Anyone Re-Gelcoated Their Boat?

[buffler razz]

Has anyone re-gelcoated their drift boat and did you roll on or spray on the gel coat? I made the decision that the outside of my boat is getting done this spring and being a do it yourself guy, I am doing it. I have watched so many videos my head is about to explode. My concern over spraying is the amount of time I have to work with the material before it starts to set up. I can mix small enough batches, spray on, then mix another batch. But is is ok to overlap onto the recently sprayed area? Any tips and words of wisdom appreciated. Thanks!

 

[mcnerney]

Has anyone re-gelcoated their drift boat and did you roll on or spray on the gel coat? I made the decision that the outside of my boat is getting done this spring and being a do it yourself guy, I am doing it. I have watched so many videos my head is about to explode. My concern over spraying is the amount of time I have to work with the material before it starts to set up. I can mix small enough batches, spray on, then mix another batch. But is is ok to overlap onto the recently sprayed area? Any tips and words of wisdom appreciated. Thanks!

I have no help, but would be interested to see how your project goes.

 

[DonW]

If it were me I would look into epoxy coatings rather than gelcoat. I have messed around with both many years ago for gelcoat, gelcoat gone wrong can turn into real mess. I coated the bottom of a canoe with epoxy (west system w/additive they recommended for toughness) for rock protection and it was much easier than gelcoat and the end result has proven to be much tougher and slippery over rocks (easier to pull/drag when hung up).
If you have not worked with either I find epoxy much easier to use with little or no experience. Sorry I would look up what the additive was but my books are all packed up for a move.

 

[rodneyshishido]

It's been a while since I worked with fiberglass, but if I recall correctly, gelcoat sprayed on has a matte finish that has to be buffed to a sheen. There used to be spray guns available that would mix the catalyst with the resin. Most of the people I know who have redone their boats did it with Awlgrip.

 

[tcorfey]

Gelcoat lasts much longer than paint and prep is key to a good finish.

Gelcoat has to be applied very thin, problems I had with spraying were dips and sags when it is too thick, problems with rolling were dimples and runs due to the nature of rollers. Remember that after applying the gelcoat you need to seal it to cure. There are several methods but the best way I have found is to spray over it with Partall Film 10 (a PVA sealant) from Rexco (Rexco - Mold Care Products — Leading North American manufacturer of mold care products. (I bought my materials from Tap Plastics). Rolling the sealant over the gelcoat does not work to well you should spray it.

Here is a brief simplified overview of the process:
So sand and prep the boat really well. Clean the surface really well (biggest issues come from contaminates on the surface like wax, grease or soap), spray on a light covering of gelcoat, spray over the gel coat with the PVA sealant. Allow it to cure (weather conditions dictate time to cure). The PVA sealant I buy is green in color wash this off with a wet rag and hose. Sand any sags, clean the surface again, spray another light coat of gelcoat, spray sealant, let it cure, wash off the sealant, sand any imperfections, clean it again, repeat until you get the desired finish. To test the cure I would wash off a small section of sealant and check the gelcoat if still tacky then recover the small area with sealant and let cure some more. As far as mixing small batches note that gelcoat will not cure until it is sealed so just be careful not to introduce over spray, runs, spotting or dust when overlapping the sections. As with anything practice makes perfect so don't be disappointed if your first few tries are not perfect. Just sand it down and try again. It is not hard to do but it is time consuming and it requires a dedication to being patient. Also note that you can not sand the gelcoat until it is cured so if you make an obvious mistake you will still need to seal it and let it cure before you can sand it down again.

Fiberglass Gel Coat : TAP Plastics

Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) based Parting Films

Regards,

Tim C.

 

[ia_trouter]

I have messed with glass enough on autos and a few boats. There is NO chance I would ever do a large surface area other than spraying. Practice on a piece or scrap until you can do it without making a drippy mess. Make the mess on a piece or plywood, sheet metal or cardboard while you dial the process in. If there is one thing I am sure of, if you put yourself in a position where you need to do widespread sanding or grinding I promise you will hate your life. I would give it a few light spray coats of resin, them some real good quality epoxy. Do it when it's warm out. If you lay it down right you don't need to mess with it and actually want it to flash fast. Please share the progress pics.

P.S. Just typing this post about potentially sanding glass is making my itchy.

 

[buffler razz]

Thanks all. Boat gets flipped this weekend. Will take lots of pictures over next few weeks and post when done.