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Boat Forum / Building / August 2007Gelcoat vs.LP
Folks, WRT that 35-year-old sweetheart that some of you were kind enough to post responses, I'm now considering re-gelling. The yard folks tell me that 2-part LP application has gotten so expensive that re-gelling hulls from the rail to somewhere below the waterline is a reasonable consideration. I'm expecting quotes from the same guy on both. Any experience here? There's two good coats of epoxy primer in both approaches, but are there any other things to watch for? Thanks all, AS Annapolis, MD >Folks, WRT that 35-year-old sweetheart that some of you were kind >enough to post responses, I'm now considering re-gelling. The yard [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >AS >Annapolis, MD There is something wrong here. Gel Coat is a Polyester resin with pigment added to produce a colored surface. and applied directly to the fiberglass. Epoxy primer is a type of paint and is usually the base coat for a finish coat of either epoxy gloss paint (which chalks when exposed to UV, i.e., sunlight) or a two part polyurathane paint. I would start with a detailed explanation of methods and costs viv-a-viv re-gel coating and painting and go from there. No competent and honest craftsman I've known would be adverse to explaining his work. Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom) >Folks, WRT that 35-year-old sweetheart that some of you were kind >enough to post responses, I'm now considering re-gelling. The yard [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > ------------------ gel coat is just thickened polyester resin.... some stuff the rest of the boat is made from. Generally epoxy bonds to polyester resin but polyester resin doesn't usually stick well to epoxy - and epoxy primers are just solvent thinned epoxy. LP coatings can be had for about $100 per gallon - same as bottom paint. Of course you can buy the big name and pay $300 per gallon if you like! LPU coatings are not very user friendly during application. Another option is a good 1 part enamel then an LPU clear coat on top. The clear LPU may not show the 'mistakes' that a pigmented lpu would. Note that lpu coatings come as polyester polyurethanes and acrylic polyurethanes. Google LPU to learn more about this type of coatings.... paul oman' progressive epoxy polymers. Guys, my bad, and thanks for the fill-in. The painter referred to the epoxy primer only when we talked LP - not when we talked regelling, and I just assumed it applied in both cases. "Too soon old and too late schmardt." -AS >Guys, my bad, and thanks for the fill-in. The painter referred to the >epoxy primer only when we talked LP - not when we talked regelling, >and I just assumed it applied in both cases. "Too soon old and too >late schmardt." > >-AS I suggest that you discuss in detail exactly what and how long that the various stages of the re-gel coating will require. I say this because a good friend does fiberglass repairs and in all cases where he has had t make gel coat repairs it has taken considerable time to sand and polish the applied gel coat to a satisfactory finish and my understanding is that labor costs are much higher in the U.S. then we are used to here. I would appreciate a heads up on what you learn as I am in the process of rebuilding an old power boat and the question of painting will come sooner or later. If something new has been discovered I'd sure like to be aware of it. Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom) >>Folks, WRT that 35-year-old sweetheart that some of you were kind >>enough to post responses, I'm now considering re-gelling. The yard [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >paul oman' >progressive epoxy polymers. If you are in the tropics I strongly recommend that you DO NOT clear coat the boat. I have seen a couple of boats that have been clearcoated here in Thailand (my own and another chap's) and in both cases after about 5 years the clear coat began to blister and peel and the boats required repainting. Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom) > If you are in the tropics I strongly recommend that you DO NOT clear > coat the boat. I have seen a couple of boats that have been [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Bruce in Bangkok > (brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom) Sounds like skimpy prep work, Bruce, but you probably already know a whole lot about that (now). Richard in Texas >> If you are in the tropics I strongly recommend that you DO NOT clear >> coat the boat. I have seen a couple of boats that have been [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >Richard in Texas I don't think so. At least the preliminary work, removal of original finish, priming and filling, prime coats, final sanding and application of top coats seem to have been done correctly as there has been no deterioration in that area in about seven years. After the final finnish coat was applied a coat of clear coat was applied the following morning after the sun had come up and initial morning humidity had dropped but before the sun was so high that the boat felt hot. I'm not a professional painter by any means but two boats, painted in different yards, but different people had the same problem. In addition there was an individual who posted about paint peeling on a fiberglass pickup truck canopy and when I described what my paint looked like he said that was how his looked. On the other hand, clear coating (to the best of my knowledge) came from the car painters and must have been used extensively in Southern California. I certainly wouldn't use it again. Bruce in Bangkok (brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom) 'AS', Read all the responses, to date. A lot of good advise. However nobody took into account where YOU LIVE. In fact, one individual mentioned 'the tropics' !! Annapolis, 'The Sailing Capitol of the World' {at least that's what it says on a sweatshirt}, and the home of 'Buddies Crabs & Ribs' {overlooking 'Ego Alley'}. Been there many times, for Sailboat shows, and ASA Certification. My point is that there are 'Yards' and 'Repair & Refurbishment' folks falling over each other!! Go to a couple well-established NON-Repair places {like Fawcetts {spl?}, Bacon's, or Annapolis Performance Sailing} and ask for SEVERAL recommendations. Then go and talk to the people, discuss the problem, ask about their procedures, LOOK at their facilities, ask about GUARANTEES, and get QUOTES. Then make an INFORMED decision. For what it's worth . . . Regards & Good Luck, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop > Folks, WRT that 35-year-old sweetheart that some of you were kind > enough to post responses, I'm now considering re-gelling. The yard [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > AS > Annapolis, MD > 'AS', > [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] >> AS >> Annapolis, MD Gelcoat for me all the way. The prep is nearly the same but fixing the mistakes are a breeze. mistakes with LPU........? |
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