Embedded nonslip fiberglass patterns

[BajaMike]

Hello all
I'm redoing some deck sections (on the bow) of my boat and want to replicate (as close as I can) the nonslip patterns in the gel goat of newer boats. I've done some research here and it seems that a fellow named FastFred has a good system using cotton insect screen. I looked all over the web for this material with no luck and Fred doesn't take PM's. Trying not to use the paint/sand type of non slips. Any help out there?
Thanks
Mike

[Landlubber]

Vinyl material is usually used to make the moulds for non skid decks. It is sold as non skid flooring, all sorts of patterns are available.

It is cut to shape to suit the pattern required, the mould is taken from that and all boats after that are the same of course.

You can replicate this technique quite easily, make the sections that you require from gelcoat and glass and epoxy glue then down. Use a router to do the cutouts to suit, sort of like marquetry to insert them nicely, but it really is not difficult, just takes a fair bit of time.

A little gelcoat (flowcoat) repair around the seam and it becomes invisible

[pescaloco]

Mike I can't think of the name but there is a company that makes pre molded latex sheets that are exactly what you need to make your own molded non skid. I'm sure some one here will give you the name

[San Juan Sailor]

Mike,
I was at Fibergass Supply last week and saw some samples that they just got that are made for non skid repair and came in about ten different patterns;
http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Prod...t_catalog.html

[BajaMike]

Thanks San Juan...Talked with Fiberglass Supply and the samples are exactly what I am looking for. Gibco out of Texas makes the material to match the actual non skid patterns of about 10 popular boat mfg's. It's actually a mold that you cut to shape and then and then apply into tacky gel coat. After it goes off you peel back the mold and wolah! Instant non skid.
Thanks
Mike
Santa Cruz

[Kaptin-Jer]

How to reproduce a nonskid pattern
There are other topics also.

[BajaMike]

Thanks Capt. Jer

Just joined this site and found to be really nice people and very helpful!

Mike

[Kaptin-Jer]

Nice--Don't push!! We try. Welcome aboard.

[AroMarine]

Gibcoflexmold.com Sorry I dont know how to hyper link the url. They are a good company with a good tutorial flier on nonskid repair and installation.

[ryanpratt]

http://gibcoflexmold.com/

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Buy yourself some rtv moulding silicone.

take another piece of clean deck area and build a wall out of plasticine, remember silicone will find its way through any little hole, so make sure you bed the plasticine down well. You can apply a bthin bit of vaseline as a release agent, but rtv silicone doeant stick to anything so it'll come off quite easily anyway.
mix your silicone thoroughly, ideally you want it to gel quite quickly, most rtv's advocate 2% with an overnight curing time, but its quite resilient and can take loads of hardener, you can get it to go in about an hour. You can also get thickening liquid which is a clear additive to thicken up into a paste.
Anyway, pour into your mould and let harden, take a template off your deck area that you want to regrip and cut your silicone moulded sheet to the shape required. tape off around the marked out deck area and make sure you key the area up with about 80 grit.
Paint gelcoat mixed with cat obviously, onto your moulded sheet making sure that you get it into all the little pockets, dont make it too thick so it spills out everywher or too shallow if you know what I mean.
also paint a thin layer of gel onto the surface of the deck, flip your mould onto the area and posiion correctly.
now leave it and go and do something else, if in doubt as to weather it has cured sufficiently or not, LEAVE IT, preferably overnight.
Pull it off the next day and it should look ok.
Ive done a fair bit of this over the years and it can come out really well.
This sort of thing is ideal for smaller areas of deck, otherwise its just too costly for the silicone. If you pull it off too early it can ruin the whole thing and you'll have to sand back and start again.
Its also not briliant to try and 'add on' to and existing deckgrip, you will end up with mixed results, rather if you can do an entire area. You can also use your normal marine silicone out of a gun for a small area mould but its got a thixotropic in it to thicken it and you might end up with voids in your moulded pattern.
have fun
Itchy

[Herman]

I do the Gibco material, and it works wonders. They have a wide range of different profiles. Ask them for a sample pack!