Barracuda Restoration

[fuzzeywiggler]

Modeling clay adds some serious possibilities I will be trying that out next time.

This weekend was little slow going with not quite enough power on the generator to run lights heat and a grinder, i don't like losing power to any of those.

I sanded down the hull and I am just about there!
green tape was the low spots left. Just pin holes now.

I wrapped the bow section of the keel with two layers of glass then laid some clear plastic on top to help smooth it out.



That leaves the keel section, transom and pin holes. I might just make it to gel this weekend

 

[Woodonglass]

How are you set up to apply the gel?

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

The shop I'm in has a paint booth and big compressor. But as far as a gun goes I was going to pickup a cheap hvlp (it's what I'm used to) with a large tip and pot. Hopefully my mixing buddy can get the time off and I should be rocking.

Fuzzy

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

I plan on going black and white. Similar to the old glastron paint scheme.

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

My bodywork all went well Saturday ?nd I rolled into the booth taped and papered ready to gel sunday and that's when it all went downhill fast.

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

Heading up Sunday I got a real bad noise from my truck, stopped and felt around oh just a hot rotor I figured I could take care of later I've got a boat to gel.

Close to the shop it started to pull aggressively to the left but rotor was cool..Fried bearing and damm lucky the hub stayed on. Big pita and cost about twice what it is south of the boarder. We get smoked on auto parts here...

my helper couldent come so I got one of these



My first pot gelled in the cup so I got on my horse after that.

I only got a couple pictures of the white. Once you start it is a nonstop race to the finish




I pulled the tape after the final coat let it get hard and reverse taped overlapping the white so I can color sand later.

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

More pics.






Lots of sanding coming up

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

and of course I had to peel the tape and get a good look






I might add a yellow pinstripe depending on how she looks when I flip it.

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

I went up tonight and did some sanding just too get a feel for it. It is really encouraging to see some shine coming through. Pics are kinda weak and don't show it too well...



I missed cleaning the white out of something (probably the gun) and sprayed some white chunks into the black... so I'll have to spray over the black again.

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

For anyone redoing there hull I suggest going for gel, it is the same amount of body work as paint and comparable price on product. And a way better finish. You do have work after spraying but once your done it's 30 years until the next paint job.

spraying is easy just on a timer. If you can control the temperature it gets easier. I used the cheapest gun I could find and had no problems with it.( except for the leftover white in the black. ...)

Tools help this job a lot, I have a DA and Longboard and did 90% of my work with them. Doing this job without power sanders would get painful in my opinion.

 

[Woodonglass]

How many coats? How thick is your Gel?

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

Five coats of white and black about 10thou per coat. Final thickness is 40 to 50 thou I sprayed extra gel on the corners and edges.

It took about a quart of white per coat and 1/2 qt of black per coat.

I used styrene to thin and added airdry for my final coat.

 

[Woodonglass]

This ain't your first Gelcoat Rodeo!!! Nice numbers and methods!!!

 

[fuzzeywiggler]

Thanks man i have gelled a bunch but that was my first time spraying, thanks to iboats, Google and the local marina everything went great. It's more intimidating then it is difficult. And just like glassing you can always fix your mistakes.