| Gelcoat #218461 08/28/10 11:06 PM 08/28/10 11:06 PM |
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn Karl_Brogger OP
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Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn | I bought a small can of white gelcoat from West Marine today, and my understanding was that it doesn't need the wax layer over the top to harden up. This'll sound bad....... but I just can't get it hard! Do I need the wax? Or am I not adding enough catalyst? I'm just touching up a daggerboard tip and some edges that got bunged up, so I'm just dabbing it on and not spraying. I'm mixing 3 or 4 ounces at a time, and probably putting in ~10 drops or so of the catalyst. The directions on the back says it should go off in 10 minutes, and I'm left with a rubbery product after an hour. Temp is about 80F, humidity was 60% or so. I'm scared, confused, pissed off, and armed.
I'm boatless.
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Karl_Brogger]
#218463 08/28/10 11:44 PM 08/28/10 11:44 PM |
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 216 Lakewood, Colorado MUST429
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Posts: 216 Lakewood, Colorado | Wax paper laid over the wet gel always works for me. Just be sure to lay it on smoothly so there aren't any air bubbles under the paper. leaves voids that require another "dose" of gel. either that, or grind up one of your Viagra tabs and stir it into the mix !
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain
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[Re: SurfCityRacing]
#218470 08/29/10 05:12 AM 08/29/10 05:12 AM |
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 5,525 pgp
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Posts: 5,525 | Apply some heat from a hair dryer. Gently.
Pete Pollard Blade 702
'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.
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[Re: pgp]
#218473 08/29/10 07:48 AM 08/29/10 07:48 AM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 12,310 South Carolina Jake
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Posts: 12,310 South Carolina | Apply some heat from a hair dryer. Gently. Good advice up there...but heat won't fix what appears to me an air inhibited cure. Once that has happened, there is no going back unless it involves chemicals to strip it off. I have had failure of the wax eat my lunch and steal my girlfriend before (or failure to correctly follow some of the advice listed above). I much prefer to top coat the repair with PVA or use Duratech additive - i feel they are much more reliable options to the wax.
Last edited by Jake; 08/29/10 07:49 AM.
Jake Kohl | | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Jake]
#218475 08/29/10 08:30 AM 08/29/10 08:30 AM |
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn Karl_Brogger OP
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Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn | Thanks guys, and Pete. I wouldn't be surprised if the stuff was old. Boating in Minnesota is extremely popular, virtually everyone has a boat of some variation, but most are aluminum fishing boats, and I don't know anyone up here who does their own repairs on glass. There just is many places to source supplies, being new to this a bit unnerving as well. Wood is so simple in comparison. I thought I was mixing well enough, both when it was in the can prior to adding the catalyst, and after it was added. I'll try pouring it off in a seperate container once mixed, and then covering it with some plastic after its applied.
I'm boatless.
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Karl_Brogger]
#218476 08/29/10 09:16 AM 08/29/10 09:16 AM |
Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 216 Lakewood, Colorado MUST429
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Posts: 216 Lakewood, Colorado | and then covering it with some plastic after its applied. DO NOT Use Plastic If you do, you will be even more unhappy than you already are. Wax paper is the only way to go.
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain
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[Re: MUST429]
#218479 08/29/10 10:26 AM 08/29/10 10:26 AM |
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn Karl_Brogger OP
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Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn | Is parchment paper the same thing as wax paper? I'm thinking not.
I'm boatless.
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[Re: Karl_Brogger]
#218480 08/29/10 10:30 AM 08/29/10 10:30 AM |
Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 921 Alachua, FL Mugrace72
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Posts: 921 Alachua, FL | Is parchment paper the same thing as wax paper? I'm thinking not. Wax paper is Wax paper Karl. You get it at the grocery store next to the tin foil.
Jack Woehrle Hobie Wave #100, Tiger Shark III HCA-NA 5022-1 USSailing 654799E Alachua FL/Put-In-Bay | | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Mugrace72]
#218485 08/29/10 11:05 AM 08/29/10 11:05 AM |
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 5,525 pgp
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Posts: 5,525 | ...next to the parchment. Parchment is used in baking; in the oven.
Pete Pollard Blade 702
'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Mugrace72]
#218496 08/29/10 05:04 PM 08/29/10 05:04 PM |
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn Karl_Brogger OP
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Posts: 4,118 Northfield Mn | Wax paper is Wax paper Karl. You get it at the grocery store next to the tin foil. Right, I know where my hats come from. I was just fishing around in the pantry, (I wrote panty the 1st time, which'd be odd if I came across parchment), anyway, and I found parchment paper. It worked, nothing stuck to it. Blue 3M masking tape refused to sick so I figured it'd work. The stuff I put down last night was rock hard this morning, so I roughed out the sanding and figured out where I needed to build it up more yet and laid down a second coat. I put in way more hardener than I thought I needed, and I probably did go too much because it started to thicken in a few minutes. It was also 90F today, but that set hard in 1/2hr, which was helped a bit by the sun. They aren't perfect, but both have tips again. I need to do some more touch ups yet, but I'm leaving for Nebraska tomorrow morning, so thats not going to happen. Thanks again for the help guys!
I'm boatless.
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Karl_Brogger]
#218511 08/30/10 03:58 AM 08/30/10 03:58 AM |
Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 5,525 pgp
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Posts: 5,525 | rate of reaction = heat of reaction
Pete Pollard Blade 702
'When you have a lot of things to do, it's best to get your nap out of the way first.
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Karl_Brogger]
#218518 08/30/10 07:18 AM 08/30/10 07:18 AM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 48 Minneapolis, MN B Carlson
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Posts: 48 Minneapolis, MN | [quote=Mugrace72]
The stuff I put down last night was rock hard this morning, If its still rock hard after 4 hours call a doctor. | | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: B Carlson]
#218553 08/30/10 09:04 AM 08/30/10 09:04 AM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 833 St. Louis, MO, Mike Hill
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Posts: 833 St. Louis, MO, | Grab some of your girl's hair spray. Spray it on there. Then apply just a little heat from a hair dryer. Don't go melting anything. That will start the reaction. Wait 24 hours then sand.
Mike Hill N20 #1005
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[Re: TEH]
#218577 08/30/10 11:40 AM 08/30/10 11:40 AM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 833 St. Louis, MO, Mike Hill
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Posts: 833 St. Louis, MO, | No better or worse really. I like it better because it comes in an airasol(sp?) spray can. So I can just keep it in my kit and it's ready to go. You can mist it lightly and it gets a decent finish.
Mike Hill N20 #1005
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: Karl_Brogger]
#218579 08/30/10 11:53 AM 08/30/10 11:53 AM |
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 291 JACKFLASH
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Posts: 291 | I think your ratio's are off. When using layup resin one ounce of resin would use 10 drops of hardner. I would assume that gelcoat would be a similar property. Pledge in the spray can is a great air inhibitor and readily available.
Collin Casey Infusion Platform + C2 rig and rags = one fast cookie
| | | Re: Gelcoat
[Re: B Carlson]
#218582 08/30/10 12:23 PM 08/30/10 12:23 PM |
Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 921 Alachua, FL Mugrace72
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Posts: 921 Alachua, FL | [quote=Karl_Brogger]
If its still rock hard after 4 hours call a doctor. Grab some of your girl's hair spray. Spray it on there. Then apply just a little heat from a hair dryer. Don't go melting anything. That will start the reaction. Wait 24 hours then sand. Do you still have to go to the doctor?
Jack Woehrle Hobie Wave #100, Tiger Shark III HCA-NA 5022-1 USSailing 654799E Alachua FL/Put-In-Bay | | |
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