Gel Coat Repair

[DOUGMCGEEFTD]

TTodd,

How have you approached blocking? I am in a very similar stage in my restoration and the sanding is taking forever, even with 80 grit as DOUGMCGEEFTD suggested.

get you a body file in line air sander. We use the hutchins but you can get the cheap dual piston ones from harbor freight that might last thru 1 job.Generally da sand the roughness off then file and hand block. If lots its need then alternate between them. When all scratches from sanding run same way makes cutting much slower and uses more paper. You can pass a da over it knock out some straightine scratches and then start blocking again with quicker results.

[DOUGMCGEEFTD]

Dry with 80 but now have started wet with 220 because it is getting close and the wet sanding makes it slick and I can feel better.

I would go back over with 80 before spraying again. Not enough anchor profile in 220 prep for gelcoat but hey that's just me

[TTodd]

I would go back over with 80 before spraying again. Not enough anchor profile in 220 prep for gelcoat but hey that's just me

Thanks I just used the 220 because I thought it was very close but I scuff it before applying the next coat. 150 grit around the outside where it has to be feathered.

[Dh0ckey11]

get you a body file in line air sander. We use the hutchins but you can get the cheap dual piston ones from harbor freight that might last thru 1 job.Generally da sand the roughness off then file and hand block. If lots its need then alternate between them. When all scratches from sanding run same way makes cutting much slower and uses more paper. You can pass a da over it knock out some straightine scratches and then start blocking again with quicker results.

Thanks for the tip! I unfortunately have already spent the weekend brute forcing the situation with a belt sander and a 100$ of sandpaper. 80 grit belt on the flat sections, then finished with 80 grit on a finish sander. The chines were mostly done with the same method, but the tight spots were, so far, by hand. Haven't quite finished that bit, but it's going ok.

[Ranchhand02]

Are you spraying the gel coat on or are you brushing it on?

[TTodd]

Are you spraying the gel coat on or are you brushing it on?

Brushing on now and blocking. I will spray the last two to three coats so I have less blocking and wet sanding before buffing.

[Ranchhand02]

How many coats do you think you will have to put on total? How smooth are you sanding it between coats?

[TTodd]

If I would have been better with the filler I would have been done but my skills with body work suck. I have put six so far but getting really close. I hope by Thursday to be spraying the last coats.

[Ranchhand02]

So your saying you should have put more filler in to bring it close to the same level as the factory gel and then added a few layers of gel?

[TTodd]

Yes and I thought I did but! More work doing it this way but the gel will be plenty think.

[TTodd]

So here is where I'm at with the gel coat. I have applied filler to clean glass and blocked down to what I thought was good to apply gel. The reason I say this is so you won't make the same mistake I did. Take your time and make very sure that the filler is perfect and you wont have as many coats of gel to put on and block. I have applied seven coats of gel after the filler to get the low spots filled that I thought I had done. Blocking after the first three coats and then apply more gel. I'm blocking the last time before spraying the last two or three coats depends on after I get finished blocking. Here are some pics during the blocking process and when almost to the stage of spraying. This has been a very labor intensive job and I have to give it to the guys that do it everyday for a living. Would I do it again YES because I have learned so much doing this myself and in the future I will have a better understanding of fixing the gel of other boats I own. Thanks to DOUGMCGEEFTD for his help and any questions that I could help with just ask.
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[PowellSixO]

Looking good. Keep it up. Do you think I could ask for one favor please ? Do you think you could take a picture of the gel after you spray it on. I've always been curious as to what the texture of sprayed gel looks like before all the sanding and polishing. If you have the time and remember when it comes time, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. Keep up the awesome work

[TTodd]

Looking good. Keep it up. Do you think I could ask for one favor please ? Do you think you could take a picture of the gel after you spray it on. I've always been curious as to what the texture of sprayed gel looks like before all the sanding and polishing. If you have the time and remember when it comes time, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. Keep up the awesome work

Yes I will take pics after the spraying and after wet sanding and after buffing.

[TTodd]

Here are some pictures of the gel after spraying. I took these up close and some back so you could see the way it laid down.
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[TTodd]

Gatorbak Bunk Material ordered today and they are having a spring sale you save 10% off your order. He answered all of my questions and is going to try to send them out today. I just ordered them at 12:00 PM. Going to start wet sanding and buffing this evening and will post results.

[DOUGMCGEEFTD]

Gatorbak Bunk Material ordered today and they are having a spring sale you save 10% off your order. He answered all of my questions and is going to try to send them out today. I just ordered them at 12:00 PM. Going to start wet sanding and buffing this evening and will post results.

I would recommend knocking the texture off mostly with 180 and then 320 on a da then wet sand from there. Otherwise you will be there a while

[PowellSixO]

Looking good. Can't wait to see the final product. Thanks for posting the pictures of the sprayed gel.

[Ranchhand02]

Did you have to thin the gel before you sprayed it?

[TTodd]

Thinned the last coat so it would lay better with less sanding. Still blocking and looking good, not perfect but very happy with the results so far.

[TTodd]

This is after wet sanding with 220 lightly and then with 600 and 800 then 1500. Going to start buffing tomorrow afternoon and see where I'm at. May have to sand a few spots maybe not.

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