Wet sanding fiberglass boat gel coat

Makes me want to fix every crack but I was not granted a infinite lifetime so I mostly try to. To fix gel coat cracks you need to open up the crack into a v slot then fill with Marine-Tex.

The gel coat on my deck my own 30 year old boat is pretty porous though the gel coat on the hull is still shiny.

Wet sanding fiberglass boat gel coat. Thank you for checking out Great Escape Marine here in Minneapolis Minnesota. This video details the wetsanding process we use here at Great Escape Marine t. The proper way to wet sand a Gel coat hull Vinegar is an excellent mild solvent.

It will not damage the gelcoat and it will remove any of the sanding dust particles on the boat. Acetone could be used I guess but not recommended because it can deteriorate the gelcoat and effect the resins in the hull. Before you gelcoat fiberglass fill in any cracks or gouges with a polyester filler and then sand the damaged areas down with 80-grit sandpaper.

Clean the fiberglass with soap and water and wipe it down with a rag soaked in acetone and immediately removing it with a clean dry rag. Click to read further detail. Guide coat dye After just reviewing our gelcoat repair procedure its imparitive to match the sanding system to your gelcoat.

A soft gelcoat would choke DA pads quicker than a harder gelcoat. Starting at 240 sounds good. However before moving up the grade you should use your dye or guide coat powder so show scratches have been removed.

If all the layers of the gel coat are burned out then not even wet sanding will bring it back because the very color pigments of the gelcoat are changed and damaged by the sun. These boats in this condition can still be re-gelcoated or even painted however. Color restoration can be a little time consuming and may cost a bit but there is hope.

• Collinite 920 Fiberglass Boat Cleaner - Collinte 885 Paste Fleetwax. I may try the 925 liquid wax but that might be too easy - Anyway if you are faced with chalky fiberglass wet sanding is the way to go– Bud. Posted 08-26-2005 0846 AM ET US.

Step 1 Surface Prep 1. Surface Prep Gel Coat Oxidation and Scratch Removal. To effectively remove oxidation and deep scratches the surface of your boats hull needs to be abraded starting with wet sanding in severe cases or more commonly by using a polishing compound.

The use of marine grade formulas such as Crush Liquid Compound or Riptide. 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.

Furthermore will vinegar remove oxidation from fiberglass. Older fiberglass boats may look dusty from oxidation. In this video we go over the steps to remove scratches and to polish your gel coat to make your boat look new againList of things needed.

800 Grit Sanding P. To fix gel coat cracks you need to open up the crack into a v slot then fill with Marine-Tex. Lots of wet sanding involved.

Unless its a brand new Sunfish or you want to practice you might want to use the time sailing instead of fixing. Makes me want to fix every crack but I was not granted a infinite lifetime so I mostly try to. Wash the boat remove any tar bugs etc stuck on the glass.

2nd step is to wet sand by hand with plenty of water put a few drops of dishwashing liquid in the sanding water to make the paper slide easier dunk the paper often to clean the sanded material off the paper. Sanding the fiberglass will help smooth out any rough spots in the gelcoat. If youre sanding a large fiberglass surface like the hull of a boat use a random orbit sander to speed up the process.

When youre done sanding wipe away any dust with a dry rag. 2 Apply rubbing compound to the fiberglass with a cloth. For the deep scratches Id use a product called Adtech P-14 and fill the gouge just shy of the surrounding gelcoat leaving a bit of room for the eventual gelcoat.

Sand with 80 grit clean then go over top of that with the color matched gel. Please watch episode 1 of our all new fishing series. What Is The Best Catfish Bait.

Catfishing Tips Lake of the Ozarks Jug Fishing httpswwwyoutubeco. We occasionally are asked if wet sanding or color sanding as some know it with ultra fine sandpaper will eliminate this effect. Wet sanding works like a very aggressive polish and will not reduce the fading.

It will however reduce the life of your. Wet sand the area to be painted with the 400-grit sandpaper. You can then apply 2 coats of Sure Step to the decks.

But keep in mind that both gel coat and marine paint need similar preparation work before one can apply either one to the boats surface. You can buy a gelcoat spray gun online or at your local paint store. Once the coating gelcoat has cured it should be block sanded using a 250 wet grit paper to remove all brush marks and high spots.

Following this it should be wet sanded with 320 400 and 600 wet grit paper buffed polished and waxed. Clean repair area and all tools with acetone prior to application. Gel Coat is used so that boat manufacturers dont have to wet sand little known fact.

Ask your bud to let you look at some boats hes wet sanded. Pretty much what Backlasher said. Some polishing compound and a buffer.

If this is basically a one time job you can get a cheap buffer at Pep Boys or such in the 3000 range. Make sure to get plenty. This was my first-time wet sanding anything the paint on my boat was wicked dull and sun-baked.

The black paint on the upper part of my boat was extremely d. The gel coat on my deck my own 30 year old boat is pretty porous though the gel coat on the hull is still shiny. There is some crazing but nothing major.

I have been contemplating re-painting my boat for years but I thought it would require a ton of sanding and just wouldnt be worth the amount of time necessary. Application of gel coat. Apply two layers of gel coat using a four-inch-wide brush that is neither too soft nor too hard.

Apply it evenly at a thickness of 18-20 mils use a mil gauge for measuring. Let it cure overnight and you will be ready to wet sand and buff it the next day. Use a 300 or 400 grit wet sandpaper for the initial wet sanding.

WetDry Sanding only applies in extreme cases where the gelcoat is so bad that it cant be revived from compounding. This occurs when your boats surfaces have not been cared for for way too long and it could no longer resist the elements thus resulting in. Apply gel coat in 4-5 layers at approximately 5 mils each allowing 15-20 minutes between layers for a total thickness of 20-25 mils.

Use 122-A Gel Coat Thickness to ensure proper thickness is achieved. If brushing or rolling gel coat sanding will most likely be required in order to get an aesthetically pleasing final surface finish.