Gelcoat 102

[Gelcoater]

well i dunno why but i cant find the pics in my phone,like i didn't take em,but i did,F-ing technology, so i will share with you a shot of a small problem spot.

[Gelcoater]

what you see is an orange base with a gray pinstripe next to it,and the shiny orange of the mold surface. my finger is pointing at a small area where the orange base was a little too thin,and when the gray was sprayed over it at normal thickness,it attacks the thin material causing this "buckeling"you see. now this a minor case and easily repaired once the boat is outa the mold. its not uncommon for a beginner to have patches of this [only bigger buckling]bigger than a foot ball, causing a blowout

[Seamonkeys]

This is awesome. Always wanted to see how this was done. How hard is it to regelcoat an old seadoo that has faded. Or do they just paint it. It does have some minor dings through the gel to the glass.

[Gelcoater]

Originally Posted by Seamonkeys

This is awesome. Always wanted to see how this was done. How hard is it to regelcoat an old seadoo that has faded. Or do they just paint it. It does have some minor dings through the gel to the glass.

get some gel from where ever is closest to you and patch it yourself. hit a dealer near you for some gel and hardener.before you think of re painting, try some compound and a buff with a good coat of wax after.the gel is very thick,and will usually buff out to nearly new.if you patch yourself you want to fill the scratch to just above surface and sand smooth working from 400 or so up to 2000,and compound buff.expect to pay $400 plus for some one to do it for you.welcome to RDP,look around a little,cool peeps here

[RetroBoats]

What type tape do you use ??? Having issues double taping over tape for the pull off....it pulls both of them off. Share your wisdom oh wise one.

[RetroBoats]

Originally Posted by Gelcoater

what you see is an orange base with a gray pinstripe next to it,and the shiny orange of the mold surface. my finger is pointing at a small area where the orange base was a little too thin,and when the gray was sprayed over it at normal thickness,it attacks the thin material causing this "buckeling"you see. now this a minor case and easily repaired once the boat is outa the mold. its not uncommon for a beginner to have patches of this [only bigger buckling]bigger than a foot ball, causing a blowout

The other problem is spraying too heavy over the tape causing the pull off to chunk and so forth.

[Gelcoater]

first off,choice in tape#1 is Tesa,made in Germany[and like my buddy Vince on the Shamwow comercial says"we all know Germans Make good stuff"] get it from Bron tapes of so cal. 800-354-5379. choice #2 3ms scotch 233+[the green stuff] its ok,had some issues with glue residue in the past,but not too bad. Tesa is way better.

As to your second problem,if im reading right,some xtra layers of tape here and there to protect the underlying tape levels may be needed. apply them smartly to come off after you have pulled your lines. this will protect the underlying lines and cover tape from overspray buildup.

when taping the mold you need to be thinking 4-5 steps ahead,in regard to how its going to be pulled.I can give you pointers but sorry experience can not be taught,it must be learned,the only way to learn is to do.IM going to say even get a flat table mold,and screw around a little.practice multi layer taping and spraying.As you run into problems,think about how you could have taped it differently to avoid the problem and try it next.

If i remember right you said you have some experience with exterior painting? 80% of what you know in that world you need to lock away in your head, away from this process and approach this with an open mind.

[Gelcoater]

Originally Posted by RetroBoats

The other problem is spraying too heavy over the tape causing the pull off to chunk and so forth.

after re reading this i have to ask,is this chunking the line itself? or the gel on the masking built up so thick its tearing the masking?

If its the line itself,well its kicking before you got the tape off. your in Az,its hot,and there is no moisture in the air.humidity will [to a small degree] slow the drytime in the heat.use a slower catylist[like pd1] during the hot months,and do the job during the coolest part of the day[read 3am or so]. even here in ca.during the hottest part of the year its not uncommon for me to be in the booth with 2-3 colors down by 5:30 or so,and done with the boat by 9.

one thing i forgot to say about tape. DO NOT use automotive masking,no matter what kind of "deal" the sales guy trys to pitch.and on the fine line tape stick to the green #218 3m fineline. dont use the blue fine line,the gel will attack the plastic and when you try to pull it it will act like a rubberband then snap back into your work.
also dont use the tesa fine line [orange],will act just like the blue 3m.