Re: 1974 Vanguard TRII Restoration Thread - Beginning
Lets leave this here:
Gelcoat does not stick to Epoxy.
Okay, this confuzzled me but let's see if I can get this right. Gelcoat won't stick to epoxy.. but most people use epoxy? BUT, have I read that people will put a wax finish (of some sort) over the epoxy so that the gelcoat will stick?
The part I
bolded ^^^ is correct, as WOG posted, the rest isn't
Most don't use epoxy they use polyester resin.
Wax isn't applied over epoxy, and again gelcoat won't stick to epoxy
KCKracker is sort of struggling to understand what needs to be done to HIS boat.
Typically epoxy cures to a dull finish that requires sanding before proceeding w/ another coat of epoxy or a different finish (but not gelcoat). The dull finish is 'caused' by a wax component that is already present IN the epoxy when you mix it. It is referred to as 'blush' or blushing epoxy. Some epoxy is non-blushing, but it is sold as non-blushing.'
Google air inhibited epoxy curing
The wax component in typical epoxy IS the air inhibiting agent and allows the epoxy to fully cure.
Poly resin can have wax added, most HD/WallyWorld/Auto part stores have wax added resin, but it isn't labeled that way. From a fiberglass supplier if it has wax added it would be labeled as wax added poly resin, so you can request it that way, or not. Typically though, poly resin sold at FG stores won't have wax already added, BUT it can be purchased & added separately. Gelcoat is similar, it can probably be bought w/ wax already mixed in, or w/out. It would be labeled as wax added or non-waxed.
If you use wax added poly resin or gelcoat, they too must be sanded between applications. Non-waxed does not require sanding prep between applications unless the resin or gel has fully cured.
If you NEED quite a bit of waxed resin for the final coats, you could buy it w/ wax. But if you buy non-waxed resin, you can use it as is to prevent having to sand between applications. Then when you are getting ready to do the final coat, add wax to it.
If you are using gelcoat, you will likely be doing multiple applications to build the gel's mil thickness sufficiently to allow you to sand out the orange peel. So you'll only want to use wax in the final coat.
Prevail is a product that can be applied after the final coat of non-waxed gel, and has pretty specific requirements for when it's applied to the gel. It acts as an air inhibiting agent. There are others, but I can't recall right at the moment.
^^^ Help ?
But I was just simply asking if gelcoat can never be applied over epoxy resin. It can't, good to know.