Re: restoring textured gel coat?
this is what im doing to my 1985 galsstream restoration:
the gelcoat is baddly oxidized,chipping/peeling and horribly looking.
im going to wet sand the entire boat with 420 sand paper,then 500 sand paper,then 600 last,im going to be careful not to get into the flecks in the paint to bad and not to get into the paint at all,keeping the boat wet is a good idea so you can see what you are doing,if it dries it will haze up and make it tough to see bad spots,plus the water makes sanding easier.
im not trully concerned with the bottom of the boat as this area really isnt sun damaged,i will scuff that down with a scuff pad,then wash the boat down with soapy water then wash the boat with prep all, then im going to get spray gun happy and paint at least 6 coats of sherwin williams genesis ultra clear coat on that baby in stages,
1st stage wet coat
2nd stage dry coat
3rd stage wet coat
4th stage dry coat
then depending on how much product i have left wet wet wet wet coat so wet it almost runs but dosent actually run,you need to know what your doin.....
a dry coat is applied holding your spray gun pretty far from the target and basically spraying at the highest pressure you can get from your spray gun,this actully prevents the clear coat from eating into the original paint job,its actually drying as it comes from the gun at such a high pressure rate,you need to let the 1st coat of wet coat flash over,flash over means its almost dried or is dried,then you can hit it with the dry coat,the dry coat will stop the 1st wet coat from eating the paint job if it had any ideas of doing that in the first place.....
then after your dry coat you can nail it again with a wet coat,flash it,then dry coat again,then the beauty part comes,
turn the pressure on the gun down and spray a nice wet wet wet coat and flow it on almost,if its warm outside it will dry quickly, you may get a bug or 2 in the coat but it should buff off nicely when she dries fully and i'd wait at least a week before buffin,im not a big fan of buffin so if theres a bug or 2 in the coat,i guess im gonna have permanent hitchhikers...lol
I hope i helped you,if you arent a spray painter I guess buffin will get you a decent shine,but remember,if the gelcoat is oxidized it will come back shortly,once it oxidizes it has lost its natural sun deflecting agents and its been severly weakened so it will only oxidize again.
