GEL COATING THE BOTTOM

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I KNOW SOME OF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO OR HAVE GEL COATED THEIR ENTIRE BOAT. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I TALKED TO SOMEONE TODAY HERE IS SOUTH FLORIDA THAT SPRAYS GEL COAT AND IS GOING TO COME OVER AND GIVE ME A QUOTE ON DOING JUST THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT WITH GEL COAT. AS YOU GUYS KNOW I HAVE BEEN PAINTING THE INSIDE AND THE SIDES OF THE HULL BUT GEL COATING THE BOTTOM COULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME SINCE IT IS THICKER AND HARDER TO DAMAGE THAN PAINT, EVEN WHEN IT IS THE TWO PART EPOXY TYPE PAINT I AM USING. I HAVE NOT USED ANY EPOXY ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT YET SO GEL COAT WOULD STICK TO IT WELL
MY QUESTIONS ARE
HOW OR WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE THAT SOME ONE WOULD USE TO GEL COAT THE OUTSIDE OF THE HULL.
IS THERE DIFFERENT METHODS, PRODUCTS, AND PROCEDURES THAT COULD BE USED OR IS IT JUST TO APPLY THE STUFF WITH A SPRAY GUN AND THEN SAND SAND SAND, BUFF, BUFF, AND THEN BUFF? AND HOW MUCH SHOULD IT COST TO GEL COAT THE BOTTOM OF A 23 ‘ ???
THANKS FELLOW-SHIP [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Trayder]

Hello Ken-

I knew one of your guys would lean toward the gel coat side sooner or later [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] The way I am planning on doing it is the same way I have seen it done. There are other ways, please keep that in mind.

Sand the hull fair with 80grit. Mix Gel coat and thin with acetone, test for proper mixture adhesion and sprayability. Spray on one coat, let the Acetone flash off, spray another coat, let acetone flash and so on until you reach the desired thickness. Then spray the boat with a Blue Dye, provided the hull is white, if not, spray on a dye that contrasts with the new gelcoat color. Now we must sand the blue dye off evenly, the blue dye accentuates the peaks and valleys. Sand up to 1000 grit then compound and wax. Whallah new gel coat. Its labor intensive but so is Awlgrip, no?

[FELLOW-SHIP]

THANKS TRAYDER FOR THE INFO. GOT ANOTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU. WHAT ABOUT THE ADHERING TO THE BOAT WE KNOW EPOXY STICKS TO EVERYTHING AND AFTER YOU RUFF IT UP A LITTLE THE PAINT WILL STICK TO IT VERY WELL. BUT WHEN YOU RE GEL COAT A OLDER BOAT LIKE OURS WOULDN’T THERE BE A PROBLEM IN IT STICKING OR CHIPPING OR CRACKING OFF???
FELLOWSHIP

[Trayder]

Gel-Coat is a form of Polyester resin of sorts. There should be no issues provided you are appling it to a polyester based surface, which you are. As long as you roughed up the surface with 80 grit and there is no trace of wax, which there certainly shouldn't be after prepping with 80 grit, you will have a real factory finish that is very easy to repair, heavens forbid you scratch or ding the finish [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[hermco]

Trayder,
Before attenpting to spray a gelcoat finish you should be ready to spend a lot of time.Wipe the surface with a dewaxer after sanding then acetone then add a product to the gelcoat that will allow a finish with less "orange peel" so you can flatten the job with less sanding.I use a product all the time called "Patch booster" good stuff.Otherwise you will be sanding the orange peel forever and wish you had gone with the Awlgrip.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

THANKS GUYS FOR THE INFO. I GOT A GUY THAT WILL STOP BY AT THE END OF THE WEEK TO LOOK AT THE BOTTOM AND GIVE ME A QUOTE TO DO WHATEVER FAIRING NEEDED AND GEL COATING THE BOTTOM. I TOLD HIM THAT I WILL DO THE SANDING. IF HE GIVES ME A GOOD QUOTE I THINK I WILL HAVE HIM DO THE SPRAY JOB. I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME FOR MY KEYS TRIP IN THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE. IF THE GEL COAT IS ON I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BOTTOM SITTING IN SALT WATER FOR A WEEK WHEN I AM DOWN THERE.
FELLOW-SHIP [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[FELLOW-SHIP]

OK GUYS THERE IS THE PROGRESS REPORT THIS WEEKEND I HAD GREAT WEATHER “I EVEN PRAYED OH GOD DON’T LET IT RAIN” ANYWAY I WAS ABLE TO PAINT THE FINAL COATS OF PAINT ON THE INSIDE OF THE BOAT BOTH THE GLOSSY PARTS AND THE NONSKID. IT CAME OUT PRETTY GOOD I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE JOB. I ALSO WAS ABLE TO PAINT THE FIRST COAT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOAT AND IT CAME OUT LOOKING GREAT. SO THIS WEEKEND I WILL BE ABLE TO SAND, SAND, SAND AND MAYBE ON SUNDAY BE ABLE TO PAINT THE FINAL COAT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOAT. I DECIDE TO HAVE THE BOTTOM GEL COATED AND WILL DROP OFF THE BOAT TO GET THAT DONE. AFTER CONSIDERING ALL FACTORS (FOR ME) GEL COATING THE BOTTOM MAKES A LOT OF SENSE ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT. I DON’T HAVE ANY MEANS TO TAKE THE BOAT OFF THE TRAILER TO WORK ON IT, AND AT A MARINA THEY WANT BOATS IN AND OUT NOT REALLY WANTING WEEKENDERS TYING UP THERE SPACE.
FELLOW-SHIP [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[FELLOW-SHIP]

I MUST HAVE GOOFED AND PUT THE ABOVE POST ON TWO DIFFERENT TOPICS.
I WANTED TO POST SOMETHING TO TRAYDER

HA TRAYDER I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS FOR YOU SUGGESTION ON GEL COAT. I DECIDED TO HAVE A LOCAL GUY GEL COAT THE BOTTOM OF THE BOAT FOR ME. IT MAKES SENSE TO ME TO GEL COAT THE BOTTOM DUE TO ALL THE TRAILER ACTIVITY THAT THIS BOAT WELL GET. I WILL PROBABLY PUT IT IN THE WATER 40 TO 50 TIMES A YEAR AND THAT IS A LOT OF RUBBING OF PAINT ON THE BUNKS. GEL COAT WILL BE A MUCH BETTER MATERIAL FOR THAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY, PLUS IT WILL NOT REACT TO SALT WATER AS BADLY AS PAINT WHEN I LEAVE IT IN THE WATER FOR A WEEK OR SO WHEN GOING DOWN TO THE KEYS OR TO THE BAHAMAS. THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT.
FELLOW-SHIP