Removing old gel coat

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jerseyboy1983

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I have a 1985 Wellcraft and I recently painted it with a new gel coat and it turned out bad as I am not a painter. I want to remove the paint so that i can spray the deck with Rino Liner that is being used a lot on boats. I am tired of sanding it and want a faster way. Can you sand blast it or soda blast it without damaging the fiberglass?
 
Bondo

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Re: Removing old gel coat

jerseyboy1983 said:
I have a 1985 Wellcraft and I recently painted it with a new gel coat and it turned out bad as I am not a painter. I want to remove the paint so that i can spray the deck with Rino Liner that is being used a lot on boats. I am tired of sanding it and want a faster way. Can you sand blast it or soda blast it without damaging the fiberglass?
Click to expand...

Ayuh,.... What, Exactly is wrong with yer gelcoat job,..??

If it Hardened, but looks like Poo, ya just gotta sand it Smooth,..... Not Off.....

I'm gonna move this to the restoration forum for ya,....

Lotsa Help in there...
 
Woodonglass

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Did you "Paint" the gelcoat on with a brush? Roller? What part of the boat did you attempt this on? Got any pics? Bond-o is right that Gelcoat can be sanded to a very smooth finish and then polished. What kind of Gelcoat did you use? How many Coats? Thick or thin coats? Gelcoat's usually applied to the thickness of a Penny
 
J

jerseyboy1983

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Re: Removing old gel coat

First, thanks everyone for your help. I'll try and answer everyones questions in one reply. Basically, I rolled it on and applied 3 coats. But I thought I could do it myself to save money but I was wrong. I have roller lines everywhere, the paint is chipping in a lot of areas, the white gets moldy or gets dark spots over a few weeks and just looks like crap. Again, I am not a painter so I should of left it for a pro. The layers are very thick I do believe. As far as what type, I can't remember the exact kind but it was very expensive for one gallon and I did get it at my local marine store. I do have some Pictures on my house computer and I will load them once I get home from work tonight.
 
Woodonglass

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Uhhmmm, what Part of the boat did you apply the gelcoat? Did you use wax in the final coat or did you use PVA to allow it to cure properly? What ratio of hardener did you use? Again Gelcoat is NOT paint. It's basically a polyester resin mixture.
 
Bondo

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Re: Removing old gel coat

jerseyboy1983 said:
First, thanks everyone for your help. I'll try and answer everyones questions in one reply. Basically, I rolled it on and applied 3 coats. But I thought I could do it myself to save money but I was wrong. I have roller lines everywhere, the paint is chipping in a lot of areas, the white gets moldy or gets dark spots over a few weeks and just looks like crap. Again, I am not a painter so I should of left it for a pro. The layers are very thick I do believe. As far as what type, I can't remember the exact kind but it was very expensive for one gallon and I did get it at my local marine store. I do have some Pictures on my house computer and I will load them once I get home from work tonight.
Click to expand...

Ayuh,... Ya started out with Gelcoat, 'n now yer Paintin',...

What, Exactly, did ya roll on yer boat....

Have ya tried color sandin' the roller lines out,..??

Did ya sand All the surfaces, Before ya painted whatever it was on,..??
 
jigngrub

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Re: Removing old gel coat

What grit sandpaper are you using? 36. 40, 80?

Are you using a mechanical sander? Palm or belt?

How bad is it chipping?

Maybe cutting the decking out and replacing it would be easier?
 
fngboater

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Poo...lol:laugh:

mine still looks like poo(it was my first time). I put three healthy coats on my deck and will probably have to sand it down to make it look nicer come spring time. There are a lot of runs and drips. I wonder if I would have better luck with a belt sander than a random orbit. I also haven't decided what look I want to go for ( the texture from the roller or smooth like glass)

now as far as removal goes a 24 grit flap disk on a grinder will take it down really quick
 
chriscraft254

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Yeah, I think the first question should be, what did you apply the gelcoating to and was it prepped properly before applied. Was it applied to bare wood? fiberglass? Existing gelcoat?

Gelcoating can be rolled on, and I tell people to practice rolling it on a test piece of plywood or something before applying it to the boat. Did the last coat you put on have wax in it? How was it applied, one coat after another before it dried? Maybe the pics will help us help you. ;)
 
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jerseyboy1983

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Again, I'm going to answer all questions in this one post. I did sand it a bit before painting it. The guy sold me a paint with no wax in it first and after I realized that because it dried sticky, I got a second gallon with wax already in it. My whole boat is fiberglass. Its chipping very bad. Almost 50% of it is chipping. I applied the paint to the whole deck and on the side walls and by the captain's area. I can't remember the ratio of hardener but I do know it was the correct ratio as I made sure and ask the paint store.
 
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jerseyboy1983

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Re: Removing old gel coat

I might just add plywood to the floor and paint over that. lol
 
73Chrysler105

73Chrysler105

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Can you take a pic of the can you bought? First you say GelCoat then you say paint. GelCoat needs Wax Paint doesn't both need hardner. It's hard t tell what you put down by the pictures. It doesn't look like it covered well and kinda looks like paint to me so I would imagine it should come up fairly easy. Gelcoat and Paint are two different ballgames. GelCoat is somewhat of a protectant and is harder and thicker than paint while paint is just really a colorant although it will do some minor protecting it's primary job is to make stuff look pretty.
 
jbcurt00

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Re: Removing old gel coat

It sounds like you bought & used PAINT from a paint store, there are paint hardeners that can be added to some paints.

If the paint dried sticky it may have been incompatible with the hardener, or just not dry yet.

What paint & hardener? From what PAINT store?

As WOG noted earlier, PAINT is not gelcoat (which is a resin based product).....

However, you mention the PAINT did not have wax in it. That sounds like gelcoat. Un-waxed gelcoat would remain tacky after application.

When it didn't dry, you went back to a PAINT store & bought PAINT w/ wax in it? And applied that over the previously applied & still sticky PAINT?

I don't emphasize the paint in the above to beat you up, it's that it's confusing to possibly have paint & gelcoat mixed up. That makes it unclear as to what you have applied, why it didn't dry properly, and what maybe the best way to resolve it.

If it is peeling up, chipping, or coming loose, until it's removed, and the surface is cleaned of all of the products you've applied, it is unlikely that there will be a 'good, quick or easy' way to improve it's appearance.

Best of luck, and sorry that your 1 post to provide all the answers for all the questions, for me at least, didn't provide enough new information to be of any real help....
 
J

jerseyboy1983

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Im sorry, I did mean Gel Coat. I know for a fact its gel coat. I do have the 2 cans but they are at my aunts where i keep my paper weight. lol But the first can of gel coat i got did dry sticky bc it didnt have the wax mixed in with it, He gave me a bottle of blue crap to put over it to make it dry smooth but it didnt work.
 
jbcurt00

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Re: Removing old gel coat

I'm not sure where you were buying it, but if by 'blue crap' you mean PVA or other substitute for the wax mixed INTO the gelcoat, I think there is a fairly short window from the time you finish applying the gel until you start to apply the PVA and it must be down by a fairly specific time as well.....

The paint store guy from an unremarkable paint store, since you can't remember the name of it, doesn't sound like someone that should get anymore of your business. Or whatever process & methods he explained didn't make it into the application phase.
 
Woodonglass

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Re: Removing old gel coat

Based on the descriptions you have provided, it is MHO that it will ALL need to be removed and start over from scratch. When you are ready to do it again, I strongly advice you to clearly understand the application process for the material you are applying. Gelcoat and Paint have Totally different and distinct application methods and procedures that MUST be adhered to if you want the desired results. We can help you with either of them, but all we can do is guide you in the correct methods, it's up to you to follow our guidance.
 
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