'78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

'78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

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Trooper82

Trooper82

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Ahh yes the thickness gauge...good point GT!..I'll add that in the list above...
 
sphelps

sphelps

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Are you gunna spray it inside the new man cave ? Might want to cover your walls with some of that thin painters plastic ..
I know you'll get it looking great ! You ain't the kinda fella that stays down for long . ;)
 
B

Bomber Goober

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

I have been watching your progress and I must say, awesome work.

Trooper82 said:
So experience is the best teacher I have been told...so I want to share what I have learned thus far when it comes to gel coat....

1. Read everything you can find on spraying gel if it is your first time! then read it all again and maybe even again so it sinks in...
2. Unless you just really love to waste money...and spend too many hours sanding...DO NOT TREAT GEL LIKE PAINT!!! It is going to take alot more coats than you might think...it looked to be spraying nice and thick when I sprayed the Ebko...but it is thin...see pics above...
3. Any glass you exposed while doing your prep for spraying will have pin holes...so you have to fill em in...it won't look like it, but it is...full of holes...
4. Do a better job prepping than I did...I thought I had plenty of gel that would take care of some blemishes..not...
5. Wear your air filtration system when sanding the gel...I did not put any on tonight...nostrils were caked with the stuff just after a couple of hours...

I guess that is about it for now...I'm sure I forgot something though...
Click to expand...

I second all of this. Your sanding looks to be about where I was at when I resprayed.....the second time :facepalm: My issue was definitely that I didn't thin it enough. After the second go around thinned more, I had no issues getting it to smooth out.
 
Decker83

Decker83

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Hey Trooper, The first time I sprayed half the hull I had the same problem.. I didn't use any reducer and put on what I thought was 2 heavey coats.. I used a DA sander and I went thru in several places..

The second time I used the styrene that US Compsites sells and there white gel and reduced it by 10%..
For 32oz of gel I used 3oz of styrene... I quit trying to put on a heavy coat and put on a nice smooth coat.. If I started to see a orange peel I made ajustments to cut down on the gel as I sprayed.. I put on 5 layers and let it set until it felt like it was starting to kick and sprayed the PVA.. I think I used about 8 gallons of gel coat..
You can also use the wax in the last coat if you don't like the PVA..

I used my DA sander with 180 gritt and just took off the ruff stuff and then went to 320 gritt on the DA.. After that I used the styrofoam block like GT1M did to do the remaining sanding up to 1000 gritt..

You need to look really close at what you have sanded between each gritt of paper.. It will look good and feel smooth but when you
go to buffing you will be able to see any places that you missed...

Hint the marks alot or the 3M power to help find all the low spots..:D
 
Trooper82

Trooper82

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

sphelps said:
Are you gunna spray it inside the new man cave ? Might want to cover your walls with some of that thin painters plastic ..
I know you'll get it looking great ! You ain't the kinda fella that stays down for long . ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the vote of confidence SP! and yes I will hang plastic everywhere..when it comes time..

Bomber Goober said:
I have been watching your progress and I must say, awesome work.



I second all of this. Your sanding looks to be about where I was at when I resprayed.....the second time :facepalm: My issue was definitely that I didn't thin it enough. After the second go around thinned more, I had no issues getting it to smooth out.
Click to expand...

Thansk BG! I just got back from checking your thread...yours is turning out great!

Decker83 said:
Hey Trooper, The first time I sprayed half the hull I had the same problem.. I didn't use any reducer and put on what I thought was 2 heavey coats.. I used a DA sander and I went thru in several places..

The second time I used the styrene that US Compsites sells and there white gel and reduced it by 10%..
For 32oz of gel I used 3oz of styrene... I quit trying to put on a heavy coat and put on a nice smooth coat.. If I started to see a orange peel I made ajustments to cut down on the gel as I sprayed.. I put on 5 layers and let it set until it felt like it was starting to kick and sprayed the PVA.. I think I used about 8 gallons of gel coat..
You can also use the wax in the last coat if you don't like the PVA..

I used my DA sander with 180 gritt and just took off the ruff stuff and then went to 320 gritt on the DA.. After that I used the styrofoam block like GT1M did to do the remaining sanding up to 1000 gritt..

You need to look really close at what you have sanded between each gritt of paper.. It will look good and feel smooth but when you
go to buffing you will be able to see any places that you missed...

Hint the marks alot or the 3M power to help find all the low spots..:D
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips Decker...I used the 10% but am not convinced I had the gun set correctly..it was going through the 750ml I mixed ...real quick from what i real quick from what I recall..
 
B

Bomber Goober

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Trooper82 said:
Thanks for the tips Decker...I used the 10% but am not convinced I had the gun set correctly..it was going through the 750ml I mixed ...real quick from what i real quick from what I recall..
Click to expand...

What gun are you using? On my HF pressure pot if I had the fluid control maybe a 1/2 turn or so out and I think 20psi at the gun. I was constantly adjusting the air pressure to try and get good atomization (<spell check won't help me with that one)

Posted back to you in my thread.
 
Trooper82

Trooper82

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Using the same pot you have. It was last summer, i can't recall how I had it set. Seems like towrds the end of spraying it was starting to sound right, and looked better too.
 
Trooper82

Trooper82

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Found a man-cave warming gift in the mail today...I will leave the donar a mystery until they decide they want to be known....

I love it though...Thank you!!!
DSCF0453.jpg


Pulled back view....
DSCF0454.jpg


I got some more sanding done tonight...more tomorrow...
DSCF0455.jpg
 
Trooper82

Trooper82

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Tomorrow never came....had to work yesterday...did manage to snap this pic.....any takers on where this is?

image.jpg



tonight I did get the rest of the side sanded...early humpday tomorrow!
 
jbcurt00

jbcurt00

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Port city?

East.......

Portsmith, RI?

What'd I win? :)


EDIT: Dang, google, NOT RI :grumpy: :blue:
 
GT1000000

GT1000000

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Joined
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Messages
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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Love the no parking sign...I'm gonna guess that came from...

Oh wait, the guessing is for the Donovans Dock...

Nope, couldn't figure it out, but I do like their address...very unique...

Boy oh boy, this is beginning to remind me of the game, "CLUE"...:rolleyes::)
 
Decker83

Decker83

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

I don't know where Donovans Dock is, but I sure could use some time fishing with the pros..:D
Sanding is looking good.. Hang in there..
 
jbcurt00

jbcurt00

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Re: '78 Ebko Lebaron - Therapy

Man
long day
beat down & tired

no takers 4 ware? :rolleyes:

PM ur way
 
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