gell coat cure question.

[oops!]

this is kinda an advanced question....but good for any one working with gellcoat.

jody...you still on..lol

we have had an issue lately with gellcoat not curing hard lately.

we are painting on gellcoat using waxed. curing at approx 2.2-2.5%
temps approx 75-85 deg.....hi humidity for the area.

we were using a large batch....that i obtained from a bud. (lol thanks)
and it was taking a super long time to get hard....48 hrs or longer.
we hit the top of the part (transom) with pva to give it an extra layer of wax (after 24 hrs) and it helped a little but is still tacky.

i suspected the actual mixing of the product, while my cohort suspected the product itself.
as it was his project.....he ran out and got another gallon of gellcoat from a reputable dealer that (IPS...BRAD) that turns their stock fast and allways has new product on the shelf.

the new stuff was way worse !
after 18 hrs.....its still movable wet!
(i also made him mix the gellcoat well.....he had a "vortex" going in the gallon can for two minits) i also watched as brad tipeed and shook the pail he was pouring from

we are trying a different batch of MEKP but really dont understand the cause of this problem.

any ideas?

if its too complex to write here.....feel free to call me

thanks.
oops

 

[Bondo]

Re: gell coat cure question.

jody...you still on..lol

Ayuh,... I've been seein' 'im....

Btw,... Glad to see your postin' heavier lately,...

I know humidity has quite an effect, but you're over My head...

Good luck with it,...

 

[ondarvr]

Re: gell coat cure question.

Fire the gel coater, that will cure the problem.


Was this indoors or out?

Check the catalyst.

Did the pot kick like normal?

The surplus stuff you have should go off like dynamite, but you probably know that by now, it still needs a good amount of catalyst though.

If Brad's stuff was still soft to the touch also, then it must relate back to the catalyst or ambient conditions. (or the gel coater)

Did I already mention to fire the gel coater?

 

[tdrudd87]

Re: gell coat cure question.

Ondarvr,

Could you explain to us amatuers how the guy doing the work can keep it from kicking? So we know what not to do?

Thanks!
Terry

 

[chargerboy]

Re: gell coat cure question.

Maybe you didn't drink enough beer for it to work right. I always do my best to make sure this doesn't happen to me before I start on any project.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: gell coat cure question.

Ondarvr,

Could you explain to us amatuers how the guy doing the work can keep it from kicking? So we know what not to do?

Thanks!
Terry

There's only a few things the person doing the job can screw up, but it does happen all too frequently.

Not using enough catalyst is the big one, too much is the next. It's very important to measure the amount of gel coat and then add the correct amount of catalyst. This is probably the number 1 mistake made. In hot weather mix smaller amounts that can be used up faster, don't skimp on the catalyst.


Not mixing it well enough.

Doing the job in direct sun light, this affects it when adding wax for a tack free surface, the wax won't come to the surface very well and leaves the surface tacky.

Ambient temp too cool (cold).

Using old or contaminated catalyst.

The rest is kind of out your hands, if the stuff is bad its bad and most likely won't cure correctly no matter what you do.

 

[oops!]

Re: gell coat cure question.

Fire the gel coater, that will cure the problem.


Was this indoors or out?

outside in front of the shop

Check the catalyst.

it wasnt the best

Did the pot kick like normal?

kicked tacky

The surplus stuff you have should go off like dynamite, but you probably know that by now, it still needs a good amount of catalyst though.

If Brad's stuff was still soft to the touch also, then it must relate back to the catalyst or ambient conditions. (or the gel coater)

Did I already mention to fire the gel coater?

lol....we determined it was a mixture of factors....the mekp, the mixing,......... and he didnt use enough wax....i thought he was high enough but he was only about 3% using the glub glub method.

that lovely little mistake cost him 30 hours on a big transom job. (he could not walk in the bilge due to it being really tacky...kinda like walking on wet paint)....but we are back on track now.

he was panicking cause he had just ordered 5 gallons of black from brad to do a centurion and was worried about the product.

 

[oops!]

Re: gell coat cure question.

.

Btw,... Glad to see your postin' heavier lately,...

hi bill....how ya doin my friend ?

yeah i want to spend more time on here but every time i get on its two hours...lol.

hey....sneaking up on 30,000 posts......way to go bud !

ward