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  1. #1
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    can i clear coat my boat

    Gel is gone and i can feel flake. What clear coat is best, and how many coats? Can i do it without baking? No, I cant afford gel

  2. Member arjone01's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    #2
    It’ll look great for about 2-3 months. Auto clear does not flex and will delaminate and crack. I’ve sanded off my share of auto clear to restore gelcoat. Only clear you can do that will last will be gel resin. So yes, you can, but no, you shouldn’t. You’ll be hating the way it looks more after it starts splitting and peeling within a year.

  3. Member
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    #3
    I wouldn’t go the automotive clear route. Seen it shortly after applying. No bueno

  4. Member
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    Apr 2006
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    New Albany MS
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    #4
    I've clear coated 4 boats with a product called Diamond Finish. https://www.kbs-coatings.com/DiamondFinish-Clear.html It's made for metal and fiberglass surfaces. It's dries really hard but has flex in the product and won't crack. One boat is on it's 4th year and with a good waxing every 6 months it still looks great. Gell is the best way but at 2500-4000 to gel a complete top cap....this is the best way to go. The directions I've used are on their web site. It's all in the prep work. Guys say you can't but large boats in the gulf and custom race boats have had painted hulls for 30+ years with good success. Agin it's in the prep work that makes or breaks a clear coat finish. Automotive clear will not work! It doesn't flex on plastic or fiberglass. The DF product is the only clear i've seen ,that will hold up to the marine environment. You can cut and polish the finish in 24-48 hours and it's got a mirror finish. I've not had one boat I applied this to peel or crack yet in 4+ years.

  5. Member crank68's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    #5
    Clearing would be my last resort however the above product is great choice.
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  6. Member
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    Mar 2014
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    Kewadin Michigan
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    #6
    clear coat works on fiberglass, not on gel coat. Lots of people get this completely wrong. If ya feel like grinding off all the gel coat then have at it. If not, do the prep work yourself. Take it to a good boat shop, they will do some final prep work and let them shoot it with about 6 mills of gel and do your own finish work.

  7. Member
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    Mar 2014
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    Northern Minnesota
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    #7
    You are going to have $300-400 in paint to auto clear it. Add another $200 for supplies to do it correctly. redoing the gel coat yourself is probably easier to get a good finish and it will last. The best body shops would have a hard time getting a good clear finish on your boat due to surface contamination reacting with the clear coat and catalyst.
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  8. Member eliteangler's Avatar
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    Feb 2008
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by gaf11 View Post
    I've clear coated 4 boats with a product called Diamond Finish. https://www.kbs-coatings.com/DiamondFinish-Clear.html It's made for metal and fiberglass surfaces. It's dries really hard but has flex in the product and won't crack. One boat is on it's 4th year and with a good waxing every 6 months it still looks great. Gell is the best way but at 2500-4000 to gel a complete top cap....this is the best way to go. The directions I've used are on their web site. It's all in the prep work. Guys say you can't but large boats in the gulf and custom race boats have had painted hulls for 30+ years with good success. Agin it's in the prep work that makes or breaks a clear coat finish. Automotive clear will not work! It doesn't flex on plastic or fiberglass. The DF product is the only clear i've seen ,that will hold up to the marine environment. You can cut and polish the finish in 24-48 hours and it's got a mirror finish. I've not had one boat I applied this to peel or crack yet in 4+ years.
    So... I went to the website that your link points to. I didn't see anywhere that it says it's safe to use on gel-coat. So... just curious, but do you have to sand the gel completely before applying this? I am seriously considering this stuff if it actually works. Can you post pictures of a finished project? Thanks.
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  9. Member crank68's Avatar
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    #9
    Call the manufacturer..
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  10. Member
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    Apr 2006
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    New Albany MS
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    #10
    I contacted Diamond Clear's tech folks 2 years 4+ years ago just to verify it could be applied over gel cote. They said no issues as long as prep work is done. My prep has been on the 4 bass boats I shot this finish on goes like this....Remove everything you don't want this finish to get upon. It is hard to remove. Clean the boat with a scuff pad and there Klean Kote cleaner...10 to 1 warm water. Rinse and let it dry several day. Sand with 600-1200 wet sandpaper...dry works ak but can leave slight sand scratches. I used 600 wet. The entire surface has to be sanded well. The gel cote will have a very milky dull finish when done correctly. Now wash the boat again with Klean Kote with a rag, sponge, whatever you wash your cars with will be fine. I wash the sanded areas 2 separate times. I let it dry a week. When ready to spray...tack off the area to spray...make sure u taped off every area that you don't want cleared.... I spray with a with a DeVibiss Finishline HVLP gun. Set HVLP guns at 25-32 PSI. KEY to spraying...spray light to med coats only. Let dry to touch before next light to med coat around 1-3 hrs depending on humidity. Spray 2-4 more coats. You want a 2.5-4 mil finish. DO NOT spray heavy or it will appear milky. Learned that the hard way! You can cut and polish in 24 hrs. I wait 3-4 days. If I can post a pic I'll try. Send me a PM and I can send you pics of a boat I just finished. Gel is always best but if you aren't wanting to spend the expense or the labor intensive time to spray, sand, polish gel coat. This has been my best way. Used Dupont Imron several years ago...Serious health concerns attributed to using this so I never did it again. It did peel in about 4 years but guy left it outside all the time and never waxed once I don't think. pics 023.jpg

  11. Member
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    Oct 2010
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    chandler
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    #11
    Your boat came with clear on it, so yeah you can put more back on it. The biggest OH SHIAT moment you will have it the kick time, it has no solids in it like colored gel so it kicks fast, fast enough to lose it in the pot. Thin it with styrene, and don't breath it in. Right here,,,https://www.fibreglast.com/product/C...lyester_Resins... Duratec has a clear as well, I haven't used it, it's a bit expensive...https://www.fibreglast.com/product/D...shield/Duratec... Gel is thick, but if you thin it you can spray it with a 2.0 tip, if you don't you will want a 2.5-2.8 tip. Get some PVA to spray over the clear, you have to cut the air off to get the gel to kick. You can spray that with a little touch up gun, all you have to do is fog it. Don't worry about washing it off, it will come off when you wet sand the gel you just put on. Good Luck..
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