Rab (bombero) Reid Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 @Jay, thanks for the tips, mate .. organic peroxide - this is sounding perhaps a little beyond me .. @bobsy, thanks again and I understand what you're saying and thanks for the compliment. My westy is actually 11 years old and a testament to its previous owners as much as me and I obviously want to keep her in this condition as best I can .. I'm scunnered (Scottish) but not beaten! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melt Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Good article here in FAQs clicky HTH Mel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustCallMeMac Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Bombero, Have just repaired some deep scratches on my nose cone and it’s both straightforward and pretty cheap to do. 1. Purchased a small pot of electric blue gelcoat from Westfield……approx £12.00 2. Then bought the following from ABL Stevens in Sandbach who delivered next day. MEKP Liquid catalyst (hardener) Tack Free Solution (To create a ‘flowcoat,’ which allows the gelcoat to cure quicker, open to the air, without any need to seal the surface) Both available on this page: http://www.resin-supplies-shop.com/epages....ditives Acetone – bought it for cleaning the scratches fully (optional) http://www.resin-supplies-shop.com/epages....ce1 Also bought a few small syringes (for measuring purposes) and mixing pots, which proved invaluable http://www.resin-supplies-shop.com/epages....Size=20 Oh and get a good mask and work in a well ventilated area!! In terms of the procedure itself, including rubbing down, this post by SteveF is excellent. http://boardroom.wscc.co.uk/cgi-bin....+repair Hardest thing I found was to go against all natural instincts and make the scratches deeper than they already were, i.e. creating the ‘V-shape that Bobsy refers to. However this does allow the gelcoat / flowcoat in to the crack and gives a greater surface area for it to to bond to. Good luck! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Spoke to Russ (very nice chap) at Westfield today and ordered up a small tub of gelcoat. As the Scottish section trip to Applecross is imminent, I may leave this repair until after our return. .. need to decide if I'm going to go for the 'tack free' or 'sellotape' approach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedditchJay Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 good luck.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 good luck.... Thanks Jay. It was your comment on the linked topic that's made me think about the sellotape approach .. no rubbing, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Hmm, been doing a bit of experimenting ready to fill some 50p size holes. Tried filling a 5 mm dia hole from the reverse side, using Sellotape on the gelcoat side of a scrap. Shrinkage seems to be a issue with the first go, the gelcoat seems to have shrunk back on the gelcoat side, leaving a depression to fil Will try another test on a slightly larger hole and see how that goes. At the moment though it's looking like I may have to use gelcoat more like a filler, and sand it back flush Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustCallMeMac Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Hmm, been doing a bit of experimenting ready to fill some 50p size holes. Tried filling a 5 mm dia hole from the reverse side, using Sellotape on the gelcoat side of a scrap. Shrinkage seems to be a issue with the first go, the gelcoat seems to have shrunk back on the gelcoat side, leaving a depression to fil Will try another test on a slightly larger hole and see how that goes. At the moment though it's looking like I may have to use gelcoat more like a filler, and sand it back flush Yes, there is shrinkage in the gelcoat so I adopted the filler / overfill approach for both the first and second coat. Once the gelcoat had hardened fully, (and best to ere on the side of caution), sanding was acheived by using various grades of wet and dry to rub down the excess gelcoat until it was flush with the panel. I didn't need to go any higher than 1000-grit to finish off. (Note that I kept the repair area continuously wet and rinsed during the sanding process, by using a soaking sponge) Finished off using a fine rubbing compund and polish and repair area is as good as new. One final tip is to make sure you mask off the repair area (leave about 1/4" around repair), so as to avoid gelcoat getting on other parts of the bodywork and to minimise the repair area. Last thing you want to be doing is sanding down / treating other areas as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1986 Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Hi, I'm going to have a go at repairing a damaged cycle wing that I have and found this thread and the FAQ thread very helpful, so thanks! What do you guys use to polish/buff it up after the wet and dry stage? My cycle wing is in mint condition other than the crack I'm trying to repair, so want to try to get that area back to a mirror shine! I presume even 2000 grit wet and dry paper will leave a fairly dull finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rednick Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 after the wet and dry use brasso it works really well on gel coat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Farecla G3 is very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Okay guys, since asking this question and seeking advice last June, I've finally got around to doing something about it. I've mixed a little gelcoat with MEKP and applied it to my arch. Not remembering exactly what to do, I left it to 'harden' and went to re-read this topic only to find I should really be sealing it from air! So, back out to the garage and the repair is now wrapped in clingfilm .. question is, how long should it take to fully harden? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 You don't "have" to seal it from air, it's just that with ordinary gel coat, the top layer will stay slightly tacky till you start sanding back. Curing times, assuming a normal mix, are largely down to temperature, the ambient temp. You're working in, the temp of the new gel coat, and the temp of the wing. "Ideal" working conditions are often quoted as being around 70 F, towards those sort of temps, I've found gel coat can be going off in twenty to thirty minutes. (Though not sandable in that time). When I was doing my scuttle before Christmas, keeping the garage warmed a bit and not letting the materials get too cold, and using 3% catalyst, it would cure enough to apply CSM in forty minutes to an hour. Or could be sanded lightly next day. Final sanding flush I did after two or three days on average, though in some respects, I found the longer I could leave it the better. It's funny, the biggest issue I found was the polishing stage after sanding, jump the gun and polish too soon, and the softer new gel coat would under cut quite easily and show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Great answer .. thanks very much. I'll now just have to learn patience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Okay, so I've finally done it .. my first attempt at gelcoat repair and the results are in: BEFORE: AFTER: To be honest, when I first attempted it, I wasn't 100% absolutely happy with the finish. I hadn't taken out a little more gelcoat and the 'darker' scars showed through the finish. So it was back to the start and a gentle gouging with the dremel to create a shallow trough for the repair fill .. as originally suggested A BIG thank you to all who helped and contributed to get me through this. Some of you on here are dab hands at such repair work, and yet I was never made to feel that I was a numpty (Matta, no comment from you, thank you!) when I asked questions, and that gave me great encouragement to have a go. Since joining the Club, and posting on the forum, I've received some terrific advice and assistance .. well worth the fee alone!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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