Re: Gelcoat or clear coat?
Gel coat is a 20 mil (or so) tinted fiberglass resin. If you have peeling, it is either a poorly applied acrylic "restoration product" or some moron sprayed it with clear coat (3-5 mil). You should be able to chemically strip the clear. I wouldn't worry too much about what it might do to the gel coat because the fact someone cleared it is probably an indication it was thrashed to begin with. At that point, either the gel coat is restorable or not. If so, wet sand it down to 1000 grit (gets rid of microscopic pores that attract accelerated oxidation when oxygen is trapped under coatings and then exposed to UV), and then work your way up with a rotary wheel using liquid compounds/cleaners until you get a shine. Then wax it. If you think the gel coat is junk, you have two choices. 1. new gelcoat and then sand sand sand sand fair then buff buff buff shiny...then maintain forever. Not a good way to go. 2. two part linear polyurethane paint THIS is the way to go. Several companies make suitable products. My favorite is "Perfection" by Yachtpaint (new owner of Interlux). It is a bit picky about ambient conditions but you can roll it on then tip the bubbles with a brush and still do a very good job. It won't look like a car or a new boat...but dang close if you do good prep work and it is VERY low maintenance after that. Note to those that think they'll get a perfect show car fair glossy job: It CAN be sprayed but the results are not THAT much better than roll and tip and you better have the right protective equipment and dust/draft free environment. This product contains isocyanurates and, if inhaled in aerosol form, can kill you by day's end. I've sprayed PPG Deltron LP with a good mask with no problem. This is a similar product with the same dangerous chemical. I don't think a positive pressure respirator (which is recommended by some) is necessary but a GOOD mask with the RIGHT cartridges is an absolute requirement. Have fun. The results are worth the time.
