Re-Gelcoating a Boat

jtullous

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Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Got a quick question found a ton of information on Gelcoating a boat but wanted to get some opinions though.

I want to re-gelcoat a 17ft from top to bottom. I was thinking of going about this way.....

Mix the gelcoat then use a larger painter roller to roll the gelcoat on, let it dry then do a finish sanding on it. Any spots that I missed roll back over and repeat. then buff and wax it.

Would that work?
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
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Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

Will it work....yes...sort of...but not really.

Gel coat does not level or flow very well, especially when applied with a roller, so you will need to sand off more than 50% of what you put down to try and get it level, and even that may not be enough to make it look right.

Re-gel coating an entire boat is a huge job, so you need a good reason to do it.
 

jtullous

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Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

The boat is the 2 tone brown and tan and do not like it at all. I was going to cover it in aqua white with a blue stripe. Then what is the best way to do this?
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 18, 2007
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12,932
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

the easiest way........as above ....paint.

re gellcoating a boat is huge work.....did i say huge?......what i really ment is a ton of work......a ton....well more like 10 tons of work.

use the index and read this.....it has detailed instructions and photos of re gellcoating a boat.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392
 

Yacht Dr.

Vice Admiral
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Feb 26, 2005
Messages
5,581
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

Got a quick question found a ton of information on Gelcoating a boat but wanted to get some opinions though.

I want to re-gelcoat a 17ft from top to bottom. I was thinking of going about this way.....

Mix the gelcoat then use a larger painter roller to roll the gelcoat on, let it dry then do a finish sanding on it. Any spots that I missed roll back over and repeat. then buff and wax it.

Would that work?

Rollers and Gel do not work .. spray the gel or paint it ;) ..

Will it work....yes...sort of...but not really.

Gel coat does not level or flow very well, especially when applied with a roller, so you will need to sand off more than 50% of what you put down to try and get it level, and even that may not be enough to make it look right.

Re-gelcoating an entrie boat is a huge job, so you need a good reason to do it.

17' of a gel job is not that hard.. if you know what to do and have the proper materials and tools/guns. ..

The boat is the 2 tone brown and tan and do not like it at all. I was going to cover it in aqua white with a blue stripe. Then what is the best way to do this?

Mask off the small tone .. spray your big coloir .. unmask the stripes and blow the gel ( yes with overspray and all ) over your stripes .. then sand down your stripe color line until its "there" ..


Debatable without pics... :)

the easiest way........as above ....paint.

re gellcoating a boat is huge work.....did i say huge?......what i really ment is a ton of work......a ton....well more like 10 tons of work.

use the index and read this.....it has detailed instructions and photos of re gellcoating a boat.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392

Painting is actually another Iboats debate on difficulty level .. little harder in the long run of the finish coat for this size of a boat .. ( Pics again please ).

Gel Is gel .. Paint is Paint ..

Know your pros and cons of each before you decide .. its apples and oranges m8 .... .. ..

YD.
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

even tho i do full gells.....

EDIT>>>>> i think for a first timer....a paint would be the way to go here.<<<<<<< edit

.the auto guys laff at me....>>>>EDIT....over the amount of work that a full gell is....<<<<<<edit



the prep is prep.....no way around it.......then the shoot......but after the shoot...they clean thier guns and go drink beer.

that is when i am suiting up with the respirator for a few dozen hours of sanding..... !!!!!....

but i must say.......i believe gellcoat is a far superior product for a boat...

put your chevy in the middle of a bumper car ring filled with solid wood posts and then make the whole thing move to emulate a boat tied up at the dock and see what happens !........your chevy will be total junk......and a boat lives thru that every day,,,,

oh, geez....now im getting started on an auto materials being used on boats rant....dont get me on that track....lol..
 
Last edited:

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

It is rarely worth the time, effort and money to re-gel coat an old boat, some old classics that are being actually restored to original condition may be worth it, or if the boat is of enough value to justify the cost it could be a good option. But for the most part the boats being discussed here were purchased for a few hundred bucks and the budget to get it back on the water may not even be that high, so investing that kind of cash and time on gel coat would be a poor use of available funds.

That's why this statement was used in my first reply

"Re-gel coating an entire boat is a huge job, so you need a good reason to do it."

If this person is going use a roller to apply it, I think I can safely presume there aren't sufficient funds to buy the correct tools. There?s nothing wrong with that, but you need to pick the correct places to put the cash, and typically the motor is a much better place to put it.
 

chriscraft254

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Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
2,445
Re: Re-Gelcoating a Boat

I have re gel coated plenty of houseboat decks with a roller. Its fine for that, but I wouldn't want to roll a run about.
 
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