Sick to my stomach - Need guidance

[Glassman]

@Glassman, Spectrum makes the paste kits available inexpensively but they do not sell real gelcoat in small quantities. So for us amateurs we are stuck using the paste for $20 or buying a quart for $130. So I was wondering if auto body paint suppliers might sell small quantities of gelcoat or if there was some source other than Manual. Also would you be willing to write an article on how to repair gelcoat damage for the Member Tips and Ideas section? I am sure than many of us would benefit from in.

@bgood188, my experience with the Spectrum paste is that you can clean out the damaged area with acetone, mix the paste and hardener, use a popsicle stick or something similar to work the paste into the scratch, let it dry for a few days then wet sand and you are unlikely to ever notice it again. Your damaged area appears flat so I believe this will work well for you.

I tried to repair some corner damage to my SX230 with the paste. It worked well but I need to build it up a little bit. It is a curved area and I am having issues with wet sanding through the gelcoat after it dries on the leading edge. I have not found a way to add a smooth even layer with the paste so I need to spray on multiple coats to build it up.

I don't think you'll find gel coat at an auto paint shop, least not around here, but you can buy a pint of white at most boat/marine stores. Heck, even Amazon has it - multi-color repair kits too.
It's the matching that gets you.

I'd be happy to contribute some tips and ideas....I'll get going on that.

 

[Glassman]

For your consideration:



The Dolphinite GelMatch All-In-One Gelcoat Aerosol Can solves the traditional challenges when repairing gelcoat. The All-In-One Gelcoat Aerosol Can is pre-filled with a proprietary All-In-One Gelcoat and matched perfectly to original factory colors with Dolphinite’s GelMatch Gelcoat Color Matching System. The online system specifies original factory gelcoat colors simply by entering the year, make, model and length of virtually any production boat dating back to 1984.






http://www.dolphinite.com/

 

[bgood188]

Thanks @Glassman I have purchased the spectrum patch kit. I have been taking photos and keeping notes so I can post when I'm finished. The gouge was so big I needed to do two coats. I did the 2nd coat this morning and will sand it down Friday and buff it out as well.

 

[Glassman]

Another find, I haven't tried this, but I plan to:

http://www.magicezy.com/

 

[Lspeedss]

@Glassman Your the obvious expert here.. what if anty suggestions do you have for sun faded gel coat? My 2007 Orange AR has quite the fade on the one side. Every season I wax and buff. The past three I have included a round of compound. Looks great for the season but have to stay on it. Any longer term fixes?
Thanks

 

[RumDiet]

I need a link to the band aids!

Guys - you can buy pint sized cans of gel coat at marine stores if you want to fill in the entire area with gel - otherwise you can fill most of the area with a polyvinyl resin and use the gel from Spectrum just on the surface. The amount supplied by Spectrum is way more than the OP will need for this repair.

 

[Glassman]

Unfortunately all gel coat fades from U.V. exposure, age, etc. My best advice is to start protecting it when new. Use a good U.V. Protectant/sealer. That goes for everything that is exposed to the sun on a regular basis. Boats get the double whammy with light reflected off the water, so it's important to protect it.

Compounding is essentially sanding, removing the top, faded layer to expose the gel coat underneath. The problem is that the layer of gel coat is only so thick. And the gel coat thickness can vary in different places on the boat so you run the risk for removing too much if you aren't careful.

There are a few products on the market that promise to bring the color back to your gel coat. I like to start with the LEAST abrasive approach just to see how bad the oxidation is. Why start sanding when a cleaner wax will do the job? Your gel coat will hold up much longer, the longer it stays on the boat!

Here's an idea of the very basic procedure, don't worry about the specific products used, just the technique and results. I picked this video only because it's a dark boat and you can really see the difference.:

Every detailer has their own methodology for restoring gel coat. It all comes down to the same basic thing though, getting through to non oxidized gel coat.

This guy has put together a good video:

I like that he shows you several different tools available to get the job done.

Like me, he uses the 303 line as well as some other great stuff from Mother's, Meguiar's, 3M and others.

 

[Gym]

For your consideration:



The DolphiniteView attachment 4977 GelMatch All-In-One Gelcoat Aerosol Can solves the traditional challenges when repairing gelcoat. The All-In-One Gelcoat Aerosol Can is pre-filled with a proprietary All-In-One Gelcoat and matched perfectly to original factory colors with Dolphinite’s GelMatch Gelcoat Color Matching System. The online system specifies original factory gelcoat colors simply by entering the year, make, model and length of virtually any production boat dating back to 1984.





http://www.dolphinite.com/

I just got off the phone with this company. They haven't gone to production with this aerosol color match product yet as they just moved their facility from Peabody, MA. to Rowley, MA. They also do not match Yamaha colors yet. They hope to be in production with this product over the next couple of months concentrating on retailers such as West Marine and similar companies. They did say they would like to get some "evaluation products" to me. If they follow through with this I will try them out under the scrutiny of video and report back.

 

[Glassman]

I just got off the phone with this company. They haven't gone to production with this aerosol color match product yet as they just moved their facility from Peabody, MA. to Rowley, MA. They also do not match Yamaha colors yet. They hope to be in production with this product over the next couple of months concentrating on retailers such as West Marine and similar companies. They did say they would like to get some "evaluation products" to me. If they follow through with this I will try them out under the scrutiny of video and report back.

Good Job! I pick this info up from trade publications, I never have the time or inclination to try them all. Interesting how they'll advertise having colors for "virtually any production boat" when they aren't even selling the product yet.

Kinda reminds me of the time I bought my boat and the video tape - yes, a VHS tape - that came with it showed the bimini extension. I had them include the bimini extension in with my boat along with a bunch of other things when I made my deal. Found out they hadn't even made any extensions yet and it took over a year to get one - and when they did send it, it wasn't designed for an AR! I had to have my bimini modified to accept it, but boy I'm glad I did.

 

[rkluck]

Glassman, I have never repaired a large fiberglass/gelcoat spot like this and I understand you are the expert. So I will ask a stupid question. You had listed a spray gun as required. I thought the gel coat repair was like a soft paste that was applied and then sanded down and of course polished. I have a regular spray gun (was thinking of getting a touch-up gun) so now I may have more justification for a new tool!

 

[Glassman]

Spectrum sells their repair material in a paste form. It makes it a little easier to apply, especially to the little nicks and dings we all get from time to time. The nice thing about it is you don't have to use any additives or mold release to aid curing.

With regular gel coat, having no added curing agents, I actually thin it a bit for spray application and use a product by Cook Composites in place of any type of mold release after applying the gel coat. If you already have a LPHV gun, use a primer nozzle (70 - 80 thousandths) at around 50 psi. Be sure to clean the gun right away using acetone to prevent the gel coat from hardening in the gun. As with anything new, try it out on some scrap first to get the hang of it. Make sure to mask off your work area, the overspray is a PITA.

 

[Gym]

"Interesting how they'll advertise having colors for "virtually any production boat" when they aren't even selling the product yet."
I thought the same thing @Glassman. I think their a little overwhelmed with growing pains. They just moved from a smaller plant to a much larger plant because they didn't have room for their inventory. They took the nomenclature info from my boat. I believe they go to the manufacturer for the exact paint color. They have a list of boat makes on their website but Yamaha was not on there. They can also match a paint chip from your boat.

They suggest before you use their colored aerosol Gelmatch on a weathered surface you may need to compound the oxidization off before applying. Again, If they come through with their offer I will try it and post the results.

 

[Glassman]

"Interesting how they'll advertise having colors for "virtually any production boat" when they aren't even selling the product yet."
I thought the same thing @Glassman. I think their a little overwhelmed with growing pains. They just moved from a smaller plant to a much larger plant because they didn't have room for their inventory. They took the nomenclature info from my boat. I believe they go to the manufacturer for the exact paint color. They have a list of boat makes on their website but Yamaha was not on there. They can also match a paint chip from your boat.

They suggest before you use their colored aerosol Gelmatch on a weathered surface you may need to compound the oxidization off before applying. Again, If they come through with their offer I will try it and post the results.

Well, " growing pains" is a good thing I suppose. I wish them nothing but the best. It's a good idea, I am very interested in seeing rattle can gel coat!

Gym, you could be in for a treat. It's nice to work with a manufacturer when they are developing new products. If you play your cards right you could end up with your boat in one of their catalogs or sumpin. And of course they'll have to make it all purty for the photo shoot, huh? Amazing that you are both in MA !

 

[Gym]

Well, " growing pains" is a good thing I suppose. I wish them nothing but the best. It's a good idea, I am very interested in seeing rattle can gel coat!

Gym, you could be in for a treat. It's nice to work with a manufacturer when they are developing new products. If you play your cards right you could end up with your boat in one of their catalogs or sumpin. And of course they'll have to make it all purty for the photo shoot, huh? Amazing that you are both in MA !

Ha, didn't think of that @Glassman. I was actually hoping to buy a can, in my color and fixing a scratch while taking pics for this forum. They decided to offer me the products at no cost. I'm sure they are looking for the exposure. Hope they follow through. If not I will buy it anyway when it's available. I'll keep you posted

 

[bgood188]

Below is the end result of fixing with the Spectrum Color match paste. I posted a step by step review at Gel Coat Repair with Spectrum Color Match

 

[Don Caricofe]

We end up paying more for those small dings here in Texas...must be the inland thing with less competition and vendors. But for me, it was a bolt protruding through the rub board on the pier, that was supposed to be countersunk. the nut had apparently fallen off the inside and the hex head bolt was protruding out from the rub board. It had been hit a number of times and was bent, but that made it even less apparent. It scratched the hell out of my black gelcoat. I paid $400 for that and a couple other places to get fixed through the dealer when the boat was less than a season old. Heck, it wasn't even summer yet! I think I had them do that at the 10 hour service, can't remember, but I never approached the dock without fenders again...until about the 3rd year.

 

[Don Caricofe]

We end up paying more for those small dings here in Texas...must be the inland thing with less competition and vendors. But for me, it was a bolt protruding through the rub board on the pier, that was supposed to be countersunk. the nut had apparently fallen off the inside and the hex head bolt was protruding out from the rub board. It had been hit a number of times and was bent, but that made it even less apparent. It scratched the hell out of my black gelcoat. I paid $400 for that and a couple other places to get fixed through the dealer when the boat was less than a season old. Heck, it wasn't even summer yet! I think I had them do that at the 10 hour service, can't remember, but I never approached the dock without fenders again...until about the 3rd year.

Hate to read how lucky you all were with a scratch. Had fenders out and Son going to hold boat. Then here comes a wake. Yep scratch. Only 5 hrs on it. I need a better repair shop for the next time. It cost me 1100.00 to not be able to see the scratch any longer. Praying for a better outcome this year.

 

[txav8r]

@Don Caricofe throw your zip code in your profile page. It will narrow your location a little and there may be members that have dealt with this type thing in your area. Nothing better than a trusted referral. Sorry about the scratch, but it must have been a good one. Just take a breath and know they will get scratched. But that is just cosmetic and can be fixed. Trust me, almost all damage can be fixed. The only issue is cost. Enjoy the boat and put this one behind you!

 

[0627Devildog]

Plenty of paper towels, latex gloves, a few popsicle sticks and small Dixie cups

-Vinyl-ester resin and MEK
-Sand Paper (80 grit/ coarse)
-Sand Paper (180 grit/ medium)
-Sand Paper (360 grit/ fine)
-Sand Paper (1200 grit/ ultra fine) All above is wet/dry
-2-inch Masking Tape
-Gel Coat hardener
-Gel Coat (color matched)
-Acetone (Patch Aid in humid climates)
-Polishing Compound
-Electric or Air Buffer
-Spray gun (touch-up gun) small craft type air brush will work
-3M Finesse-It II Finishing Material
-Marine Paste Wax

I would use a tiny amount of resin to seal the exposed glass, but it isn't 100% necessary...just the way I do things. It may be cost prohibitive to buy it for such a tiny area.

Hey @Glassman got a small nick in my gel-coat below the water line. . . . . It is under the boat in the black part of the hull and is less than half the size of a dime. However it is right on the peak of one of the port side strakes. I know I have to clear the area of loose debris and prep it. . . . but wondering what the best (fastest) course of action for repair is. . . . can I use something other than color match gelcoat and the process above? I am just looking to seal it up to eliminate any water intrusion to the fiberglass and/or prevent any additional gelcoat coming loose underway.

 

[Joshua Miller]

Well, this happened today while I was, you guessed it, pulling into the dock... @bgood188 , this looks a lot like your scratch, so I'm going off your DIY thread as I move forward. As far as the bilge drain, the through hull fitting is stuck pretty good into the hose, replacing the hose is cheap and routing looks simple enough. Found the following parts on yamahasportsplaza,com: Hose F1T-U8366-00-00, Through-Hull GP1-U7616-10-00.

Want to fix this the right way, but don't want to lose what little summer I have left. What can I use to waterproof seal where the scratch digs into the fiberglass? Found this on iboats.com https://www.iboats.com/shop/itw-philadelphia-resins-marine-tex-rapid-set-2-oz-kit.html. Is this bad enough I need to fix it now?