I am afraid that I started something slightly ugly when I mentioned how knees and elbows dent my hulls. This segued into a full on beach invasion type landing. Later on Matt M mentioned fairing out dents. How is this done?
Does one slop on gelcoat like he is repairing drywall?
I know that with automotive paint that there are a zillion colors of white. Does one need to find the right gelcoat for the best color match?
Up till now, I have been using Marine-tex to repair rudder dings, etc but I haven't tried fairing out dents in a foam cored boat. I have read about people doing bottom jobs but what about these smaller repairs.

I use an ultralight body filler.

My "white" gelcoat seems to have a small amout of yellow tint, usually availble at your marine store.

Automotive body fillers use talc which retains moisture and should not be used for marine use. You can mix your own lightweight filler by adding glass bubbles to resin or you can use a propriety marine filler such as International Watertite.

Cheshirecatman

Both of these solutions would then require some painting? Interlux is the equivalent of International here in the colonies.


In the land locked prairies there is no such thing as the local marine store. Tractor parts we got, boat parts not so much.

You can mix your gelcoat (or repair material) with an acrylic tint ... from your local paint and crafts store.

I'll have to look at what color I picked up ... matched the Blade gelcoat pretty good with just a couple of drops [you'll need to experiment a bit to get the closest shade of "white"]

You did not start something ugly, BC.

It's just education.

Instructions on how to use a product, what ways not to use it or what ways to avoid using it, and how to maintain it if a problem should happen.

Cool headed, nothing more. The only way it gets ugly is if you give hotheaded responses credibility by responding to them in any way less than positively, IMO.

And that's my last public thought on this! Smile, it's a beautiful ocean out there, isn't it? I'd love to be on it everyday if I could. It's just work and bills that interfere...

Through the powers of YouTube I have discovered some instructional videos. West has their own series but I felt that Tap plastics was more suitable for this occasion.

Haven't figured out the embedded video thing so here is the link.

Perhaps Marcus or Phill could confirm but I have been told that if you heat the dent with a hair drier not long after it has happened, it will return to it's original state. Be carefull not to blister the gelcoat. Should be OK with a hair dryier but take cation with a heat gun.

Steve - I have heard of this method too. It was some time back & i would have thought would depend on the type of foam to get the best result.

What type of foam i am not sure. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />