GEL COAT TINT

[Daniel1947]

Greetings to all. I was able to get a gallon of Gel Coat, white, waxed for a very good price. However, I need the tint (for color matching) and all I can find are the kits, which have the gel coat and 4 or 5 tubes of tint. Anyone have any ideas if there is some type of tint I can use, that will color the gel coat, without having to order a $30 kit. I need to be able to tint it "dark brown." Area is approximately 12" x 36" transom area and splash well. Thanks to all.

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

http://www.uscomposites.com/pigments.html

Pigments from US composites would be one choice

 

[gm280]

Yes, U S Composites has lots of pigments to color Gel Coats and/or Polyester or even Epoxy resins. And the cost is really reasonable too. JMHO!

 

[nurseman]

Just be aware that since you are starting with white, you are going to need more pigment to achieve your color. I may be wrong, but I think there is a limit on the volume of pigment that you can add. If you have a glass supplier local to you, it would be worth the time to chat with them about what you want to do, or even call someone at US composites and see what they say.

 

[Woodonglass]

NM is 100% correct.You don't want to go over 10% ratio with the tint. Tint's are meant to be added to Clear Resin.

 

[Daniel1947]

Thanks Wellcraft, GM280, NM and WOG....I only have to do an area back on the transom and splashwell, I don't think it is more than 2 or 3 square feet, and when I hang the 150 HP Mercury, it will hardly be seen. Since I got the white at darn near $0.00, I was hoping to find something that would take it close to dark brown. Considering the knowledgable info here, I may just go back to square one, and start over with clear. Thanks everyone.

 

[DeepBlue2010]

You don't have to waste your free white. You still can use it and tint it. All you need to do is instead of tinting directly with pigments, buy a quart or so clear gel, tint it and use it to tint youe white. Now you are tinting gelcoat with gelcoat with no risk of over pigmentation and at the same time, you are utilizing your white.

 

[Woodonglass]

Very Good Idea ^^^ But... if you do this it will probably Lighten the shade you get of the neutral mix so take that into consideration when trying to get the color you want.

A quart should be MORE than enuf to do your transom and then you'd have some for touch ups etc... Gelcoat needs to go on thick!!! Final finish should as thick as a penney soooo that means you need to apply it almost twice that thick because you'll be sanding 1/2 of it off!!!!

NOTE: The tintable Gelcoat is usually called Neutral Gelcoat and is mixed at 1oz tint per quart of Gelcoat. Usually runs anywhere from $12-25 bucks per quart + the cost of the tint which usually runs $3-4 bucks per oz.

You'll also need to add surfacing wax to the Gelcoat mix in order for it to come to a full cure and easily sanded.

 

[Daniel1947]

Thanks DeepBlue, but I think you missed the point. :facepalm: I have a full gallon of white, the area I need to gelcoat is less than 3 square feet, which according to what I understand the coverage is, I probably need only a pint, 16 ounces to cover. I will purchase a quart of clear and tint it dark brown. You all know I was trying to use the freebee and get out of it cheap. :lol: Thanks again.

 

[gm280]

Daniel, before spending any more money on more Gel Coat, why not buy just the pigment and mix a little of the white and see what happens. I mean the white hasn't cost you anything presently. So the pigment would be the only outlay. And with a little experimenting, which you would still have to do with clear, you could match the color you want. JMHO!

 

[Woodonglass]

You can use the white, IF you can find a brown that will make it dark enuf.

 

[nurseman]

You all know I was trying to use the freebee and get out of it cheap. :lol: Thanks again.

Ha! Its a boat, you can't do that...

 

[Woodonglass]

B. O. A. T. Bust Out Another Thousand!!!!

 

[ondarvr]

You can't get to dark brown when starting with white, you may get a dark tan, but that's about it. Plus the more pigment you add, the poorer it will cure, so you will be limited from that side too. The other issue is that the gel coat base will only hold a certain amount of pigment in suspension, after that it starts to separate and do odd things.

 

[Daniel1947]

I am so confused :lol: :lol: Actually I am not, but I sure do enjoy these discussions. After all the previous comments from my I-boat brothers, I went ahead and ordered a quart of Neutral Gelcoat, along with a 1 oz, brown and 1 oz black pigment. I figure I will start with brown, and add a little black to darken it. I also ordered some surfacing wax. Should be here sometime this week, but weather is going to be a little too cool to apply, and I am not in a major hurry right now as I am very close to having things completed. As I stated earlier, the area is back at the transom and mainly over the lip and down into the splash well; I had to fabricate a new lip because it was heavily damaged when I separated the cap from the hull.



It is at the most 3 square feet. Even if I screw things up :facepalm:, with the 150 Mercury and all the control cables in that area, I don't think it will be noticeable.

Any advice on prepping the area? I need to rough sand the area to remove some rough spots, figure 60 grit to start.

OH! NM and WOG...so right on $$$$$ B.O.A.T,:lol: Thanks everyone. :hail: Dan

 

[gm280]

I am so confused :lol: :lol: Actually I am not, but I sure do enjoy these discussions. After all the previous comments from my I-boat brothers, I went ahead and ordered a quart of Neutral Gelcoat, along with a 1 oz, brown and 1 oz black pigment. I figure I will start with brown, and add a little black to darken it. I also ordered some surfacing wax. Should be here sometime this week, but weather is going to be a little too cool to apply, and I am not in a major hurry right now as I am very close to having things completed. As I stated earlier, the area is back at the transom and mainly over the lip and down into the splash well; I had to fabricate a new lip because it was heavily damaged when I separated the cap from the hull.



It is at the most 3 square feet. Even if I screw things up :facepalm:, with the 150 Mercury and all the control cables in that area, I don't think it will be noticeable.

Any advice on prepping the area? I need to rough sand the area to remove some rough spots, figure 60 grit to start.

OH! NM and WOG...so right on $$$$$ B.O.A.T,:lol: Thanks everyone. :hail: Dan

Danieal, I honestly have never used Gel Coat before myself. But I have painted lots of different things over the years to include boats, cars, trailers and you name it. And with most any type painting, and I'm assuming Gel Coat as well, the prep is everything. So the better you do your prep finish the better the final finish will come out. So you can start with 60 grit, but I would work my way down to at least 600 grit before Gel Coating. But that is just my opinion. And with other paints, if there is any imperfections in the surface, the finish will show it. Of course Gel Coat gets applied a lot thicker and you can wet sand it after application. So you have a little lead way there. JMHO!

 

[Woodonglass]

Nah, do the big work with 60 grit and then work your way down to180 or 220. Gelcoat goes on so thick it will fill in the fine scratches left behind by either of those two grits. Remember you'll be applying it to the thickness of a Nickel and sanding it down to the thickness of a penny sooo it's pretty forgiving. NOTE: On the outside Corners Try to really get it on THICK so you don't sand thru when trying to get em round and smooth!!!

 

[ondarvr]

I typically sand with 80 grit before applying gel coat, Sometimes 36 grit. Like WOG said, The surface doesn't need to be perfect because of how thick gel coat applied.

 

[Daniel1947]

As always good information. Thanks WOG and Ondarvr, GM280...I have painted cars before (actually years ago) with fiberglass fenders, doors, hoods etc., and I agree with your procedure with paint. We even did final sandings, after fillers and primers with 1000. Learned the hard way with paint that it will show any and all slight blemishes in the prep. Like you, I have never used gel coat before. In fact this whole project has been a learning process for me, and I can't thank the I-Boats family enough.

 

[gm280]

I think you will do fine. Like most everything else, if you mess it up, sand it down and do it again. Post your pictures so we can see what you see. JMHO!