Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

jigeye

Cadet
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
16
I have a Yamaha Waverunner with the following gelcoat issues. See attached pics. This is what I understand to do so far. Please correct me if I am wrong.
1. Take an old beer can opener and use the pointed end to burr out issue with angles for the repair to stick.
2. Clean with acetone afterward to remove all loose pieces.
3. Use gelcoat mix and apply to crack only.
4. Put piece of saran wrap or other covering to help the top of the gelcoat repair to dry properly.
5. Once dry. Sand with 120 followed by wet sand of 400, then 600.
6. Use compound such as 3M One stop Fiberglass Restorer.
7. Wax.

Questions:
1. Is this the correct procedure?
2. What is the best gelcoat repair kit to get? How hard is it to match the color? It is white.
3. What are good ratios of WEKP to tablespoons of resin?
 

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Friscoboater

Captain
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Messages
3,095
Re: Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

I believe so. I am going to do the same thing to my jet ski real soon, so I want to see how your comes out.
 

boat1010

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
781
Re: Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

The pictures where the numbers were removed, you should be able to just sand with 600 then 1,000 sand paper and buff it out.
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
Re: Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

According to our resident GelCoat expert Yacht Doctor, gelcoat is not the easiest thing to color match and based on some fo the pics I'm seeing I would say that some resin and glassing is required. YD and myself are neither one fond of Gelcoat repair kits. I think you would be better off on some of those gouges to sand, feather and use some poly resin and glass to do the repair.

But maybe that's just me being influenced to much by ALL of Yacht Doctors teachings here on the forum.

I'm just sayin...:D
 

Yacht Dr.

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
Messages
5,581
Re: Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

I have a Yamaha Waverunner with the following gelcoat issues. See attached pics. This is what I understand to do so far. Please correct me if I am wrong.
1. Take an old beer can opener and use the pointed end to burr out issue with angles for the repair to stick.
2. Clean with acetone afterward to remove all loose pieces.
3. Use gelcoat mix and apply to crack only.
4. Put piece of saran wrap or other covering to help the top of the gelcoat repair to dry properly.
5. Once dry. Sand with 120 followed by wet sand of 400, then 600.
6. Use compound such as 3M One stop Fiberglass Restorer.
7. Wax.

Questions:
1. Is this the correct procedure?
2. What is the best gelcoat repair kit to get? How hard is it to match the color? It is white.
3. What are good ratios of WEKP to tablespoons of resin?

Ill break it down for ya m8 :) .

First list..

1. beer can openers are used for beer..not glass.
2. Acetone will not remove loose pieces..only a die grinder will do that.
3. Gel should only be used as a pre-topcoat gelcoat spray application..and cured and post cured correctly.. only in very small reps should gel paste ALONE be used..
4. other means of surface agents can be used..not plastic wrap IMO..( you dont need any wax at all if your willing to wipe off the last layer of gel to get to the cured gel...especially if your only talking about 1/2"x4" reps..dont bother..just wipe with acetone and start sanding ).

NOW your "questions" ..

1.Grind and glass the stress cracks in your first pic..its impact..not simple stress cracks..IMO.. number 2 looks like a simple air void..fill with color matched gel and spay/buff those.
2. Gelcoat repair kits are only DIY simple fixes..there is no best one..and it depends on what White you have .. could be hard to match if you have a white thats too white ..
3. Never heard of WEKP..but if your talking about MEKP then its going to be 1.5-2.5 % volume ( Im not going to find out how much MEKP to Tablespoon amounts for ya :) ). I would say Mix at least 4 oz of material/resin at a time. basically 12 drops of MEKP per 1oz ( shotglass ).

4c. dont wax..its a waste of time..

YD.
 

jigeye

Cadet
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
16
Re: Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

Sounds like I better take this somewhere then. Dunno how to glass (the only glass I know is one I drink out of...) and by the sound of these answers, this is a tough job. Thanks anyway.
 

1fishbone

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
476
Re: Jet Ski Gel Coat Repair: see attached pics

This is not chip repair!
Like the other posters have said, there are voids to fill, large areas of 'stress' to repair.

If you want it done right, you're better off to take it the pro.

As for your 'list'
Eliminate 1 and 2
Feather edge sand the 'chip'
THEN follow the rest of your steps.

Getting OEM gel coat color will greatly help in the color match.
 
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