“How do I fix a small [chip, gash, gouge, scratch] in my gelcoat?”
This question is asked a lot in these forums, so figured I’d offer a simple 10-step instruction using an “everything included” kit, such as the Evercoat Marine Gelcoat Repair Kit. You can find these kits online, or at most local boating centers, and some auto parts stores. This kit contains a tube of clear “gel paste”, which can be mixed with the included catalyst and cures to a clear gelcoat finish. Or it can be tinted prior to adding catalyst – using one or a mixture of primary pigments included in the kit, along with release film, mixing sticks, blending chart & instructions.
This explanation is for repairing a scratch that has penetrated through the original clear gelcoat, polyflake, and basecoat resin on your boat, possibly exposing fiberglass fibers.
Practice makes perfect:
Mix very small batches of the pigments in the kit until it matches your boat’s base gelcoat. A little goes a long way, so use small amounts. If you are lucky, your base tint is simply black. Pigment is added to the gelcoat resin BEFORE catalyst is added, so you need the pigment tinted correctly first.
For small repairs in polyflake, try using craft glitter – no joke! I bought craft glitter that was the correct size and color (red and silver) at a local ‘mart and mixed them together to match my boat perfectly. Cost was about $5. If you need to mix glitter colors together, do that first. Wet a small area of your boat with water, and throw ‘flake on there – this will give you a good idea of how well it will match your existing hull’s polyflake. There are other sources for polyflake as well – search these forums for more info.
Fold a small piece of cardboard in a vee and pour some glitter in there before you start. Use a drinking straw to blow the glitter into the wet resin. If you are repairing a topside visible area, definitely practice mixing resin and glitter on something else first! A waxy piece of cardboard works good for a mixing board.
Prep:
· Tape off the surrounding area, approximately ½” away from the existing gouge using painter’s tape.
· Sand down any fiberglass strands protruding, and rough up the surrounding area (about ¼” away from the gouge) with 180 grit sandpaper.
· Clean the repair area with acetone and a clean, lint-free paper towel.
· Have a couple of mixing cups or mylar mixing boards and stir sticks ready.
The 10-step Repair:
1. THOROUGHLY mix tinted pigment with the gel coat paste.
2. THOROUGHLY mix catalyst with pigmented gel coat paste. Scrape mixing stick on the edge of mixing cup or board and re-stir to ensure complete mix of resin and catalyst.
3. Smear a thin coat of gel coat paste into the exposed repair area – just enough to cover exposed fibers.
4. Blow the glitter onto the wet resin
5. Cover the resin with a piece of mylar, and flatten the glitter into the resin a bit.
6. Immediately and carefully peel the mylar off
7. Quickly and thoroughly mix a batch of clear gel coat paste and catalyst
8. Spread a thick layer of gel coat paste to fill the repair depth.
9. Cover with mylar and smooth over it to conform with surrounding surface – use a small squeegee or piece of cardboard to smooth over the mylar. Leave mylar on until gelcoat is completely cured!
10. Remove mylar - wet-sand, compound, polish and wax as needed to complete the repair.
In some cases, you may get away with very little sanding, depending on how well you smoothed and matched the clear gelcoat height to the surrounding surface. I've done some minor bottom-side repairs that required almost no sanding at all.
Take a look at the Bassboat Restoration forum for great info on wet-sanding, compounding and polishing from some pros.
These kits have worked good for me over the years. Obviously, you decide the best method to repair your boat – but I hope this tutorial helps if you have a simple repair.
Here's a link to a post from a forum member who used this technique with excellent results. Pics included. http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread....844&highlight=
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Originally Posted by Mickstix
