Vinyl Wrap

[KJM]

Anybody ever use this? My gelcoat has an orange peel effect and I'm thinking about vinyl wrap rather then trying to sand and buff. Also would like a different color then the current gelcoat color.

 

[cyclops222]

This is not a cheap project to learn on. Buy ONLY from a well proven place. Follow all warnings about temperature & sunlight and having people who are careless about following instructions. Enjoy

 

[dingbat]

I know 2 guys that had wraps (advertising) put on their boats.

Looks and works well.
Not sure I would tackle the project on my own

 

[Black58]

Dingbat is correct! If you've never done it DON'T. It gets expensive like Cyclops stated, I know

 

[KJM]

If I was going to do it I would go to the pro's, not do it myself. However if itd too expensive, I'll just live with my less then ideal color!

 

[crazy charlie]

Anybody ever use this? My gelcoat has an orange peel effect and I'm thinking about vinyl wrap rather then trying to sand and buff. Also would like a different color then the current gelcoat color.

I never heard of gelcoat having orange peel ??? Paint yes but gelcoat no.Did you get a quote on having a wrap done?? Did you get a quote on materials for diy?? Charlie

 

[southkogs]

First thing I'll mention is that vinyl thin. It will show many/most textures beneath it.

It's harder to install vinyl than it is to produce it (full print or just cut color). Sometimes one mistake can cost you an entire graphic.

I've done it more often on interior projects and cars, but it's tricky to learn to do. That said ... it does have a decent survival rate. Similar to paint, but you don't have any sort of a coat on top of it ... so, you scratch it, and it kinda' peels up. Hit by a pebble on the road and it can blister a little.

If it's a small area, and just some simple color (stripes and such). Vinyl is more economical. If it's a large area, but still mostly blocks of color that can be cut material as opposed to printed - the economy is closer to a wash (painting may be just as easy/effective). If you're printing to vinyl (like a full image wrap), vinyl is more economic than paint.

 

[cyclops222]

I would like a stern graphic that is very patriotic.

 

[KJM]

I never heard of gelcoat having orange peel ??? Paint yes but gelcoat no.Did you get a quote on having a wrap done?? Did you get a quote on materials for diy?? Charlie

Try putting it on with a roller.......

 

[tpenfield]

A friend of mine (same boat as me) had vinyl wrap done on his boat. Looks awesome. Totally changed the look of the boat for the better. Used to be all white hull with brown/beige seating.

@KJM If the current gelcoat is not smooth, there may be an issue of getting the wrap to adhere. You might need to sand/polish to a smooth surface.

 

[KJM]

A friend of mine (same boat as me) had vinyl wrap done on his boat. Looks awesome. Totally changed the look of the boat for the better. Used to be all white hull with brown/beige seating.

@KJM If the current gelcoat is not smooth, there may be an issue of getting the wrap to adhere. You might need to sand/polish to a smooth surface.

Yeah, I was thinking that, and since the whole idea of the wrap was to avoid the sanding/buffing bit, its probably not a good idea in my situation.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you can wet sand, buff and wax an entire 26 foot boat in a weekend

 

[southkogs]

When you adhese the vinyl, you're going to burnish it on to the surface. If the texture is slight, that process should take care of most issues (definitely recommend using a wet technique to install). If the texture of the surface has more defined "features" understand two things: 1) vinyl is very thin ... it will show through (going over a chipped paint for example), and 2) if you're not careful installing it, it leaves a place for an air bubble to form. The newer the vinyl, the more you can burnish out the air bubble. But over time, the vinyl will become more brittle - so if a bubble forms, you'll have a hard time getting rid of it.