gel coated the hull today.
 

I was able to gel coat the hull fighting lady yellow ( or what I thought was close). I'm very unhappy with the color. Talk about bummed out [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

My camera is junk so forget the color in the photo. I just don't like it

http://www.theboatzone.com/albums/al...yellowside.jpg

http://www.theboatzone.com/albums/album01/Yellow.jpg

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Hey Ebeach, It looks good to me. Marc

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Looks like it came out nice, and seems to match whatI thought Fighting Lady yellow was. Do you have a paint chip to compare it to?

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Yes I have a paint chip and I thought I had it close enough. It just doesn't look the same as it did in the bucket (and on the floor and table [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ) I need to go back and check it out again. After spending the whole day there and with styrene in the air, I just wanted to go home. I'm about 4 months into this with every weekend and some vaction time going into it. I'm beat up.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Stop beating yourself up!! It looks like Fighting lady yellow to me??

Great job Jim!!

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Hey, you can call it burnt out yellow!

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Thats the trouble with doing these major jobs yourself. It just consumes you till your done. Unfortunately to hire out the kind of job you're doing would cost more than a new boat. The reward at the end is worth it though. You'll have so many people stop you on the water and complement your boat it will make your head spin.

I'm giving my air compressor a break right now, but I'll be back to work in a few beers.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Looks great! Sure looks like FL/yellow to me. Get that Yamaha on the back and get ready for some fish. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

EBEACH-

It looks good to me!

However, I know the feeling. You sound like you're burnt out. Best thing to do when that happens is to walk away and do something else....

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

EB - looks sweet!

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Jim,
Looks like F.L.Y. to me. Great work! Take a break from the project and go back into it when you're ready.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Same as the rest looks good in these photo's,

Can You see the color while Your RUNNING & Having a BLAST in it ????

Have a FEW BEERS the color will surley look better !!
Scream'n Reels' [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

I agree with Ed take a break from it for a couple of days.When you start putting it back together it will look good especially if you put a black rub rail.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

EBeach

Can only echo the sentiments already expressed: Boat looks great, and by the way, FLY is in my humble opinion a GREAT classic SC colour.
In all restorations at some time you'll wonder if its all worth it. It is.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Ebeach,

I've waited to weigh in on this. As you know I went through the same process as you did and finally got the boat painted. Although it looked great (I did like the color after repainting one I didn't like), I was so close to the work and all the little imperfections that it kind of pushed me over the edge a little. I took a couple weeks off and came back and wet sanded the boat inside and out. It still doesn't look as good as I'd like, but everyone else that sees it thinks it's amazing.

I finally decided that to do the job right, I needed to take my time and really do it right. That means not using it this summer and (most dissapointing) not having it ready for the classicseacraft gathering August 8 & 9 in Newport.

Thank God for the the 4 boat theory. So I decided to take some time to enjoy the boats that do run, so I splashed the Carver 32 and it's tender to enjoy time with my family. I'll get back to the project when I feel motivated....

Hang in there. She looks terrific!

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Thanks for the positive feedback. I saw it again yesterday in much better lighting. I think I'll keep her [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Not exactly the right color, but it will do.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Hi Ebeach, I was wondering if you can tell me what the difference between GELCOAT and 2 part polyurethane is? Fightinglady yellow is a us paint product. (ALWGRIP) is that the same as what you call gelcoat? I know some guys use sterling 2 part urethane paint, or interlux polyurethane 1 part. I used some interlux polyurethane, but it does not come close to the original GELCOAT. Any ideas on which product will come close to orig finish? And how did you apply the fighting lady yellow? Spray or roll and tip? Thanks Marc

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Marc,

Gel coat is the same finish as was applied at the factory. Gel coat is a polyester based finish, which is used just like polyester fiberglass resin. I see you're doing some work on your transom with West epoxy. Unfortunately, you can't use gel coat over epoxy. Trying to match your gel coat can be VERY difficult. It can be done, but really is a hit or miss thing (mostly miss). I would think that gel coat would be great for trying to blend a repair. Basically, you get white gel coat and then mix a small amount of color to match your hull. One nice thing , gel coat is the same color wet or dry.

I sprayed the gel coat using a cup gun designed for gel coats. It can be brushed on but won’t lay out flat like paint. The finish is sanded AFTER applying the gel coat. It is this process that most people think requires too much work. Personally, I think that is the beauty of using gel coat. Any mistakes are sanded out.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Marc,

Gel coats are made by many different manufactures, just as fiberglass resin. I've been buying my products from Merton's in Springfield,MA. They happen to sell Ferro's brand of Gel coat. Gel coat is not a company, it's a type of resin. Awlgrip is a paint made by US Paint.

I tried to duplicate the color F.L.Y by mixing colored pigments to white gelcoat. Just as you would if you were trying to match your existing hull color. You can buy premixed (colored) gelcoat from some distributors.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Hopefully this will open for you, but this is a true test to see if you are stressted out and need a couple of days.

http://webpages.charter.net/hkirtley/stress

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Hey, If you are truly stressed out and need to do something else for a while...I'll let you have my 18 to re Gel.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Hi Ebeach, Thanks....When you added color, which manufacturer's product did you use. I'm wondering if allgrip is mixed with gelcoat? or are gelcoat "colors" made by another company? And who makes the gelcoat product? Thanks Marc

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

West System claims that their epoxy is an excellent base for polyester gelcoat. The kicker is that they are talking about after a full cure is achieved, the amine blush has been removed, and the surface has been roughed up. It is strictly a mechanical bond. Which is all you get in a repair instance if you were using polyester or Vinylester resins (unless you can make your repair layup smooth and even with no resin runs or sharp edges).

Anyway, I have been making repairs with West System on the Mako for 3 years now. All of them have been gelcoated and no problems thus far. The first project I did was to grind out all the gouges from the stem (about a 5ft long section up each side about 6". I laid 2 layers of 1.5oz mat then a layer of 6oz cloth to top it off. Sanded and filled, sanded and filled, and sanded and filled. Then sprayed gelcoat. It came out really nice, and hasn't shown any signs of blisters, cracking, or chipping. Its all in the surface prep though.

You cannot spray a mold with gelcoat then lay up the glass with epoxy though, they are incompatible and will not chemically bond to each other or cure correctly for that matter.

I did some repairs for my father in law, and he had already filled some spots with an off the wall brand epoxy filler. The filler was cured and sanded, and I put gel coat over it... The gel coat would not even kick off over that stuff. No cure what so ever! I scraped it all off and tried again. No luck! So some epoxies will not even allow gel coat to cure after they have cured! So West Ststem is correct and their stuff is compatible after cured and prepared.

Heres a new idea of mine. I have heard that vinyleseter is compatible with epoxy as well as polyester. So use vinylester filler over the epoxy or even hot coat with vinylester resin before you apply gel coat. That way the vinylester will be the middle man which both parties will adhere to. Haven't tried it yet, but I am planning to. Just a thought from a fool who hasn't come over the the simple world of painting yet.

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

RingLeader, Try this out.

Epoxy tiecoat

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

There is a sailboat company, C&C Yachts , That sprays gelcoat in a mold and utilizes epoxy for the layup.

I do not know if they use polyester gel-coat but I have a feeling it is a Vinylester Gel-Coat.??

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Boy the rules keep changing when I started my boat no one recommended re gel coating the entire boat gel coat was for either new construction or just for smaller repair jobs. Now we are talking re doing the entire boat using epoxy then putting gel coat over it. Well looks like “if I had to do it all over again” I have another thing I would do differently that how I did mine.
Fellow-Ship
[img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Re: gel coated the hull today.
 

Well this Gel Coat over Epoxy question got me bugged enough that I posted the question to the West Epoxy Question / Answer board I will let you know what they have to say about the subject when they respond to me.
Fellow-Ship [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]