Gelcoat Repair

[SCAngler]

Hi, I'm new here and not sure where to post this question. I have a few nicks in the gelcoat, and would like to do the repair myself. My question is how difficult is it to color match? I have heard of a company that will color match, but I can't locate them (does anyone know of a company) is it worth doing it that way or should I try to color match myself?

Thanks for any help.

If the nicks are not to bad you can use the mix& match gel coats kits. They are real easy to use and with not mutch practice you can get a near perfect match. good luck

[AdamT]

Unless the boat is nearly new the original gelcoat color won't match, because the gelcoat will have faded. The key to color matching is to test your pigment mix on a properly prepared section of the hull, which means a section that you have wet sanded to bring back as much of the original color as possible. So, mix up your color, apply it to the prepared area, and make very small adjustments until you get a perfect (or near-perfect match).

When you apply the gelcoat to the repair it won't quite match (unless you've sanded or compounded the whole boat), but within a relatively short period of time the repair will fade to match the rest of the boat.

Got this advice from Precision Fiberglass DVDs sold at Amazon -- a guy who's been specializing in fiberglass repair for over 30 years and used to sell (maybe still does?) a pigment matching kit. It works.

[Amaruq]

Thanks again to everyone for all the assist, I'll have to get the video before I attempt the repair.