Gel Coat Repair

[Keiffer]

Does anyone have experience with Gel Coat Repair? Mine is not in bad shape so I prefer not to paint it. My understanding is the repair itself is quite simple the devil is in the color matching.

I have spoken with Mini Craft of Florida, they are very helpfull and have colors for hundreds of boats - just not Ericson.

I spoke with Spectrum color and they were no help at all.

I am dealing with two colors - 1. Deck 2. Non skid areas

Does anyone know if there is a way to detirmine what colors were used originally?

If not does anyone have any experience with color matching?

Thanks

 

[Emerald]

Hi Keiffer,


I bet we have a bit of the same problem going on given we both have dark green Independence 31s

I'm at a point where I've kinda given up on exact color matches, but instead doing whole surfaces with something as close as possible to original. Also, remember what we see has faded over the years and isn't what was there originally. With that in mind, I've had on the back burner redoing gelcoat, and I would start talking to the folks at U.S. Composites. I had some great help from them on foam when I recored my rudder (Foss in CA also gets a lot of credit on that project for some valuable pointers). So, check this website and then give a call:

http://www.shopmaninc.com/

 

[CSMcKillip]

I have done a ton of gelcoat, i would suggest to get a color match of the original colors to just remove a piece of hardware in the location of repair on the deck or nonskid area. No uv damage under the hardware.

Next is for the matching, get a white base gelcoat and some colors, black, blue, red and yellow, start mixing in colors to the gelcoat to get the match, i used a qtip to dab small amounts on the deck to get the color just right. Once you are close then take a small amount and add the mekp. Let it kick and you should have a very close color.

On my non skid, i regelcoated each area, i taped off the smooth gelcoat, cleaned tge area with asetone and used a small 3" roller to apply a thin layer of gelcoat to the nonskid, i cheated and also just taped around any hardware. After rolling on the gelcoat i sprayed tge area with pva to seal the job, the next day i just washed off tge pva and had a new gelcoat nonskid. I did it in sections, turned out really nice. The only drawback i had was that the nonskid was now really shinny in the direct light.

Its held up for over 6 years now.

 

[Capt. Max]

You can send a chip to mini craft and they will match it.

 

[Keiffer]

David, Interesting site I will have to study that a little further before I give them a call. Is your deck in its original condition? (un-painted) other than the area where you did the re-coring at your mast?

Chris,
If I understand correctly you re-coated all of your non skid areas, how about the remaining area's did they need touch up, or did you do a total re-coat on these as well?

Capt'
I guess as I consider my original thoughts on what the original color's were are for the most part irrevelant, since the original color now only exists in the most obscure places. I do like the idea of sending a chip to Mini Craft for them go match it for me.

 

[CSMcKillip]

Just the damaged non skid.

 

[Emerald]

Yes, with the exception of the mast step, I am original gelcoat on the topsides. In all, it has held up well, but is starting to fade out at the edges towards the toe rail. I have a spot in the cockpit where someone long ago set a leaking battery down, and there is a discolored (bleached out looking) area where the battery sat. I keep eyeballing that thinking it will be where I play with new gelcoat. I've decided I'll do gelcoat on the topsides instead of paint when the time comes.