Gelcoat

['84Offshore]

Have neverworked with gelcoat before.
My boat has a few areas I was going to repair w/ MarineTex.......and then cover with gelcoat.
Not looking for a "perfect" job but something that looks pretty good...........

Any inputs/hints would be great!

Thanks.

 

[Doc Stressor]

Gelcoat doesn't stick to MarineTex (or any epoxy) unless you let it cure completely, then wash it with soap and water to remove the "amine blush". If you do that and then sand the area before applying the gelcoat, you should be OK.

 

[RAINMAKER]

Your local grady dealer should have grady gel coat in stock. I fixed alot of places on my OFFSHORE 24 back in the day with factory gel coat. It's a two piece arrangement and not complicated at all for repairs. Mix it up and put it on/in the area to be filled. You can actually use wide masking tape to hold it in place until it sets up . Big gouges or other type repair areas might require a couple of "Treatments"..... sand with 220 then 600 then 1500 then 2000 grit wet/ dry sandpaper (do it wet) and then wax.
Spraying gelcoat is a different process of which I know NOTHING about.

It's really easy once you get started.

 

[BCLII]

What kind of temperature does one need to work with gel-coat? My Spectrum patch paste repair does not say anything about temp. Still cold here in MN, but hoping to repair some small holes in the floor from the port/sleeper removal and transom area after I switch the boarding ladder from the port side to the starboard side so I can install my T-8 remote kicker motor.
thanks

 

[seasick]

What kind of temperature does one need to work with gel-coat? My Spectrum patch paste repair does not say anything about temp. Still cold here in MN, but hoping to repair some small holes in the floor from the port/sleeper removal and transom area after I switch the boarding ladder from the port side to the starboard side so I can install my T-8 remote kicker motor.
thanks

Two things to consider: The temp of the patch area and more importantly, the temp of the patch materials. If you make sure the patch chemicals are warm by keeping them in a heated area like your house, you can apply the mixed material in colder than normal temps. That said, I like to work at 60 degrees and above and even with warm materials, not below 50 or abouts. The larger the patch, the better off you are in cold temps ( to a point) since the material generates heats as it cures and is less affected by the colder surrounding areas.

 

['84Offshore]

Any chance in using anything from WestMarine?

 

[seasick]

Any chance in using anything from WestMarine?

Yes, but you need to assess the scope of the repair. If the repair is cosmetic like a few shallow scratches or nicks and there is no exposed fiberglass fibers, you can buy gel patch kits and colorants. Getting the correct color match is an art but there are many posts by folks who matched Grady colors using the kits. If damage is more extensive, repairs are not so trivial and depending on where the damage is, how extensive it is and how good you want it to look, you may want to consider a pro.