Epoxy over gel coat?

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by glasscrafters, Feb 21, 2009.

  1. glasscrafters
    Joined: Feb 2009
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    Location: Corning, CA

    glasscrafters fiberglass junkie

    For the past 13+ years I've worked with poly and vinyl resin but I've been thinking of switching to epoxy for a new project. Can you use epoxy over gel coat? I was thinking of spraying clear gc in the mold, letting it kick off and vacuum molding using epoxy in a female mold. Is there a better way?
     
  2. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Epoxy sticks to poly, but not the other way around. If the GC is to stay in the mold then you're good to go.
     
  3. glasscrafters
    Joined: Feb 2009
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    Location: Corning, CA

    glasscrafters fiberglass junkie

    What I was thinking is to use the gel coat as a clear coat. With poly resin you put the usually white gelcoat in the mold first and then lay it up. I want to do the same process, but with clear gel coat and epoxy resin for the laminating of the glass. What usually goes down first in a female mold when using epoxy?
     
  4. Landlubber
    Joined: Jun 2007
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    Landlubber Senior Member

    Use a vinyl ester white gelcoat first in the mould then do the rest in epoxy, no worries.
     
  5. ondarvr
    Joined: Dec 2005
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    ondarvr Senior Member

    It sort of works, but not well, we make tie coat products to bond the two. VE gel coats weather poorly, they'll chalk and yellow much sooner than a normal gel coat.
     
  6. apex1

    apex1 Guest


  7. gamecock413
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    gamecock413 Junior Member

    epoxy gelcoat can fade. If you gel it, one way you could do it would be to gel with poly gel, then next layer vynilester, then to epoxy, but that is still not the best practice. You should really just change over completly and use something like awlgrip, havn't done it but i've been told that you can spray the awlgrip in just like you would gelcoat. That was from Tony at MAS Epoxies. The owners will talk directly to you if you would like to hear it from them. I havn't used their product but awlgrip on epoxy is awlgrip on epoxy no matter what the brand. Their brand is also cheaper. You can got their site for their info.
     
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