"gel is not supost to be applied out of the mold any way"
Just because the vast majority of gelcoat is used in "female" molding doesn't mean it is not suitable for exterior surface application. You could say it is not amateur friendly, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its place in hull refinishing.
The obvious problem with gelcoat is that it takes different techniques and equipment that most people are not familiar with. It might not be as "easy" as painting...but it is easier to repair. Most of the really good Polyurethanes like Awlgrip that have high abrasion resistance but can not be "buffed out", so seamless repairs require repainting the entire hull...those paints that can be “buffed out” do not have the abrasion resistance that gel coat gives. A gelcoat finish gives you the best of both...easily repairable and good abrasion resistance. A skilled applicator with proper equipment and product can produce results that rival a brand new boat.
Regards,
Bob
bob, after having been a boatbuilder for 18 odd years, there is no way i would shoot gel out of mold except for small repairs. i would not do a whole boat. to shoot the whole boat with gel and have it look good you need to sand the whole boat to get the gel to stick, spray the gel, wet sand the gel with 320, 400, 600, then buff. somewhere in there you will sand through. no doubt about it, no mater how good you are or think you are, you will sand through. so you need to scuff it back up where you will need to blow it back in. then you start to sand in again. well, [censored] chances are you will sand through somewhere close to the repair again.
guys that do auto body dont repaint the whole panel for a scratch.
