Looking for replacement for Ashland gelcoat that is more fade resistant

[hyboats]

In the last four years I always use Ashland gelcoat, but I found it fade quickly only two years time. Now I really want to change the brand who can recommend me a better one ?
I am a boat maker and do some repair work

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by hyboats

In the last four years I always use Ashland gelcoat, but I found it fade quickly only two years time. Now I really want to change the brand who can recommend me a better one ?
I am a boat maker and do some repair work

Hi Bruce !
What you need to do is go find a gel coat manufacture and get a foot in the chemists door . Go chat to the guy that does all the formulation and does the magic mixes and talk to him or her and tell them your problems .
Most times the sales people for the company never pass on information from out in the field , Problems just get swept under the carpet .
FGI would be a place to start for you i would say because of where you live on the planet . Go there and ask for face to face meeting with the head honcho and get inside his head ,in a friendly way !.
I worked for a big company a way back and was head of the laminating shop I got a couple of the gelcoat chemists to come and work in the factory for a couple of days with there overalls on and see first hand what there products got used for and how . When we had a contract to build some MARINER boats they formulated gel coat for those boats because we have a very High UV here in NZ and Australian gel dosent last long .
Simply they have a closed door to the outside world and dont know what goes on !!.
It can be a two way street , the swapping of information both ways . They also saw the equipment we had and made the gelcoat specially for us so there was no thinning involved .
Plus all my guys on the floor got to watch , speak to and learn all about how gel coat is made the way it is.
The exchange of information in a friendly stimulating enviroment is priceless , believe me !! .

[tinhorn]

Originally Posted by tunnels

Last big set of moulds i was a part of making we used a pressure pot to spray with...

Man, that's just how I used to gelcoat, except I was a one-man show. No extra guy to clean the equipment or keep an eye on everything while I was spraying.

One difference in my technique was that I had the gelcoat premeasured in throwaway containers. When the container in the pot ran dry, I'd catalyze the next one, put it in the pot, then keep on spraying. The last container held acetone, of course, for cleaning.

My gun was an automotive primer gun.

[tunnels]

Originally Posted by tinhorn

Man, that's just how I used to gelcoat, except I was a one-man show. No extra guy to clean the equipment or keep an eye on everything while I was spraying.

One difference in my technique was that I had the gelcoat premeasured in throwaway containers. When the container in the pot ran dry, I'd catalyze the next one, put it in the pot, then keep on spraying. The last container held acetone, of course, for cleaning.

My gun was an automotive primer gun.

Yeah been there a few times!!.
The guys i was working with had no idea of time so was easyer to use a few of them to get the system sorted and get on with it .Plus i was there as a adviser only so the more that they knew what was going on the better for there future .

[powerabout]

use the most expensive vinylester gelcoats you can find.....?
avoid the colours that never work like red etc

Originally Posted by powerabout

use the most expensive vinylester gelcoats you can find.....?
avoid the colours that never work like red etc

You know, VE resins are the worst in terms of weathering?

Regards
Richard

[powerabout]

dunno
but the boats I know where they still look good after years are all ve's
do you mean plain ve resin is effected by uv more then poly, i'lll agree to that.
yet Ve's are close to water proof ( not as good as epoxy) and poly is not.

Originally Posted by powerabout

dunno
but the boats I know where they still look good after years are all ve's
do you mean plain ve resin is effected by uv more then poly, i'lll agree to that.
yet Ve's are close to water proof ( not as good as epoxy) and poly is not.

Yepp, VE is more effected by UV degradation and chalks faster than poly, one should paint it, like EP.

Regards
Richard

[powerabout]

yes no argument there
paint is a much better finish

[ondarvr]

Any supplier will have various grades of gel coat designed for different purposes or price points, so they should have something that will weather better.

Also how you use the gel coat will effect how long it retains it color and gloss.
Make sure its mixed well before use, don't over or under catalyze and use a mil gauge to ensure its the correct thickness. Better grades of gel coat will require more care in application to achieve the better results though.

[tinhorn]

Originally Posted by apex1

Yepp, VE is more effected by UV degradation and chalks faster than poly, one should paint it, like EP.

I didn't know that.

Any of you guys used urethane gelcoats? I was checking them out (not to the point of spraying any) when the then-wife took off with all my customers' deposits, essentially closing down my business. From what the shiny brochures said, urethane gelcoat solved all mankind's problems. Except evil women, of course.

If you paint over VE or Poly - gelcoat which I recommend (and do), you´ll get the "urethane coat", because you paint with UV blocking PU paint..............
No need for a urethane gelcoat.


Regards
Richard

[Herman]

ISO-NPG polester based gelcoat is considered the best option for boats. Still, there are big differences in ISO-NPG based products, among suppliers but also in the range which suppliers offer.

I am not familiar with what is available over there, so I guess I am not much of a help any further.