west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

[stackz]

here's what I used:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10104&subdeptNum=10296&classNum=10301

I cut an old transducer off the stern with a metal cutting wheel as the PO used non-stainless screws which rusted horribly. then I turned the wheel against the portion of the screws still sticking out and ground them to just below surface of the transom. but obviously had to then seal this up. used the stuff up above after taping off around.

this was 3 weeks ago and I can still dig my nail into this stuff. how do I get it to harden? am I supposed to wipe it with acetone or something to get it to flash off and harden?

 

[shrew]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

The link you provided is for surface scrath repair, not really for holes in the transom below the water line. i've used it for minor repairs. Usually you'd fill the hole with something like a 2 part epoxy, or some fiberglass and resin, then cover the very surface with a gelcoat to make it look good.

The instructions on the product you used indicate that it should not be applied beyond a certain thickness and would require multiple applications, allowing the previous layer to cure before the next layer is applied.

How did you apply it? Did you simply fill the holes until they were filled in a single application? It should dry in about 24-48 hours, but that can vary depending on the temperature and humidity. If you simply filled the holes in a single application, I'm not sure if it will ever completely cure.

 

[stackz]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

these werent holes I filled. they were maybe 1/16" deep areas. the screws are still in there, I just ground them down to just below flush with the existing gelcoat.

this is the first application.

I spread some out on some cardboard and let it start to sit up, then used the little plastic thing to smear it on, let it dry some more, and scraped the excess off and then walked away. just been checking and checking the last couple weeks and its never really gotten HARD. I have no problem digging it out if there's another product I need to use.

 

[nikon]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

If it's been that long I'd do my best to get it out of there and put a thin layer of marine-tex over it to seal it then worry about cosmetics.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

If it hasn't hardened within several hours, then it's not going to. Leaving it there won't resolve anything. Dig it out and mix up another batch. Sometimes it's tough to get the right mix of gelcoat and hardner. Just try it again with a new batch.

 

[stackz]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

If it hasn't hardened within several hours, then it's not going to. Leaving it there won't resolve anything. Dig it out and mix up another batch. Sometimes it's tough to get the right mix of gelcoat and hardner. Just try it again with a new batch.

but there's no hardener for this stuff. its apparently a stand-alone product.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

You tube has videos from west marine on gel coat repair. The guy in the video mixes gelcoat with hardner. I think this may be your problem. Can you chip it out and start again using a hardner also?

 

[QC]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

Yeah that "Scratch Patch" is single part and not the right product for this really. There are gelcoat repair kits that are two part, they work well.

Edit: moved this to Boat Restoration . . . mo betta here.

 

[stackz]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

just ran by west marine and I guess I should stop and read product descriptions a little better next time lol.

after reading some of the others I can now fully see this stuff isnt what I needed.

should I get the "finish gel coat" repair system or the regular one?

only difference I see is the regular gel coat repair is neutral color needing pigment to be added while the finish coat is already white?

 

[QC]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

Depends on the color you have . . .

 

[stackz]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

lol. white.

this:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10104&subdeptNum=10296&classNum=10301

and this:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...toreNum=10104&subdeptNum=10296&classNum=10301

were what I was looking at. man this stuff is expensive

 

[WILSONS88]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

I have used that Evercoat Scratch patch. It does work but you have to cover the application with acetate film, wax paper or pva mold release for it to harden.

 

[stackz]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

ok, I picked up a pint of the finished gelcoat from west marine.

I think what I'll do is pick out all of the scratch repair stuff and fill the various spots on the transom as well as the ones on the bottom of the hull and a couple I have on the top sides with marinetex which I already have.

then sand and tape off all the areas and mix up a batch (probably about a 1/4 of the container) and thin with acetone and spray all the areas with my el cheapo $9 spray gun. I know I'll get a better finish this way and I dont care if the gun gums up even though I will try to clean it with acetone as soon as I'm done.

what say you about this mighty plan of mine?

 

[oops!]

Re: west marine gelcoat repair kit...will this stuff EVER harden?

hi......

what do i think of your plan....?.
well.....i see warning flags.

ok....gellcoat repairs are not that hard to do...
but when you start thinning with acetone....then adding wax....then spraying....you can run into a world of trouble.

the problem starts when people thin with acetone.
the MAXIMUM you can thin gellcoat with acetone is 10%. but this is still too thick to do with a prevail spray gun....it will clog during the spray, the gell will flash off.....and the job gets botched.
to stop this...alot of people thin at 20 or 30 possibly up to 50%....and that is just a goopy mess.

.....so...lets get you on the right track. !

ok...first off......gellcoat gets mixed with MEKP (THE HARDNER) at 2%. you can go over or under by a percentage or 2.....but 2% is the safe zone. spray or paint with unwaxed gellcoat...then pva over it with a windex sprayer.
after the gellcoat hardens...(1 hr is lots) then the finishing fair and sanding can begin. 400 grit. and progressively up to 1000 or 1500.
a lot of repair kits come with a little hardened peice of plastic to cover the area with after filling.
these can be a real can of worms.....i suggest you dont use it till you have practiced with it a ton. if you dont get the exact amount of gellcoat in the void.....it will look like carp. the pva will do the job just fine.

a trick i use for bolt holes or small screw holes......is to cut the corner off a plastic bag....put some catylized gellcoat in it, and use it like a chef's pastery thingy.

if you are spraying.....use as big as a tip you can get...(if its a prevail.....you are stuck with what you get) mix the mekp at 1.8% (a little colder) and this will help you get better coverage due to the longer working time.

another way you can do it.....is to paint the stuff on....(unwaxed).....then when the gell starts to set up....(15 mins) take a plastic bondo spreader.....add a little gellcoat and quickly swipe the spot. this will fill the low areas.
then spray some pva over the area (windex sprayer) this will let the gell cure, and the pva can be washed off in one hour....and the sanding and fairing begins.

if this confuses you.....read the sticky's at the top of the forum..the link in my sig...(look in the index)..or frisco boater has vids posted.
the total time for a simple repair including cure time is approx 3 hours start to finish.

hope this gets you the results you want.

cheers
oops