How to fix gel coat

If you brush it on be sure to use a solvent resistant brush. You can wait 24 hours or continue building your project immediately the gel coat.

How To Repair DIY Chipped Gel Coat fiberglas Boat.

How to fix gel coat. Follow along and learn how to repair common types of damage to the gel coat layer on the hull of your dinghyGel coat is a thin protective layer that is appl. When you think youre there with the colour add the catalyst mix thoroughly and apply to the repair. You will need to apply a number of coats usually around 3-5 leaving 15-20mins between each application.

If you can run your finger over it without picking up any of the gelcoat the surface is ready for another application. How To Repair DIY Chipped Gel Coat fiberglas Boat. You can apply gel coat with a brush if you are building a fiberglass project in a mold.

First you would apply a release agent to the mold then brush on the gel coat. You can wait 24 hours or continue building your project immediately the gel coat. Fiberglass is supposed to be flexible but gel coat isnt.

Its normal for the hull of a fiberglass boat to flex a small amount. The gel coat especially as it gets older gets brittle and will crack when flexed. A small crack in the gel coat is NOT an indication of cracked or broken fiberglass.

If you decide to roll on the gelcoat be sure to use a solvent-resistant 18 or ¼ nap. Be sure not to use foam rollers as they tend to leave bubbles. If you brush it on be sure to use a solvent resistant brush.

Your first coat will simply consist of the gelcoat and the MEK-P catalyst. Once the fill area is level or contoured to the desired shape sand with 100 grit paper to remove the course scratches from 40 or 80 grit. You should also feather the surrounding area of the gel coat repair with 220330.

At this point the repair is ready to prep and spraybrush with gel coat. Use 3M Abrasives for best results. Deeper scratches that dont penetrate through gel coat can be lightly wet-sanded with 400 grit wetdry sandpaper to smooth the area then progressively with finer and finer sandpaper for example 1000 1500 and finally 2000 before using a rubbing compound to restore the shine.

Scratches that are deeper still may require a gel-coat repair product. Gel Coat Troubleshooting Guide Put your Gel Coat Troubleshooting Knowledge to the Test. Take Our Gel Coat Troubleshooting Quiz.

Gel Coating Photo credit IStock Photo. A proper gel coat application can often mean the difference between the look of a professionally fabricated part and an amateurish attempt. Gel coating is one of if not the most common problem area when working with.

Apply gel coat in 4-5 layers at approximately 5 mils each allowing 15-20 minutes between layers for a total thickness of 20-25 mils. Use 122-A Gel Coat Thickness Gauge to ensure proper thickness is achieved. Once gel coat has tacked up about 20 minutes after final layer has been applied lay.

Use a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the cracks and prep the surface of your boat. You can also remove the old gel coat with acetone. Once the hull is completely dry you can apply the gel coat with a spray applicator or a paintbrush whichever works best for you.

Mix the Gelcoat. After you have color-matched the amount of gelcoat needed for the repair add catalyst aka hardener. Different gelcoat resins require different catalysts so make sure you are using the proper formula as well as the right two-part ratio eg four drops of.

When looking at a scratch in the gelcoat you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch. The reason being is that surface scratches can easily be buffed with a rubbing compound as opposed to deep scratches which take a couple more steps. As long as the gelcoat around the deep scratch is in good condition you will be able to use gelcoat putty requires mixing MEKP.

If the gelcoat has a chalk-like powdery look its more likely to be highly oxidized. Polishes find use if the oxidization level is low whereas a rubbing compound is best if the boat surface is highly oxidized. Now apply the gelcoat once you get a shiny surface after taking care of oxidization.

The damage to the Gel coat on your boat should be taken care of as soon as possible because it may cause water damage to the fiberglass frame of the boat. It can also corrode the metal parts of your boat that are protected by the Gel coat and create a much bigger problem that is more expensive to fix. RAYPLEX has a great web page that will give you all the information you need to get a good gel coat match.

If its just a small white or off white repair Rayplex has repair kits with a simple color guide for matching. Our customers have complemented us on how well it works. When finished you couldnt see where the repair was made.

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