gelcoat

[hunter7415]

i have a 17ft bay boat the gelcoat has flacked of the top of the boat in some spots and sanded it down and what gel coat should i us and what is the cheapest gun to spray it with i want to do the hole top of the boat

[longliner45]

you dont have to spray ,,you can roll on and wetsand ,,,,then buff,,,rolling on pushes the gelcoat into every crevas,and is safer then spraying

[hunter7415]

ok i rolled the corners of the top of my boat last year and it flacked of agin so i thought i may need to spray it this time do i need a serten type of roller and how do you get the spyder webbing in a defrant collar on top of your gell coat

[longliner45]

it could be lots of things ,,,type of gellcoat ,,,preperation for gellcoat temp or humidity,when applied,,,hang on someone smarter than me will be here soon,,,longliner

[tja]

Preparation is 99 percent of the job. If it flaked off the old surface wasn't sanded enough. To do webbing you will need webbing solution to add to second color. I use about 25 percent webbing solution. If you put surfacing agent in your main color roll it on and then spray the webbing color on while the first color is still wet and your done. Put surfacing agent in the webbing also. It sounds easy but i wolud try it out on a test panel to see how it goes. Good luck. Sincerely, Tom.

[hunter7415]

thanks for you help tom what is a cheap gun to buy to do this job becase i well never use this gun agian after iam done

[hunter7415]

what type of gelcoat should i use and this is the way i did it the first time i put the gelcoat in a paint roller pan and put the harderner in it and mixed it up and rolled it on iam in texas and it is always humid down here and itis been around 68-75 degrease is there a brand of gelcoat i should use and how thick should i put it on and is there a certin type of roller i should use

[fiberglass jack]

go to home depot and buy a pre-vail its a disposable spray bomb with a glass jar, u can use any gelcoat but it will need to have wax added to it, with out wax the gelcoat will remain tacky, any fiberglass sulply store will be able to sell every thing you need, after you add the hardner to the gel mix really well then add about 1/3 acetone to thin the gel down to spray, u will need to prep the area well , gel coat will be a mechanical bond so sand the area with 80 grit paper i like to sand past the spray area with some 320 also to remove the gloss and wax, this will help in blending the new gel in , make sure uou wipe the area down with some acetone first before you sand and also before u spray, let it cure and then sand the gel and buff

[Eagle Boats]

Here's my 2 cents. If you want a real nice finish, use Duratech products starting with their primer and then their high gloss additive. These products are sprayed on, and you don't need a fancy, high priced spray gun. I think I used a Northern Hydraulic special. If I can do it, so can you. It may cost a few more dollars than the methods already described, but you will use less labor, and it will look great. I think their website is Duratech1.

[longliner45]

ok question from me ...can you spray 2 part epoxie like this ?,longliner

[hunter7415]

this is a dull finish in top of the boat deck it is a center consol what gelcoat is the best there is some on ebay is it good made in florida

[ondarvr]

As the others said, if the surface is sanded well it will bond very good, no flaking. As for webbing, it will hide many sins and is easy to use, just buy the cheapest full size spray gun at Harbor Freight' it's about $19.00 to spray with. The small spray guns work OK for very small repairs, but won't flow enough material to do a large area. Don't add 1/3 acetone to the gel coat, small amounts like 10% are OK, but not recommended. There are only a few companies that make gel coat, most places that you can buy it retail don't make it themselves, they buy it from somebody else and then repackage it, so you won't actualy know who made it. Gel coat won't give you a glossy paint like finish, it will be dull and not level well, additives will help, but paint gives a much nicer finish with less work and normally for less money.

[tja]

Hello, Use the cheap gun from Harbor freight with as large of a tip as they have for the webbing. Don't thin the gelcoat. Most any gel will work. The surfacing agent is more important then type of gel. Sorry it took me so long to get back with an answer. The trick to doing this all at one aplication is planning. See if you can get quart paper cups. Mix one quart at a time and don't reuse the cups. Take all of your gel and add the surfacing agent at once and mix in very well. Plan where your going to start right on through to where you'll finish. try to do it when your work area isn't too warm. This will give you more time. If you don't think the gell is going to cover good then put on an initial coat without surfaceing agent, Let it cure and come in with the second coat with surfacing agent added. Remember what i tell my kids that are now all young adults. Pay attention to details and have a plan. And if that isn't working then have a plan B. I do what your wanting to do on a regular basis. It isn't that dificult. Hope this helps. Sincerely, Tom.

[tja]

As far as rollers I use six in long x about 1in. from home depot. There redish pink in what they call contracters 6 pack. The smaller diameter lets you get into the radiuses better. If your going to be rolling for some time change the roller at intervals as the gell will harden in the roller most likely before your done. It's cheaper and faster to discard then clean. If nothing else you could bite the bulit and take it to someone that knows what there doing. If you prep it then it may be less cost in the end to have someone in the know do it. Just a thought. Ok I've said enough. Good Luck.

[hunter7415]

thanks guys for all of yall help