Yacht Gel Coat Repairs Made Effortless
Most boats and yachts made these days are made of fiberglass
. A fiberglass vessel is composed of resins and synthetic glass plastic matting combined as one to give it strength. The exterior yacht areas are made of layers of dyed resins referred to as gel coat. Gel coat is the substance utilized to give the top-quality texture on the visible surface of the toughened material underneath.
What is gel coat? The most prevalent gel coats used with today's yachts are based on polyester resin chemistry. Gel coats are resins that are sprayed into molds in a liquid. The manufactured module, when satisfactorily cured and removed from the cast, creates the gel coated surface. After a while, the gel coated topsides can be scraped and nicked from age. The sunlight can also produce tiny scratches, but repairs can be made.
Here is how I accomplish this. Surface gel coat cracks can be rubbed out of a gel coat surface with auto polishing compound and good old elbow grease, but deep scratches must be packed. Excluding shade matching, gel coat repairs are rather uncomplicated and easy.
If cracks are deep, I normally prepare them for repair by further grinding the surface with a Dremel tool. This affords suitable bedding for the resin. I prefer to use the West System epoxy for making my modifications. The success of the mend relies upon not only the ability of the epoxy's strength, but also on how effectively the epoxy joins to the facade being put on. Except when you are bonding to partially aged epoxy, the strength of the union relies on the epoxy's ability to "stick " to the facade. The next 3 tips of surface prep work are an important step of any epoxy gel coat fix.
For high-quality adhesion, all surfaces must be:
1. Spotless - All topsides to be mended must be absent of all foreign matter such as grease, oil, wax or silicone. Rub all surfaces with a fresh cloth moistened with lacquer thinner or acetone. Rub the exterior before the solvent dries. Wipe the complete topsides before sanding or grinding with a Dremel tool to avoid driving the pollutant into the existing fiberglass surface.
2. Dry - Every surface must be as dry as possible for high quality adhesion. If needed, quicken the drying by heating the topsides with a hair dryer. As previously stated, epoxy will not adhere to damp surfaces.
3. Sanded - Sand level all topsides- meticulously rubbing each surface. Eliminate all peeling, chalking, blistering, or old paint layers prior to sanding. Remove all particles following sanding with a cloth wet with solvent.
Fairing refers to the filling and shaping of ground out areas so they join with the nearby surfaces and appear "fair" both to the touch and eye. Prepare the surface like you would for bonding. Sand away all ridges and bumps on the surface and do away with all airborne debris from the section to be faired afterwards. Mix up resin/hardener and fairing filler to a putty-like thickness based on the manufacturer's instructions.
Always add fillers in a 2-step procedure:
1.Blend the preferred quantity of resin and hardener carefully prior to adding fillers.
2.Blend in small amounts of the suitable filler until the desired consistency is reached; be careful not to put in too much.
Be sure all of the filler is completely mixed before the mixture is applied. Spread the mix into a thin layer within the mixing container to extend its working life; heavy mixed resin will harden quickly. The epoxy blend can now be applied with a plastic squeegee, pressing it into all spaces. Level the mixture to the preferred form, but leave the epoxy a bit higher than the adjacent surface. Eliminate any extra thickened epoxy before it begins to cure. In addition, if any voids are over one-half inch deep, apply the epoxy mix in several applications.
Let the final thickened epoxy treatment age thoroughly. Aging will last at least one hour. Sand the applied fairing material to merge with the adjoining contour; larger grit sandpaper will eliminate more matter as you sand. Conclude with finer sandpaper when you are near the final contour. To finish the task, I prefer to paint the fixed area.
by: Marinetrader
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