Wednesday 11 November 2015

Use Gel Coat For Any Sail Boat

Gel-coated boat.


Latest sailing boat manufacturers place fiberglass cloth with polyester resin to dream up the hull, deck and framing members of the boat. Not extremely aesthetically pleasing, naked fiberglass does not capture tint authentic bright-eyed, chiefly in grand wear areas. Gel coat provides a exhausting, wear resistant coating that protects the fiberglass from moisten intrusion and may be pre-tinted nearly any colour to match or complement the vessel colour scheme.


Compound fresh with a Disinfected paint stick.3. Add the methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) catalyst to the treated gel coat.



2. Pour 1/2 gallon of the treated gel coat into a Disinfected plastic container. Thin the gel coat with acetone until the desired consistency is achieved.

Instructions

1. Add 7 fl. oz. surfacing agent per gallon of pre-tinted gel coat. Mingle the agent right into the gel coat using a clean paint stick.


Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for detailed information on catalyst-to-gel coat ratio. Mix the gel coat well with a clean paint stick.


4. Roll or brush the gel coat onto the boat. Overlap the passes slightly to get good coverage of the gel coat. Add more acetone to thin the mix if too much roller stipple or brush streaking occurs.


5. Mix another batch of gel coat and repeat this process until the entire area to be painted is covered. Allow the gel coat to harden before attempting to touch it or add subsequent coats.


6. Sand the brush marks and roller stipple out of the gel coat with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper and water. Use long fore-and-aft strokes (strokes that follow the length of the hull rather than across it) when sanding the bottom to provide a smooth surface that will reduce drag and improve laminar flow of the water over the hull. Repeat this process if a heavier coating is desired.