Gel coat compleat hull above water line

New at this I have on the Ranger bass boat over the years but just recently purchased a new boat which is 10 years old and has a few scuffs and bumps and bangs wearing with some fire glass needs to be repaired and scratches taken care of.
I am going to try to read gel coat the entire hall above the waterline and including interior services except for the floor.
I’m looking also to change color of the primary boat which is an off white, this is a ranger Reata 2008 2250 SS powered by Yamaha 250 4 stroke.
Going to do the In ranger red with metal flake metal flake and add in Pearl metal flake or glitter flake to the white and dumping ranger blue into the color scheme.
Finish half layout with half inch wide pinstripe between each color in gold metal flake.
The last four weeks I have spent reading countless articles and forums on how to prepare and develop this process but I’m still a little concerned about my time in spraying.
The boat is in excellent shape only 50 hours on engine.
Here is my rendition on how I perceive this to take place
Make sure all my Materials for this project are set up on the table waiting to be used this includes all my fingers my rantings cheap paper anything and everything.
1. Sand, sand, sand, wipe, sand,sand,sand,
Hopping to get the whole prep done in 2 days and throw in another for incedentals.
2. Mask off white areas on both sides to allow red solid and blue solid to be gel coated first
3. load up two guns each with gel coat for both colors.
4. Clean guns and load up clear gel coat with colored glitter flakes.
5. Follow up with clear gel coat and glitter flake for the blue and red colors.
6. Allow to kick them mask off to allow for the white process leave the pinstrip tape on the white.
But pull the outside tape on the white side and shoot with clear and white pearl coat.
6. Allow to kick at which time I’m cleaning guns and getting ready for glitter flake gold
7. Mask off both sides of pinstripe and pull center tape and shoot gold and clear pinstripe over
the white. tape and paper the outside hull
8. pull all tape and shoot clear coats. Over every thing. (3 ) coats with tack time between.
All my non tooling wax free gel coats will have 50/50 Duratec and catalyze get agent added as reqd.
Shooting with hapless spray guns with 2.0 tips for all the glitter @35 lbs to start and adjust as needed.
Final layers in clear will be shot with 1.5 tip and in 7 to 8 mill coats.
Haha that’s just the inside. Next day the out side. Follow the same routine (hopefully)
Then there is a chance I could do this all in one day. So yes I will have it masked off as though it could happen .
I’ve painted miles and miles of structural steel, and a couple semi in my time. Built a hydroplane
And a cab for a three wheeler out of glass and gel. But they were hand laid and brushed.
This will be my first spray gelcoat on a boat.
So what I’m looking for is a little advise, and if your in the area maybe some help.
Like drinking a beer and help direct me.
I have a picture of what I’m looking at. Just don’t know how to load it.
Thanks

 

Here is the color Scheme that I am trying to achieve. The boat house normally the blue band on the side I have ordered gel coat From Ranger to match that color so I can put the blue as shown on the bottom also will carry it over to the inside of the hall which is all white go ahead and let me know your thoughts

 

Ok having problems posting a picture

 

Under the reply area, please click on "Upload a File" and choose a jpg image from your computer to attach with your post.

 

Thanks for the help, I did this in paint on the computer and rolled d
Body lines on the boat the red is going to be a little deeper and richer, and the blur like deep sea blue. The white will also peaked out and a half inch pin strip retweet’s each color in gold flake .2 gal. Of color and 5 gal. Of Clear should sparkle like the sun set.

 

I'm wondering why you are using gelcoat rather than paint. I'm no expert in what is available in gelcoats that can satisfactorily substitute for paint ( member ondarvr would be), but spray paints that are specifically designed for such purposes seems a better match to the job than gelcoat, which is not normally applied to the use you have in mind.

 

Hi Elkmaster,
Do some practice with the Duratech additive ratio wise. When I've used it it was at much lower percentage of the mix... pretty sure Hawkeye recommend the 50:50 mix but always seemed to me that the clear was diluting cover & so long as it goes on reasonably smooth & the surface good I was happy. Seemed to spray & finish ok at about 25:75 or 30:70 for me though at least 15 years ago. Be careful of your gel time also but that's more with the plug finishing products.
Jeff.

 

I would not be practicing a new skill on an expensive practice "canvas", I know that.

 

IF it was only that simple.

Can it be done....yes.....by a rookie on his first attempt at using gel coat.....not likely.

 

I have decades of industrial painting experience.. If you approach this as "paint", as is appears you are you will be disappointed. As Mr Efficiency asks why not use the honed painting skills you have and use an industrial urethane? If you're absolutely committed to gelcoat, then practice the design on a full 4x8 sheet of Formica!

I'm a bit anal about sanding. I would plan on a full work week of preparatory sanding. I'm amazed at how out of fair production moulded boats are. Especially their decks!
7 or 8 mills of gelcoat is nowhere near enough. You will remove twice that amount wet sanding and polishing out orange peel. Sanity check how you are going to buff the inside of the many cubbies.

 

Ok my next question is not so simple.
Basically going to throw down 2 colors red and blue the third color is the original white.
Seperating the colors I would like to lay down a 1/2 “ wide pin stripe in brilliant gold .015 hex flake in a clear coat.
Do any of you gelcoaters / painters know how to tape this off so that I when after the regular solid colored gel coats I can then spray all the coats of red, blue, white pearl and gold flake with out breaking stride.
Want to gel coat all coats in one day, figure on at least a 10 hours and the last 3 coats in clear.
Every coat will be 50-50 mix with 180 clear gel coat and 1040 duratec high gloss and wait to kick between coats.
Going to run 2 guns with 2.5 tips for my flake, and a 2. for regular colored and clear coats.
Need to figure out how to build my layers of tape for masking off.
How soon can lay tape over fresh gel coat and not burn it?
Can some one out there do a sketch on the horizontal cut thru showing how to stack and pull the tapes.

 

Wow I didn’t see ondarvrs reply. That sounds right. I will do a couple practice runs on a sheet of Formica to see how it works.
Have any of you ever mixed flake sizes and verations in color of flakes then shot them at the same time.

 

You can Mix and match flake sizes, colors and shapes, but you need a rather large tip size to do it or it will plug up quickly. Also, getting each batch mixed at the correct ratio can be tough, just slightly off with one type of flake can change the look, and spray technique can have a huge effect on it too

When you look at a bass boat and see those intricate designs, you need to know the tape job is very tricky, and you need to pull the tape in the right order and the correct way or it will mess everything up.

If you want to shut down a bass boat company all you need to do is hire their taping crew.

Your best plan is do the test spray's and see how comfortable and successful you are, then evaluate what you think you are capable of doing..

 

Elkmaster,

This is no easy task you are considering! Gelcoat behaves very differently than the automotive and industrial paints you are used to.

Last year a similar project came to my repair shop:

A 15 year old bass boat was parked on the shore side of the dock for a few days. Bouncing on the erosion control rocks each low tide. The owner expected insurance to restore to showroom. Mostly silver and black flakes in red with gold stripes and builders logo in stricy black flakes. Initial guesstimate (on trailer possible damage hidden by bunks) was $75,000. He returned for a single color un-flaked gelcoat at a tenth of the price.

Your tip size is small. I understand the difficulty in finding the 3 or 4 mm tips needed.

Your painting background tells you that 8 mills is a thick coating. However gelcoat is typically 80 mills or thicker.

Many have scoffed at my advice for large practice panels. I'm glad you see the wisdom. It doesn't have to be Formica, just inert and nonporise.

Good luck

Edit
Consider a gold pinstripe tape over color separations after buff out.