Anyone out there had any experience replacing a gel coat exterior ? I've got a glass on kevlar hull that has a light blue gel coat
exterior that I'd like to replace with a white gel coat. I hear it's very tricky, lots of work, and usually disastrous for an
amateur to attempt. I figure the best answer is to have a pro do it but I'm not sure where to begin looking. Thanks, any feedback
will be welcomed.

Te Canaille

On 7-Jun-2004, "Te Canaille" wrote:

Anyone out there had any experience replacing a gel coat exterior ? I've got a glass on kevlar hull that has a light blue gel coat
exterior that I'd like to replace with a white gel coat. I hear it's very tricky, lots of work, and usually disastrous for an
amateur to attempt.

If you get the old gel coat off, you'll then have a problem making the new
gel coat layer smooth. Better to just paint over the existing gel coat with
an epoxy paint. You can get this at a marine supply shop - it's made for
painting fiberglass boats. If you can spray it on, it will be quite smooth.
I've heard of folks paying a local auto painter to do the spraying.

Mike

Mike :
Thanks for the reply. I reckon epoxy paint will go well on many surfaces, but if specifically for fiberglass then the question
becomes how well will it do on gelcoat ? If adhesion is not a question, then how well will it handle scratches ( will the blue show
thorough any scratches ) ?

Has anyone seen this ( epoxy paint on gelcoat ) done with good results ? Thanks for feedback.

Te Canaille

"Michael Daly" wrote in message ...
On 7-Jun-2004, "Te Canaille" wrote:

Anyone out there had any experience replacing a gel coat exterior ? I've got a glass on kevlar hull that has a light blue gel
coat
exterior that I'd like to replace with a white gel coat. I hear it's very tricky, lots of work, and usually disastrous for an
amateur to attempt.

If you get the old gel coat off, you'll then have a problem making the new
gel coat layer smooth. Better to just paint over the existing gel coat with
an epoxy paint. You can get this at a marine supply shop - it's made for
painting fiberglass boats. If you can spray it on, it will be quite smooth.
I've heard of folks paying a local auto painter to do the spraying.

Mike

On 7-Jun-2004, "Te Canaille" wrote:

how well will it handle scratches ( will the blue show
thorough any scratches ) ?

It's paint, not diamond. Of course scratches will show the blue
if deep enough.

Heck, why does everyone worry so much about scratches - they're
a fact of life in paddling. Paddle and once you accumulate enough
scratches and gouges, fix them and get on with your life.

Scratches... sheesh!

Mike

Gee sorry to bother you Mike but scratches is the reason I'm looking to re do my hull and if that worries you then why reply in
the first place. I'm not to anxious to spend a lot of time and money to get rid of one color scratches just to replace them with
others.
Fact is this hull is a loaner used in fla****er instruction clinics and it needs to look sharp.

Te Canaille

"Michael Daly" wrote in message ...
On 7-Jun-2004, "Te Canaille" wrote:

how well will it handle scratches ( will the blue show
thorough any scratches ) ?

It's paint, not diamond. Of course scratches will show the blue
if deep enough.

Heck, why does everyone worry so much about scratches - they're
a fact of life in paddling. Paddle and once you accumulate enough
scratches and gouges, fix them and get on with your life.

Scratches... sheesh!

Mike

On 7-Jun-2004, "Te Canaille" wrote:

Fact is this hull is a loaner used in fla****er instruction clinics and it needs to look sharp.

I'm trying to discover a reason why this should be true.

If you want a boat that doesn't show scratches, buy white. Any other
color shows scratches.

Personally, I'd not worry about it and tell the students that
scratches are normal and I don't paddle just to look good.

Mike

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 16:07:31 -0500, "Te Canaille"
wrote:

Gee sorry to bother you Mike but scratches is the reason I'm looking to re do my hull and if that worries you then why reply in
the first place. I'm not to anxious to spend a lot of time and money to get rid of one color scratches just to replace them with
others.
Fact is this hull is a loaner used in fla****er instruction clinics and it needs to look sharp.

Te Canaille

You didn't mention that it was scratches you were trying to get rid of
in the first place. May have seemed obvious to you, but left it open
for answering just your basic question. Many of us think nothing of
scratches unless they harm the fiber of the boat. For all we knew,
you just wanted a more fashionable colour.

However, if you take his well meant advice and epoxy it, you can then
just put some of the same colour over any new scratches. Have them
mix you several small cans of paint so you won't have to worry about
colour matching next time.

He replied because he was trying to be helpful to your original post.
You could try thanking him, even though he couldn't read your mind
well enough to know your exact concern and had only your own words to
go on.


"Michael Daly" wrote in message ...
On 7-Jun-2004, "Te Canaille" wrote:

how well will it handle scratches ( will the blue show
thorough any scratches ) ?

It's paint, not diamond. Of course scratches will show the blue
if deep enough.

Heck, why does everyone worry so much about scratches - they're
a fact of life in paddling. Paddle and once you accumulate enough
scratches and gouges, fix them and get on with your life.

Scratches... sheesh!

Mike


--
rbc: vixen Fairly harmless

Hit reply to email. But strip out the 'invalid.'
Though I'm very slow to respond.
http://www.visi.com/~cyli

Te Canaille wrote:

Fact is this hull is a loaner used in fla****er instruction clinics and it needs to look sharp.

Honestly, if I ever saw an instructor with a super shiny boat, I'd go
elsewhere. Instructing, by its very nature, is hard on equipment. I
don't see how an instructor could keep up with dealing with daily dings
and scratches, and keep a boat looking pristine. For that matter, I
don't know why one would want to. Nothing personal, but it strikes me
that your priorities (or those of the instructor involved) may be a bit
out of line. I have to agree with the others here, form follows function.

After "dinging" my boat, I went to my local shop manager who had managed
composite at Wilderness Systems.a pro. I could have done it, but didn't want
to get in the business. He was doing me a favor.

I developed a stress crack from tightening too hard on my vehicle. He says
this is not uncommon with composites. I forget if he said that it was more
common with kevlar than fiberglass.

It seems if you are not careful, you may leave tiny hairs when you sand kevlar
that show through the gelcoat or resin. These hairs tend to wick moisture to
the kevlar mat.

He did both interior and exterior work. He built up the inside using small,
then medium, then large layers. To smooth the last layer, he used a minicell
block as a sponge over plastic sheeting.

Same thing with the outside. It had to be a particular kind of gelcoat,
something with the right base.

That's what I know. If you want to get good at this, risk mistakes. If you
want to paddle, pay someone.

Mike Goodman
High Point, NC

Thanks for a rational and experienced answer. That's pretty much what I need to know.

Te Canaille

"KAYAKFAN" wrote in message ...
After "dinging" my boat, I went to my local shop manager who had managed
composite at Wilderness Systems.a pro. I could have done it, but didn't want
to get in the business. He was doing me a favor.

I developed a stress crack from tightening too hard on my vehicle. He says
this is not uncommon with composites. I forget if he said that it was more
common with kevlar than fiberglass.

It seems if you are not careful, you may leave tiny hairs when you sand kevlar
that show through the gelcoat or resin. These hairs tend to wick moisture to
the kevlar mat.

He did both interior and exterior work. He built up the inside using small,
then medium, then large layers. To smooth the last layer, he used a minicell
block as a sponge over plastic sheeting.

Same thing with the outside. It had to be a particular kind of gelcoat,
something with the right base.

That's what I know. If you want to get good at this, risk mistakes. If you
want to paddle, pay someone.

Mike Goodman
High Point, NC