How do you revive old gelcoat?
If the gelcoat starts to look transparent, stop. After the surface has been compounded, polish it, then coat it with wax and buff it. Providing the gelcoat has an adequate thickness — your boat might have been compounded previously — this process will restore the shine to fiberglass in almost any condition.
Can you gelcoat over tacky gelcoat?
Can I apply more gelcoat over uncured gelcoat? No. Applying more gelcoat will not help the first layer cure. Most likely it will need to be removed and reapplied.
Can you sand and polish gelcoat?
3M recommends finish sanding with 1500-grit because its easier to buff out a 1500-grit scratch then an 800-grit one. If youre sanding by hand, soak the sandpaper in a bucket of fresh water until youre ready to use it. Be very careful at the hull corners and the top of the topsides where gelcoat is usually the thinnest.
How do you restore heavily oxidized gelcoat?
3M’s Super Duty Rubbing Compound is the stuff to get if your gelcoat is heavily oxidized. Next, work the compound in with the machine at slow speed, and in short bursts, to avoid overheating the pad. Work back and forth in a small area until you feel as if you’ve given equal treatment to the entire surface.
What is the fastest way to cure gelcoat?
As soon as you are done spraying, clean your sprayer fully with acetone. Most re-sprayed gel coat will cure in 2-4 hours, although overnight cures are ideal. Begin wet sanding with the finest grit that will remove orange peel in the re-sprayed area. This will avoid unnecessary sanding scratches.
Can you apply second coat of gelcoat?
Your second coat will consist of the same amount of Catalyst, but if you are doing one more coat, your next coat will include Sanding Aid, or ‘wax. ‘ You will mix in 1 oz per quart to the gelcoat, which will seal the surface from oxygen, causing the gelcoat to dry tack-free.
What grit sandpaper should I use on gelcoat?
Once the gelcoat has fully cured, sand the repair smooth (wet sanding works particularly well with gelcoat). You can start with 220-grit sandpaper and, for a really slick surface, finish with at least 400- or 600-grit. Finally, apply a coat of high-quality marine polish and your repair is complete.
Can you use buffing compound on gelcoat?
A heavy-grit buffing compound – You can use a heavy-grit buffing compound to remove stains and corrosion from the most damaged areas of your gelcoat. A “finishing compound” (polish) – Polishing compounds are technically the same as buffing compounds.
What kind of sandpaper do you use on fiberglass?
Sand the fiberglass using a coarse-grit sandpaper. For the first sanding pass, use either 120 or 180-grit sandpaper. Mount the sandpaper to a long sanding board for large, flat components. For smaller areas or areas with intricate curves, a rubber sanding block works well to follow the shape of the piece.
Are there any products that can restore gelcoat?
In the marine market there are products like PoliGlow which claim to restore Gelcoat – and they do! They really don’t tell you much about what they are or how they work, but essentially it is a water based acyclic coating.
When to use marine polytrol on gelcoat?
For best results when using Marine Polytrol, do not apply in direct sunlight or when the gelcoat surface is hot to the touch. Marine Polytrol is designed to restore pigment, color and shine to the gelcoat, so it is not suitable to be used on white surfaces. With Marine Polytrol, maintenance is easy.
What happens to a gelcoat on a boat?
When the gelcoat on your boat has faded, it can make your boat look dull, tired and lacklustre and can certainly make you lose your enthusiasm for its appearance. Through damage caused by the elements, the soft surface of the gelcoat is eroded and can leave it looking chalky and dull in its appearance.
How do you remove gelcoat from a surface?
When you “rub” in a rubbing compound (or polish it in with a machine), it slowly removes all of that nasty gelcoat oxidation from the surface. Do it long enough and you polish in a dull shine.