Clear coat removal- top cap restoration! And more!

[UL Ragin Cajun]

You can get gel-coat any color you want or mix it to match. White is pretty easy to find. I would get gel coat with wax in it to fill in the gouges. The wax creates a barrier which isolates gel coat from the air which is necessary for gel to cure properly. You can also get an additive like Dura-tec and it does the same thing and does not require as much sanding as gel-coat with wax. Another option is gelcoat without wax or adding duratec. Place wax paper over it to form a barrier but I've never had much luck with it curing properly.

[21gambler]

So the top of the console, and the whole top cap came off easy. The inside not so much! It was stuck. I think I ruined the inside of the console with chips. I tried to wet sand with 600 and it did nothing except make me more pissed. I don't know what I was thinking. I was just into deep to quit I guess. I called storm the said he can spray it with automotive clear. But I thought that was bad. I don't know what to do

[UL Ragin Cajun]

21 Gambler, you have PM

[21gambler]

Alright ruff day! So I freaked because I don't what I am doing. After three hours of thinking I destroyed my boat, I finally got my crap together. The inside of the console was shredded! I already tried 600-not even close. Tried 400-nope. 220 knocked it down but needed better. Tomorrow gonna have to use 150. I know this sounds crazy but it needed it. A good part of the transom was like this too. (Except for the 150 part of it). Ok so obviously I screwed up and created work for my self, but I can see the light now

As for the rest of the boat, I started with 400. It sounds different then what most people said but it needed it. My plan now is 400,600,1000,1500,2000.

If anyone plans on using razor blades don't ! Lol, jk. If the clear is coming of by the finger nail it would be ok if your our careful. If you need to change blades a lot and apply pressure and it a pain in the ass, it comes off in little pieces or won't come off at all or start to did in the gel STOP! Don't be me, STOP! After screwing up. I tried to do it with 220 and it worked with some elbow grease. I still need to do a little of the inside and the ridge that extends down from to the top cap to the carpet. Tomorrow I will wet sand that with 220 to remove the clear. Not freakin razor blades! ( because it stuck to good).

This is the side after removing a small patch of clear that was stuck. 220 for the clear, then 400, and yes it's wet in the pic.

And yes there is plenty of gel and no the metal flakes are not exposed. There is plenty covering it

[21gambler]

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgThese are the two areas I really screwed up with that razor blade. The console I have wet sanded. I don't know if This will sand out.

The starboard side of the top cap has not been touched. It needs help too.

Does anyone know if these will sand out?
how do I fix this?
if the is re-cleared will they be noticeable?

[21gambler]

The port side is better. But has a few dings this has been done with 600-1000-1500-2000 so far . It actually looks way better, but I can see some sand paper marks

do I keep sanding still to get those out or is some normal? Also what grit if sanding is needed still?

[UL Ragin Cajun]

You have PM brudda. Call me if you have any questions.

[21gambler]

Thanks for the info ragin Cajun, I have decided to go buy some gel coat. I am going to patch my chips. Just want this thing to look nice again. So I guess will be on pause till I get some.

my seats should be back soon.! Yes! Starting to kick around a smart craft gauge too!

[NJfishinGuy]

do all boats have clear gel over the colors the same as auto paint has clear over it? always thought the gel was he only thing there. my boat is exactly the same a yours with the auto. mine isnt peeling everywhere yet but i wanna make it shine!

[21gambler]

I am pretty sure the gel is the only thing there. - if you have clear paint on your boat you have a lot of work ahead of (sorry buddy)- I don't know if you could shine the clear coat on your boat.,pretty sure you can't . When you go to do it PM me .and I will walk you through my mistakes. Good luck

[21gambler]

I am going tomorrow to try to find black gel and white gel. Hopefully I can fix my chips!

[UL Ragin Cajun]

NJ usually the solid gel colors do not have clear over them. Only the metal flake has clear over it.

[21gambler]

I went to land and sea and a gel coat repair kit. And started to patch some of the scrapes. I started with white. Hope this works

[yupitsme]

Today we got a lot done. Is all that's left is the back transom area and the inside. (All the hard stuff....great) then we are going to start wet sanding. I need to trick some of my redneck buddies into helping me. I plan to offer them beer and ribs on the grill. Hope it works!

I took my 209 to S&A Butcher shop. And to remove any doubt about my stupidity I took it back a second time and left it, for 8 months, when the first repair failed. Ended up spending 6k there and got nothing. Spent another 3500.00 for materials and fixed it myself. I would stay faaarrrr away from S&A. But if you go you can't say you weren't warned.

[motomania]

I took my 209 to S&A Butcher shop. And to remove any doubt about my stupidity I took it back a second time and left it, for 8 months, when the first repair failed. Ended up spending 6k there and got nothing. Spent another 3500.00 for materials and fixed it myself. I would stay faaarrrr away from S&A. But if you go you can't say you weren't warned.

-
Aw jeez yup.........I forgot about your fiasco. I remember reading that mess and absolutely shaking my head at what a disaster you had on your hands.:-(

[21gambler]

---------YEPITSME--------- I just got a hold of those guys at s&a leisure. I was going to bring my boat there sat for them to look at. A guy named lee Arthur does there work that pertains to this type of situation. He seemed like he knows what he is talking about. Now I don't know what to do. Uuuuuuggggggggg!!!

[21gambler]

We'll here is where I am at. After today the hole top cap has been wet sanded. We finished with 2000. No rubbing compound or polish from durateck yet. - from 6ft away this baby looks awesome. Put some water on it and it looks brand new. I can't believe what a difference wet sanding made. NIGHT AND DAY. Now with that being said when look close to the boat you can see some of the scrapes, I hate it.

I am torn between just polishing it and let her look good or letting someone work on it. It seems like everyone I want to hire doesn't work out somehow.

anybody have any ideas

[21gambler]

O ya spoke to miss Mary Kay. My seats are almost done

[yupitsme]

---------YEPITSME--------- I just got a hold of those guys at s&a leisure. I was going to bring my boat there sat for them to look at. A guy named lee Arthur does there work that pertains to this type of situation. He seemed like he knows what he is talking about. Now I don't know what to do. Uuuuuuggggggggg!!!

Lee is the butcher that worked on my boat. He could not match the original flake so he flaked the primary color on the top cap then cleared it. It still didn't match but was harder to detect. It took him 3 tries to get the clear on, the other two fogged up. I ended up sanding his clear/flake off and the buffing the original clear. It was a major PITA to do. I couldn't match the original flake either but that was only because the folks a Gambler could not provide the correct flake combinations. I did a "stepped blend" that also makes it hard to detect.

The second time Lee's repairs failed I talked to him on the phone about it. He said the boat was a total loss and that if anyone could fix it where it'd stay fixed for 6 months he'd pay a "portion" of the repairs(He lied about that too!). I had never done structural glass repair in my life before. I replaced 4 stringers and 4 knees. Rebuilt the inner liner and installed 8# foam flotation. If you looked in my rigging compartment today you could not tell the work was done. It is closing in on 5 years since I did that work and the boat is still running strong. I did end up with some stress cracks on the right side transom cap but that was because of running hard, as I could, in some wicked water(worst I've ever been in) on Amistad 2 years ago. Since that time I've been in some pretty rough stuff and the crack have not changed.

A big red flag that should pop up for you at any place you do business.... IF a retail location having the size and scope of S&A Butcher shop does not accept all forms of payment... something ain't right. Scott does not accept credit/debit cards. Checks/cash only - there's a reason. Can't put a stop payment on cash and before you get home the check will have cleared. Recourse though the Florida judicial system is virtually non-existent... Ask me how I know! Lee told me "life time warranty" on the repairs. Scott said "No Way". Of course I'm still holding the bag on that one.

Talk to Dewayne @ Gambler and see if he'll do it on the side. Or see if Bob will schedule it in. They might be slow right now.

[21gambler]

Man can't tell you how thankful I am for telling me that!,I was driving there Saturday. Not anymore. Thank you thank you .