Re: The stRingers are out!
There are many different formulas of patchaid, some reduce the viscosity, some don't, some reduce the gel time, some don't, some have wax, some don't, (and almost any combination of these) you just need to get the correct one for the job, but they're all formulated to get the best results when used as recommended.
Gel coats can be, and are sprayed every day in pressure pots without being thinned and if you want it thinner to suit your needs, as in a very large repair, you can buy it that way to start with, or use the correct patchaid. But for use in molds they should be sprayed as is.
As for gel coats from Europe, they are typically formulated very differently than the US made products, in many parts of Europe you can't atomize (spray) gel coat, so it's rolled and brushed and designed to be used that way. Plus in the past they've had different expectations of how it will perform on the part being made. And why would you want to be using a gel coat made there?
With resin, you can get high and low viscosity resins and again, you get the best results using the correct product for each job. Every time you add other ingrediants to any of these products it may create problems.
Yes, I do know that styrene can cause yellowing, that's why it's not recommened to be used, especially on a repair that will be exposed to UV rays. It can also effect the cure, water resistance and make it more brittle (gel coat and resin).
