Gel Coat Restore

[Alpinegold]

I have a 1979 Ranger V178 with a 115 Johnson. Runs like a spotted *** ape. I have 140 compression on all 4 cylinders. The boat is in good shape. I have polished, waxed and buffed and cannot get anywhere close to the orginal gold flake clear coat finish that had a orange brown looking finish that it once was. There are certain parts of the boat where the sun could not get to the paint and fade it.

I have painted boats with Polyurethane paint by Interlux but I know this is a different beast.

Can some one point me in the right direction on how I can go about this project. I have facility , sanders, compressor and spray gun and understand the basics of painting but clueless on how to go about this one.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

do a search here and see if you can find some of the other threads this has been discussed. In a nutshell, you could try wetsanding the oxidized gelcoat off. I've been as far as 320 and worked back up to 1200 or 1500 grit. The follow with 3 m heavy duty rubbing compound or better yet aqua-buff 200 and a high speed buffer with a wool pad. Finish up with 3m finesse it 2 and the high quality wax of your choice...

the painting thing can be a major pita and isn't as good an option as wetsanding and buffing the original clear gel out if you can get through the damaged part without hitting the flake itself. Paint can be a good option as well and if you do a very careful prep job can look and last great.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

If the gel coat can at all be saved, then that will be your best option, even if it takes a weeks worth of wet sanding and polishing. So long as the gel coat isn't checked or cracked, it should come back. I've brought back some pretty faded boats, some were as easy as using a Scotchbrite pad, others took hours upon hours of wet sanding and buffing.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

I used to get a mirror finish on tooling resin with Maguires machine polish. You might need something more agressive to start out.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

Actually it doesn't sound like a paint issue, it sounds as if he's referring to the gel coat as paint.

Try the sand and buff method, start with fine sand paper first, 800 grit or so, you can always go coarser if that won't cut it. Some times the colored flake will fade, sanding and buffing won't help this problem, one thing that can be tried is using pearl additive in whatever you respray it with, this will give it back most of the color and depth.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

Bubba

Have you ever seen a bass boat? Every one of those glittery speed demons is covered in metal flake gel coat. Paints are a different beast, there are metalic paints with clear top coats, but they're a very different product.

There are also metalic gel coats, but they can be very difficult to repair, so most fabricators won't use them.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

I have seen them, and you maybe be correct that is where the metal flake is however...

If the colored gel coat below it (the burnt orange color) has faded, how will polishing the outer clear gel coat help? As I said, I have never seen clear gel coat used in this manner. The boats I have seen (not that many to be honest and not bass boats) have a color gel coat base and then the clear coat with metal flake sprayed over it.

http://www.fibreglast.com/showproducts-category-Gel+Coats+&+Hardener-10.html

Always glad to learn something new.

Oxidation is oxidation...

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

I think you need to reread my response, I said there is nothing that can be done if the flake itself has faded and that sanding and buffing will only help the clear at the surface. On a metal flake finish clear gel is the first thing sprayed on the mold, after that is a mix of clear and flake, behind that is a back up color chosen to give the right look to the color of the flake. Some types and colors of flake will fade faster than others and not much can be done to bring it back, in this situation a clear "Paint" with pearl additive can be used over the clear gel coat to help enhance the faded flake.

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

I'm with you on this one. I've sanded and buffed a few boats out before that ere clear gel over flake, one of them staring with 220. My current checkmate is clear gelcoat over silver flake and black gelcoat. When I picked it up it had been sitting outside in the north carolina sun and elements for more than a couple of days. A lot of it looked like white chalk and then grey faded paint under that. a few long days work with 320 wetsanding (with a da on parts of it) followed by finer grits up to 1200 and then aquabuff 2000 on a good 3m wool pad at high speed and finally machine glaze (have also used finesse it with great reaults and it's easier to find). when I was done, it had the look almost of clear black obsidian with bright metal flake down in it and sparkled so bright in the sun you could hardly look at it on the water when the sun hit it just right.

I would give it a try, you may be really surprised. lots of the clear gelcoated / flake boats have clear that's a mile deep by auto paint standards. You know you're in trouble when after wetsanding even a little the surface is rough as in the gel is gone to the point that the flakes are actually sticking out of it. That's not happened to me yet... knock on fiberglass or wood, etc...

it's funny you mention pearl.. The bottom had some spots that were stripped / faded through from being left in the wate rat some point, and i did a little bit of hull work this summed at one point so when i was finished i did the sides of the hull bottom with clear including a little gun metal candy pearl to - especially to fade in the areas where it was lighter, then followed with a light even dustings of clear with gold sparkle pearl and finished up with two more coats of straight clear. it turned out great and the original flake looks better than ever. The slight tint of gold almost makes a halo in some light and sort of evens out the little bit of yellowing in the clear that made the flake look slightly gold anyhow. Overall I was pleased enough with the way it came out, that I'm planning to do the topside the same way at some point in the next year or so...

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

That exactly right, pick small area and work it until you're satisfied with the finish, if you can't get the results you desire in a small area then forget about that method and move on the the next one.

 

[Alpinegold]

Re: Gel Coat Restore

I want to thank each and every one of you for responding to my question about gel coat restore. I have a starting point now that I can go and research.

Let me say something about the confusion I created about metal flake gel coat. Guys, I do not have a clue as to what I am talking about. I have an older Ranger boat that still has a lot of life and I just want to improve the appearance. There are no cracks anywhere on the body. I was not even sure if it still had any gel coat on it. It is a metal flake color. When the boat was new, the color was a high gloss metal flake looking finish. The base of the paint looks like it is a medium to dark brown with gold and orange flakes. I don't even know the order it takes to come up with that color. What I mean is do they paint the boat brown then spray the metal flake then put on the clear coat ?

I'm just trying to find a starting point to see if I can restore the color. I have spent hours and hours buffing polishing compound and following up with several light coats of wax. It looks pretty good but as I mentioned, it is not close to the original finish. I have not tried any wet sanding, yet. I'm not sure how you tell if there is any gel coat on the boat. The base color has faded in appearance from brown to a almost dull red to maroon color and the metal flake has faded to a silver from a gold and orange appearance.

Can you tell what is going on by touch? Any way I'm going to do some more research and proceed slowly.

Again, that you very much. Also if you have any response to what I have described the current finish or what you suspect is going on with the finish I would greatly appreciate it.

Alpinegold From Nevada, Texas