How do you re-gel coat a complete boat

[Lavey Huffer]

What do you need to do and what tools does it take,I have done automotive and aircraft painting for quite a while and feel totally confident that I could do it,just need to know what it takes and where I can get the material.Thanks in advance.

[DUCKY]

Tools are similar, it's just way more labor intensive than paint. You have to work faster while spraying if you are doing anything fancy, or striping. You have to pull your tape lines while the gel is wet, you have to overlap your lines, and you must put on a bunch more material, because a good portion of it will get sanded back off later. Most of the material manufacturers and distributors have ceased selling things to the general public, so your best bet is to find a shop that will sell you stuff. Feel free to call me if you need anything.

[holorinhal]

Ducky;
I layed up alayer of mat and a layer of cloth on the deck of my boat,after sanding all the gell coat off down to the bare glass.The reason is that the gell wass riddled with cracks,all over the deck.When I got to the glass I could see white lines(Iasume they were stress cracks) all over,but not cracks that I could feell(they were'nt split open).When I payed up the top cloth sheet ,I smoothed it out best I could with a large spreader.However I managed to get some wrinkles init and am now trying to sand the deck flat.
My question is,when I get every thing sanded flat there will un doutedbly be some low spots.
What should I fair or fill low spots with,a mixture of resin and cabosil,micro ballonns,micro fibers,or a another filler? And the BIG question is should I spray the deck with a thick coat of gell coat to really smooth it out? The whole boat will be painted with a base/clear when every thing is finnished.
There is a place here in Vegas that I can buy gell coat from.Should I use clear gell or add a pigment? Do I need to thin the gell,and what ratio of thinner,and do i use acetone as the thinner. Thanks in advance for your help....Hal
Sorry not trying to Jack the thread.

[EXTREMEBOATS]

I use polyester primer to block out the shit spots. Gel coat works great with it. Same stuff...It builds fast and sands great (dry or wet) and dries in less then one hour. If im using paint I put a coat of urathane primer over top for better bite. Theres many ways to do it but labor is what makes up your mind. I havent regeled a boat in ten years, not many will pay what it takes. good luck...
Mike

[DUCKY]

I would block it down as well as you can with 80- grit paper on an air-file, run over it with a skim coat of a quality body filler, such as rage gold, sand it again and lay down a fairly heavy coat of polyester primer (as Extreme said). I use a product called Feather-Fill G3 made by Evercoat. It's very similar to gelcoat and reacts well with gelcoat or paint, but it contains a lot more talc, so it sands much easier than gel. After the primer, do a guide coat with a rattle can, and start blocking it down. Your high and low spots will soon be obvious. Good Luck!

[EXTREMEBOATS]

Damn... We might have worked together in a past life!!!!! I use Feather Fill and Sandy. Same stuff....Most body shop supply stores have what you need. Carry on man..... Show pics along your journey.
Mike

[DUCKY]

You know, they say great minds think alike.....HEHEHEEEE!

[martan]

Adtech wont shrink and wont crack. If you put on a bondo type of filler to thick it can shrink if it ever gets hot, which might happen after they paint your boat if they do any heavy buffing.
www.bowkersfiberglass.com