Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

bevansh

Cadet
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
8
I have an old fiberglass boat (15' long) that is a faded canary yellow color and looks pretty bad. I've heard that you can put a new gel coat on it and make the boat look much better. Problem is, I don't know anything else about it. :confused: <br /><br />Where can I get the product that I need to put a new gel coat on? Is there any secret to putting it on my boat? Anything to watch out for when I do it?<br /><br />Thanks for your help :)
 

cmarch

Cadet
Joined
May 27, 2002
Messages
7
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

We have an old 74 bayliner (Light blue) and it was run up on the sand for years so the gel coat was all gone on the bottom. I purchased gel coat and hardener from a local boat shop. He provided the primary colors I used to mix to try and match. It was easy to apply using a roller and I did an okay job of matching. However the surface was rough not smooth. For small jobs they you can use plastic to press down on the gel coat to give a smooth finish, however I'm not sure how you would tackle a large job and make it smooth. It might be worth having a boat shop look at it or give you tips on how to handle a large job yourself. Besure you do some test areas before commiting..It would more expensive to fix what you started than to just get it completed from the start.<br /><br />Charlie
 

crab bait

Captain
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Feb 5, 2002
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3,831
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

i am totally NO expert here.. but i would think clearcoating it with a rented sprayer would be better & easier..
 

bevansh

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Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
8
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

Thanks for the tips, guys. So, crab bait, what type of clearcoat would you recommend? Spraying it sure sounds a lot easier and less expensive than applying an entirely new gelcoat. Is that simply one layer of paint or does that also involve some sort of primer before putting the final layer on? Thanks again.
 

crab bait

Captain
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Feb 5, 2002
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3,831
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

i can't answer your questions.. do a search .. click 'red' search forums just above on this page .. type in clearcoat & ect.. see what it yields... hope someone with more knowledge stops by...
 

crab bait

Captain
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Feb 5, 2002
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3,831
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

but i can say NO primer .. litely sand & get off any gunk with a solvent.. an i would use a one part polyurethane.. the prep. is paramount !!
 

Hawkeye1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
142
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

Something like that I belive I would paint it the same color it was with awlgrip 2 part poly paint. Lot of boat down my way are painted and look great for many years.
 

Hooty

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
4,496
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

Give the entire area to be clear coated a through 600 grit wet sanding. Wash with soap and water, rinse and and let it dry then give it a coat of single part clear urethane. That's the way Hooty does it.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty
 

rhett

Cadet
Joined
May 29, 2002
Messages
10
Re: Anybody familiar with putting a gel coat on??

after you put the gel coat on it needs to be sanded. start with 220 wet dry and work down to 600. after the 600 polish it with FIBERGLASS compound with a high speed buffer (not an auto buffer) and you will get a mirror finish. gel coat is tough it is not like paint just use some elbow grease
 
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