: Gelcoat Putty Repairs -->\r\n<div class=\"bps-quick-reco\" style=\"border: 1px solid #e5e5e5; border-left: 6px solid #0a6fb5; background: #f8fbff; padding: 16px 18px; margin: 14px 0 22px; border-radius: 8px;\">\r\n<p style=\"margin: 0 0 8px; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: .06em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #0a6fb5; font-weight: bold;\">Quick Recommendation<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.25;\">Using Gelcoat Putty to Repair Spider Cracks &amp; Gouges<\/h2>\r\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 18px; line-height: 1.6;\">\r\n<li><strong>Best for cosmetic damage:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">Gelcoat<\/a> putty works well on <strong>spider cracks, chips, and surface gouges<\/strong> where the fiberglass structure is still solid.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Prep properly:<\/strong> Grind or open cracks slightly, clean thoroughly, and remove wax before applying putty.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Apply and finish carefully:<\/strong> Fill slightly proud of the surface, allow full cure, then sand smooth and polish.<\/li>\r\n<li><strong>Bottom line:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">Gelcoat<\/a> putty restores <strong>appearance and surface protection<\/strong>, but structural cracks require fiberglass repair first.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"margin: 12px 0 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.5;\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> For best color match, test a small area first and polish after sanding to blend the repair.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">Gelcoat<\/a> putty is an indispensable part of any boat owner&#8217;s toolkit, providing a simple way to make quick and reliable repairs on any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">gelcoat<\/a> surface. Perfect for fixing anything from spider cracks to fill in gouges and scratches, and is an easy-to-use solution that leaves a smooth finish and every application has the potential to restore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">gelcoat<\/a> surfaces and make them look like new again. This dependable material is simple enough even novice motorboat and sailboat owners can use it without having to take their vessels out of the water for professional repair. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/fiberglass-and-gel-coat-repair-gel-coat-repair-kit-and-fiberglass-repair-kit-c-13581_13594.html\">Gelcoat putty<\/a> can help anyone keep their boats looking shipshape with minimal effort.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>There are many ways to repair spider cracks in boats, using our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/Gelcoat-Repair-Putty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark class=\"has-inline-color has-blue-color\" style=\"background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\">Gelcoat Repair Putty<\/mark><\/a> is an easy and fast way of doing it!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2309\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Gelcoat_Putty-100x100-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"106\" height=\"106\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>First, you will need to determine your spider cracks are only that, spider cracks. To do so, you will need to inspect the area for any sign of broken support. If the surface is steady and looks solid, then you have spider cracks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2312\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spider-cracks-edited.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"181\" height=\"135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spider-cracks-edited.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spider-cracks-edited-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spider-cracks-edited-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Spider-cracks-edited-624x466.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 181px) 100vw, 181px\" \/><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>In order to properly fix any spider cracks, you will have to open the cracks to fill them up correctly. This can be done by using a Dremel. Once the crack is open and it has a good size you can sand and clean the area. For cleaning, you may use acetone or soap and water.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now, you are ready to use the<mark class=\"has-inline-color has-blue-color\" style=\"background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/fiberglass-and-gel-coat-repair-gel-coat-repair-kit-and-fiberglass-repair-kit-c-13581_13594.html\"> Gelcoat Putty.<\/a><\/mark> Mix in a 1-1\/2% ratio of MEK-P <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">Catalyst<\/a> into the putty and mix it properly. Use a putty knife to fill in the spider cracks. Once dry, sand the surface to a smooth finish.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For filling gauges and cracks, some tips:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>This product uses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">MEKP<\/a>, just like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">gelcoat<\/a> so your working time is 8-18 minutes, depending on temperature. If catalyzed at 1% and it is in perfect conditions (77 F) you have a longer work time. To extend work time cool product down before use.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>If filling holes, fill a little high to allow for shrinkage. Once it dries you can easily smooth it out with sandpaper. Recommended thickness at 1\/4&#8243;.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Tip: You can apply <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/gelcoat-did-not-cure-what-caused-it-and-whats-next\/\">gelcoat<\/a> to match the color of your boat over the repair, or you can use our <span class=\"has-inline-color has-blue-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/Pigments-for-Gel-Coats-and-Resins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pigments to tint the gelcoat putty<\/a><\/span> and complete the repair all at once!<\/p>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"http:\/\/w.sharethis.com\/widget\/?wp=6.9.7\"><\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last Updated: February 16, 2026 Quick Recommendation Using Gelcoat Putty to Repair Spider Cracks &amp; Gouges Best for cosmetic damage: Gelcoat putty works well on spider cracks, chips, and surface gouges where the fiberglass structure is still solid. Prep properly: Grind or open cracks slightly, clean thoroughly, and remove wax before applying putty. Apply and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":819,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,143,127,7],"tags":[429,464,465,148,467,466],"class_list":["post-2308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boat-repairs","category-fiberglass-repair","category-frequently-asked-questions","category-gelcoat","tag-gelcoat","tag-gelcoat-putty","tag-gelcoat-repair-putty","tag-polyester-resin","tag-repair","tag-spider-cracks"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/819"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2308"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4184,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2308\/revisions\/4184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}