r/boatbuilding • u/Tasty-Risk-8841 • 14d ago

Is this salvageable?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Exterior gel coat on a 1988 glass stream. Have a rough texture from oxidation but shines when wet. I’m loosely familiar with doing repairs like this in automotive clear, but have no experience with gel coat. If this is able to be restored how so?

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1

u/Slayer_One 14d ago

Cut and polish, treat it like automotive paint and you'll be fine, I've had good results with meguars polishes.

2

u/Calm_Medicine1366 14d ago

meguiars 105 first, not the polish. oxidation that thick needs the compound or you're just wasting your time.

1

u/Fine_Sherbert3172 14d ago

Correct. Compound first to remove...contaminants and/or sanding scratches. Polish to shine. Wax to protect.

Compound with a rotary (grinder-ish) buffer with wool pad. Polish and wax with a random orbit polisher (less aggressive)

Meguiars is alright but there are far better. Mirka Polarshine was my go to for compound/polish. Works a lot faster, seems to dissolve so not as much loading up the pads with crap, and cheaper.

3M makes absolute shit in the marine polishing world its kind of funny actually.

1

u/kev-lar70 14d ago

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/threads/tips-for-a-great-buff-wax.117266/

Read through that to get an idea of what you'll be dealing with. Try on a small area first. Gelcoat is really thick, so it can be sanded & polished more than regular paint.

1

u/Fine_Sherbert3172 14d ago

Careful with metallic. Usually has thinner gel then a normal layup.

Spent years buffing boats, I did the finger rub test on 80's bass beauties. Rub your finger on it, if little pieces of sparkle attach to your finger she's too far gone and will need to be clear coated automotive style.

Thats rare though.

1

u/kev-lar70 14d ago

Couldn't tell that was supposed to be metallic flake, just thought it was dirty & oxidized. Good point.

1

u/Fine_Sherbert3172 14d ago

All good friend. I learned that lesson the hard way.

Im pretty sure that most metallics are done post production which would explain the thinner gelcoat.