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Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? #106926
05/14/07 10:56 AM
05/14/07 10:56 AM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 30
Chattanooga, TN
ChattanoogaBill Offline OP
newbie
ChattanoogaBill  Offline OP
newbie

Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 30
Chattanooga, TN
I never should of looked at Airbornes pics of his shiny hulls. I have checked around here in Chattanooga for shops that will do mine but they all say they aren't set up for it, or not large enough shop, or too much work, etc. I did find one fellow that said he would spray it if I did the prep and sanding/polishing, but he didn't have room for the hulls to sit there. So here is my plan. I want to strip the hardware, prep the hulls and haul them to him, let him spray them, I take them back to my shop and sand/polish. Then back again for second and maybe third coat. Is this a viable plan? I think it would save me some real money. Or would it? Thanks.

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ChattanoogaBill] #106927
05/14/07 02:29 PM
05/14/07 02:29 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,911
South Florida & the Keys
arbo06 Offline
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arbo06  Offline
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South Florida & the Keys
paint the hulls instead.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: arbo06] #106928
05/14/07 02:43 PM
05/14/07 02:43 PM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,253
Columbia South Carolina, USA
dave mosley Offline
veteran
dave mosley  Offline
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Columbia South Carolina, USA
Bill Hendix at mainsail marine in greenville SC 864-299-1092, he's the man in the Southeast. Fellow catsailor and all around honest good guy, ask anyone.


The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:27





Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: dave mosley] #106929
05/14/07 03:43 PM
05/14/07 03:43 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,114
BANNED
MauganN20 Offline
Carpal Tunnel
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I highly recommend Bill, but last time I asked, he doesn't like to shoot gelcoat on a big scale.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ChattanoogaBill] #106930
05/14/07 04:53 PM
05/14/07 04:53 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 695
Ft. Pierce, Fl. USA
Seeker Offline
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Seeker  Offline
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Ft. Pierce, Fl. USA
Gelcoat isn't paint...so don't think in terms of paint when using it...it should not be done "In coats" ...when it is sprayed it is best to put it all on at once. The mill thickness is much greater than paint, and you want a chemical bond thru out the gelcoat...you will loose that if it is allowed to thoroughly dry, with sanding between coats. What you will end up with then, is more of a mechanical bond, rather than a chemical bond.

Regards,
Bob

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: Seeker] #106931
05/14/07 07:49 PM
05/14/07 07:49 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 305
toronto, canada
B
basket.case Offline
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basket.case  Offline
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B

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 305
toronto, canada
what do you guys have against paint? it is a hell of a lot less work then re-doing the gel. gel is not supost to be applied out of the mold any way.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: basket.case] #106932
05/14/07 07:53 PM
05/14/07 07:53 PM
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 263
SC
zander Offline
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zander  Offline
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Posts: 263
SC
I re did my N-20 with gel, in hindsight I might would have just painted. Just for information I know Bill Hendrix mostly paints with Imron (sp?). He'll do gelcoat if you beg but his work is absolutely top-notch.


Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.
Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: zander] #106933
05/14/07 10:06 PM
05/14/07 10:06 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 695
Ft. Pierce, Fl. USA
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"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

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: Seeker] #106934
05/14/07 10:39 PM
05/14/07 10:39 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 951
Brisbane, Queensland, Australi...
ncik Offline
old hand
ncik  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2005
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Brisbane, Queensland, Australi...
Exterior house paint all the way! Cheap and easy! Nobody cares what their boat looks like when they're storming along at 20 knots!

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ncik] #106935
05/14/07 10:54 PM
05/14/07 10:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,921
Michigan
PTP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
PTP  Offline
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Michigan
For small repairs I swear by simple, cheap spray paint. This obviously only works if your hulls are white. If faded right- which certainly isn't hard- no one will ever notice. I have done it on a rather large repair on the bow of a 6.0 and multiple places on my 18HT. Not sure I would go that route redoing an entire boat but I did paint my 6.0's daggers with it all over.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ncik] #106936
05/14/07 10:58 PM
05/14/07 10:58 PM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 30
Chattanooga, TN
ChattanoogaBill Offline OP
newbie
ChattanoogaBill  Offline OP
newbie

Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 30
Chattanooga, TN
Gelcoat seems like the way to go for beach cats as I was thinking a few times in too fast would sand off the paint pretty fast. No question though I think the paint would be so much easier. Especially the house paint because I have the airless rig for that! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Great comments, fellas. Please keep 'em coming because I am a little thicker than most. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Thanks.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ChattanoogaBill] #106937
05/15/07 06:44 AM
05/15/07 06:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 241
Largo, Florida
papayamon2 Offline
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papayamon2  Offline
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Largo, Florida
Are you just after shiny hulls? If so, you should just wetsand w/ 600/1000/1500/2000 and polish w/ a buffer. I did that to my Trac Cat in the fall, which was dull and rust stained, and I still get comments on how great it looks every time I take it out.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: papayamon2] #106938
05/15/07 06:59 AM
05/15/07 06:59 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,049
Sebring, Florida.
Timbo Offline
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Sebring, Florida.
What about using epoxy, then sanding it as smooth as glass?


Blade F16
#777
Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: Timbo] #106939
05/15/07 07:17 AM
05/15/07 07:17 AM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,921
Michigan
PTP Offline
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Michigan
Problem with epoxy is that it turns yellow in the sun unless you do paint it. Even the white pigment additive still isn't UV stabilized.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ChattanoogaBill] #106940
05/15/07 07:33 AM
05/15/07 07:33 AM
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,348
F
fin. Offline
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Posts: 3,348
I don't think you'll be satisfied with house paint.

Your airless rig will give a better job than you might think! Depends on your skill level. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> And, I think Imron and Awlgrip can be sprayed with an airless system.

Are you sure you want "shiny"? If you just wet sand any of the these materials with ultra fine sand paper, you get a very smooth, flat finish which hides any number of flaws. Also, it is easier on the eye in bright sun.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: fin.] #106941
05/15/07 10:12 AM
05/15/07 10:12 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 733
Home is where the harness is.....
Will_R Offline
old hand
Will_R  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 733
Home is where the harness is.....
I could probably get you connected with a shop that would do the work if you want. It's ~235 miles away, but they have a shop that can do the work.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: ChattanoogaBill] #106942
05/15/07 10:26 AM
05/15/07 10:26 AM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,074
Northfield,NH USA
bullswan Offline
Pooh-Bah
bullswan  Offline
Pooh-Bah

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,074
Northfield,NH USA
What is wrong with your hulls other than they aren't shiny?
Are they shiny when they are wet?

I had GREAT luck with Vertglass last year and that was easier than painting even. Mine were just oxidized and Vertglass solved my problem when I too was thinking I needed to re-gelcoat. Waxing just wasn't doing it for me.
Jake put me onto the Vertglass and if you do a search for it you can see results from a number of us with shiny hulls.
Good luck.
P.S. $ 75 bucks and The Catsailor on-line store carrys it or else Murrays does.


The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised. - George Will
"It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so" -Ronald Reagan
Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: Seeker] #106943
05/15/07 01:15 PM
05/15/07 01:15 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 305
toronto, canada
B
basket.case Offline
enthusiast
basket.case  Offline
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B

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 305
toronto, canada
Quote
"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.

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: basket.case] #106944
05/15/07 02:05 PM
05/15/07 02:05 PM
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
waterbug_wpb Offline
Carpal Tunnel
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,590
Naples, FL
Jake shot a new coat of blue gelcoat on his boat now racing up the coast in the Tybee 500.

Yes, it was a lot of sanding and prep work, but isn't that true of any good paint job as well?


Jay

Re: Any Gelcoat Finishing Guys Out There? [Re: waterbug_wpb] #106945
05/15/07 02:18 PM
05/15/07 02:18 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 695
Ft. Pierce, Fl. USA
Seeker Offline
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Posts: 695
Ft. Pierce, Fl. USA
"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."

Sorry, I just finished re-gel-coating my 24' Seabird inside and out...that was like doing 6 twenty foot cats at the same time...it can be done, and is done...I don't know if you are familiar with, or have used the Duratec products, but they changed the whole viability of using gelcoat for refinishing. I am not trying to dismiss your boatbuilding experience, but I have been using fiberglass for 41 years, and have also been in professional boatbuilding.

It may not be the most popular way to refinish; it certainly is a viable alternative to paint.

Regards, Bob
Here is my proof...does this look like the side of a 1972 hull that has baked in the Florida sun its entire life? Please excuse the dirt on the hull...I just poped outside to take this picture and didn't have a chance to wash the boat first....

[Linked Image]

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