gelcoats

[ssfoxrunner]

I have a 2000 model boat that has a flat gelcoat finish. I was wondering if I should have it painted. Would the paint stick to a boat used in saltwater or would it be a waste of money?

[REEL DEAL]

have someone sand and buff it....it will shine again

[unleashed]

A good paint job will last many years and look better than new gel

[Cracker Larry]

A good paint job will last many years and look better than new gel

That's a fact!

[fireboat]

A ten year old boat should have a fair amount of life left in the gelcoat. I agree with Reel Deel, sanding and compounding will make it shine again.

[SCAngler]

A ten year old boat should have a fair amount of life left in the gelcoat. I agree with Reel Deel, sanding and compounding will make it shine again.

Ditto

[Seahorse1]

Hey runner,

Use compund Aqua Buff 1000, have a spray bottle with water in it, use a paint brush to apply just a few spots working a 2 sq/ft at a time, spray a little water, spread with a buffer slow speed, when hazed, buff at high speed to show high gloss.

When you're done with the boat, follow with Meguiar's MIRROR GLAZE #3, the same way with the buffer, no water spray.

To protect from UV and the enviroment, use Collinite's Fiber Glass Wax # 925. (stuff it's great)

My boat is a 2000, gelcoat not bad but needed attention, did not need to sand. Use the Aqua Buff 1000 and repeat until you see what u want, don't hit the corners or edges too hard, will bring out

(the black) fiberglass lamination under glecoat.

Nelson

[Guitar Picker]

don't hit the corners or edges too hard

Now how would you know that fact LOL

[Seahorse1]

Say you're near an edge on your deck, you are buffing a flat suface and removing compound to get your gloss, when you hit that edge don't use full strengh and speed of the flat part of the buffing pad, use the egde of your pad and use a sweeping motion left 2 right a couple of times you're good, there is a lot less friction yet will get gloss easily, in fact I stay away from edges cause in nature they don't loose the gloss like the top of the deck or a side panel, etc. Another factor in gelcoat finish it's the quality of that gelcoat, I remember at Bertram they changed gelcoat supplier five times in one year, my supervisor complained to the purchasing coordinator in product development because he said they tried to cut a corner and in the end for the warranty given to the customer would have problems ehead with fading, discoloring, pigment yellowing, the problem was they bought tanker loads of it, once you started producing, you had to stay with the same for a while to make sure hulls, floors, decks and flybridges match in color, he was a chemist engineer and knew what he was talking about, but you know all we can do it's keep our stuff in good shape and whenever i see someone has simple question, if i know it and can save you $$, will tell you.

take care

Nelson

hey bud, almost forgot, an inner edge has a lot less gelcoat above the lamination (black) than an outer edge, for example were your inside panel meets the floor is an inner edge, when the gelcoat painter is spraying the mold is easier to put product on the outer edge at the part, wich is the inner edge in the mold. may be confusing and may sound contraditive, but the mold is always the reverse of what you see in your boat.

[Jaime Lyn]

Hey runner,

Use compund Aqua Buff 1000, have a spray bottle with water in it, use a paint brush to apply just a few spots working a 2 sq/ft at a time, spray a little water, spread with a buffer slow speed, when hazed, buff at high speed to show high gloss.

When you're done with the boat, follow with Meguiar's MIRROR GLAZE #3, the same way with the buffer, no water spray.

To protect from UV and the enviroment, use Collinite's Fiber Glass Wax # 925. (stuff it's great)

My boat is a 2000, gelcoat not bad but needed attention, did not need to sand. Use the Aqua Buff 1000 and repeat until you see what u want, don't hit the corners or edges too hard, will bring out

(the black) fiberglass lamination under glecoat.

Nelson

Ditto, I've had great results using the Aqua Buff products. They also have a 2000 grit (polish) that you can use followed by the 1000 grit application.