Can a newbie fix a "minor" gel coat problem

T

toofast

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Sep 13, 2004
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15262
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378
The sick feeling...

New boat that I've been super careful with and this weekend someone who was rafting off me wacked me pretty good and put a 1/2" long by 1/4" wide "gash" out of my gel coat. It is only in the gel, but this is about 1/8" deep, which of course can not buff out.

Can a inexperienced guy use any "kit" and procedure and get decent results. I would gladly pay...but I am pretty handy and if the forum thinks I can do it I would be willing to try and fix it myself.

Any kit or advice or exactly what I should do would be appreciated. The gel is "bright white" and the surrounding area is flawless...so I am really nervous.

Thanks in advance.
 
You can do it, but if someone else's boat did it to yours, why not get it repaired and hand him the bill? Pure white repairs are easy to match with gel paste, white coloring agent and 600 grit wet sanding. I've done several with great results and I'm a rookie.
 
Good idea with hand him the bill...except I did not realize they did damage until they were gone. I did not get the name of the boat...so unless I see them again, it is up to me to fix.

So I assume I just get the paste, add the coloring agent and fill the damage. Let her dry and sand? Does anyone know if there are more details procedures somewhere...or if someone wants to supply that is great as well.

Thanks!
 
When I did it, I got a gel paste repair kit and just followed the directions for the site prep all the way thru the final step of polishing.
 
the mechanics are not difficult color matching, for me, is.
 
ok...well sounds easy enough...not sure how to color match white...guess I will just use the white coloring and hope for the best.

Thanks for the advise.
 
If it's "bright white" as you sy, you should be able to get a good match with just the white coloring agent. There are several different colors of coloring agent included with these kits. I just repaired a couple deep gouges in my seadoo with this kit with great results. The color match to pure whit in my case was dead on so no need to add other colors.
 
All right!

No to see if boat fix has this kit.

Thanks again for your help!
 
The kit I bought--- "Evercoat Marine Match and Patch Gelcoat Repair Kit"
 
Try spectrumcolor dot com for matching repair gel paste. Their repair paste matches almost perfectly. Alternately, get some matching gelcoat from the boat dealer. They alway have some in stock for those unforseen nicks. If you use the paste, no need to cover it as it contains wax, but the regular gelcoat must be covered with PVA or wax paper...it will not fully cure in the presence of air. Color matching is an art and usually very difficult for the novice. If you want to give it a try, smear some uncatalyzed gelcoat near the scratch and see how close it matches, then add the tints as needed to bring it closer and closer.
 
blueflew,

bummer....no match for formula

the kit gregory mentioned was pretty cheap, so I bought it and actually tried it this am on my swim platform bottom edge to see how it would match.
it was terrible.

so I think I will have to call formula factory and get a matching gelcoat. except I have no idea how to apply gel...first I know I have to fix the deep cut with marinetex (sp) or something like that. Then do I just spray a few coats of gel on and cover with wax paper till dry then sand sand sand?
 
I believe Formula Imrons their hulls, but check with the dealer. If it is Imron paint, then forget the gelcoat repair...it has to be sprayed with matching Imron. Don't use marine tex to fill the gouge as its epoxy and it will bond well to the hull, but polyesther or vinyl esther gelcoat will not bond on top of the epoxy. You have to use a polyesther based filler. If the gouge is only in the gelcoat, I would skip the filler. You can fill with thickened gelcoat. As mentioned, check with the dealer as to what areas, if any, of the hull are Imroned before starting this repair.
 
yeah good point...the damage is in the gelcoat above the Imron paint.

I ended up ordering some matching gelcoat from Formula...

Now the question is how do I "thicken" the gelcoat?
 
You can add some cabosil to thicken the gelcoat or you can put the amount you need on a paper plate and leave it in the sun for 20-30 minutes and the styrene will evaporate and make the gelcoat thicker. make sure you use 80 grit paper and sand off sharp edges and loose gelcoat bits. clean the area well with acetone. Only add 1 or 2 drops of catalyst to the gelcoat and apply it with small artist brush...dab it in to get rid of air pockets. you will need to cover it with PVA or some wax paper. smooth the wax paper gently so you don't squeeze out the gelcoat...you want it overfilled. using a sanding block and 300 or 400 wet/dry paper and plenty of water, sand it even with the surrounding area. switch to 600, 800, 1000 paper. then use 3m super duty compound with a polisher and compound, then use 3m finesse it, then wax.
 
IF it is "bright White" as you said, it should be an easy color match. If your boat is a few years old, I doubt factory gel will be a very good match. There are enough coloring agents in your kit to get a very good match to your gel coat. I suspect the gel coat you get from Formula wil be very thin and much more difficult to use than gel paste as it is made to be sprayed on in thin layers.
 
The boat is actually a 2008, so the gel for sure is not faded at all. That is why I wanted to "tight" match.

Do I add the "cabosil" and the catalyst at the same time...I assume the gelcoat I get from the factory needs catalyst to "dry"

So I should use the "thickened" gel to fill the damage...then I should "spray" a bit of gel over top once sanded, etc to get the perfect finish. I assume I also will need to add the catalyst to the spray coat as well.

Sorry I am so unsure of myself...I have just never worked with gelcoat before.

Thanks again.
 
Lets say you buy a pint of gelcoat from Formula...you don't use the whole thing...pour a small amount onto a paper plate. Add a small amount of cabosil until thickened slightly. After prepping the damage, add 1 or 2 drops of MEKP catalyst and mix very well with a tongue depresser or something similar. I would dab the gelcoat into the gouge with a small brush so there are no air voids. you can smooth it over with a plastic spatula. Make sure you overfill as gelcoat shrinks. you can let it set up a bit and then cover with wax paper and lightly smooth with the plastic spatula...don't squeeze too much gelcoat out. let it cure overnight. remove wax paper and using a rubber sanding block and 300 or 400 wet dry and lots of water, wet sand. use progressively finer sand paper to 1000, then compound with 3m super duty and a machine (must use a machine), then 3m finesse it, then wax. If after sanding, you see some voids in the repair, rough it up with 80 grit, clean with acetone and brush unthickend gelcoat to fill the voids and cover with wax paper again. also, search for gelcoat repair on you tube and you'll get some help there as well.
 
perfect info...I think I am ready to start. Think I will try with an area first in my engine compartment that has a slight defect. Thanks again everybody!
 
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