Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

[tmh]

OK, I'm below average at any "handy" type stuff to star with, so I can't blame ALL my troubles on WM Gel patch kit, however......What a crappy "kit". First off, I expected a color spectrum with approx. proportions of each pigment to get there. NO, they have color NAMES, like "Almond" or "Off White" instead of colors. THEN no formula, just "Add some yellow, but not much", whatever that means. So, here we're dealing with a small amount of gel so each drop makes a difference! Oh, and the color viles really "don't DO drops, more like squirts".

So, I mix it up, hope for the best in color matching (knowing from painting that the dry color will be totally different) and go at it. The spreader they enclose is awful, the mixing cups develop a big hole - so now my hands are full of this "off white" crap, the boat spot has patchy gel coat and some spots it just came off with the spreader.

Needless to say, my results sucked. More gray than off white, spots with no material and some flaking off (from the cover sheet they said to apply over the gel for 1 hr - seems it only sticks a little bit to the gel, enough to pull some off!).

I need to get the boat in the water for the summer and functionally my patch is fine, but next time it's in the driveway I think I'll sand it down and paint - it couldn't wind up worse! I MAY sand and try the gel one more time today, but not unless someone tells me "oh, do it THIS way and it will wind up much better"! I DO have a better idea on the color now - mine is more "cream" colored than off-white I guess.......whatever that means.

 

[TheWoodCrafter]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

I never tried a gel repair kit. Sounds like a headach.

Put of the trick getting it to blend in is the correct color of course but when done it needs to be sanded and then pollished. Sand the patch level with the existing with the finest paper that will do the job, may 240 or 320. Then with 400 sand till you have no difference in the level between the old and new.
Depending on the repair a sanding block is best. Then start sanding with 600, 800, 1000, 1200 paper progressively larger area. Now take rubbing compound and buff the area. A lot of work for a small repair but it should completely disappear with the same sheen as the rest of the boat.

A few dozen attempts and you'll have it.

 

[tmh]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

yeah....mine may be too crappy to bother with all that. No use working hard like that to wind up with a "slightly less crappy job but still crappy"! I'll just sand down and try again.....either with a new gel coat try or paint.

 

[oops!]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

marine tex works great for small areas....


the gellcoat repair kits can be frustrating because you need to waist a full kit just tring to match the color.....

i ve used them a few times, and each time got a little better....

id suggest doing some samples and practice on a seperate peice......if the little plastic stuff sticks....use wax paper....and make sure there is no wrinkles in it.......

color matching is why gell coat specialists get paid 80 dollars an hour....

good luck....post pics and mabe we can help more !

cheers
oops

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

I was just over at West Marine looking at this kit. For $35, I did not pick it up. It looks like those vinyl repair kits and just as hard to work.

Is there another option other than a gel coat professional?​

 

[jonsquatch]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

My experience has been with the Evercoat Match 'N Patch Gel Coat Repair Kit. It was a learning experience to say the least. My first couple of attempts don't really match at all. First and foremost don't practice on your boat, or at least not on the most important, visible areas.

I am sure the plastic sheeting serves a purpose, I think it may have been to make sure that when you decided to practice on your boat in on the most important conspicuous area that it pulls your repair right back off so you get to try again after realizing it really doesn't match. Eventually I stopped covering it altogether and it seems to harden just fine without it for me, your mileage may vary.

For mixing what works best for me is to take a clean piece of glossy cardstock and put smears of each color I think I need to match in separate and not close together spots. Then I use a clean toothpick to grab a little of the base color and move it to a clean spot. Then grab another clean toothpick and grab a little of the next and mix them... I repeat with clean toothpicks until it looks good, or I start over in another clean spot.

Once I get the mix right I put the gel in another clean spot and take only enough pigment to get it mixed thoroughly and mix it well leaving a little well in the middle, add in enough hardener and mix will with a clean rubber scraper. I apply it as soon as it is mixed with the scraper, slightly overfilling but with as little excess as possible to avoid too much sanding. Discard the mixing board before you think it is setting up don't try to force it or you'll spend a long time sanding or if you pushed it too far it just wont stick. It's not worth it, I got enough in my kit to do multiple boats worth of normal wear and tear so I err on the side caution and only do about 1/2 of what I think I can do at a time. Once you get the mixing down after a couple of batches it gets easier.

Once it hardens I knock down any excessive amounts with the finest paper I think I can stand using dry and then switch to wet sanding with finer and finer grits. Eventually wet sanding the whole area with fine grit to be followed up with a good polish with a medium cutting polish high quality random orbital polisher, then the regular maintenance buff, shine and wax with the larger buffer. Looks ok, better than it did before but I wish the color matched better in the spots I started with.

 

[dwmmatt23]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

im a manager at WM, yes the patch kits are a pain in the *** and mixing base colors from a kit will hardly ever if never yeild a perfect or even good match. i use and only recommend marine tex. ive used gallons of this stuff and its alot easier to tint to somewhat of the same color. just my 2 cents

 

[tmh]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

Thanks for the info, all. I did try to do a second batch - couldn't get the color even close so I never put it on the boat. I sanded down what's there and I'll paint it next time the boat is out.

I may return the used kit toi WM. They sell a "kit" that in my opinion does not do what it is sold to do - help a do-it-yourselfer repair gelcoats of various colors! It is poorly designed (the color match NEEDS a color chart and formula for how much of each color) and I think they stole my $35 or whatever.

I agree that the Marine Tex is much easier and I wish i had just tinted it for the patch. Live and learn.

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Gel coat patch kit - what a pain!!!!

Marine Tex can be tinted to match? Any instructions about what to use to tint it?​