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Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions
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Author:  heelcat [ Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

The g100 aka the gelcoat cup gun that everyone sells. I've seen it sell for $119. I bought it with my order from fibreglast.com. It was a little more expensive there but with the 20% discount and not having to pay another shipping cost to someone else it came out to be about the same. The nozzle is huge! No wonder I don't need to thin the gelcoat. Anyone that has used the g100 know if I should order a smaller nozzle for my last coat that will be 1:1 gelcoat and duratek? If so what size?

Just got my order delivered today. It took two days to get here. They seem to have the widest selection of colors and are supposed to be able to match the color consistently using their computer controlled mixing technology. I had to use their "instant" color book that has 730 color choices to find the right shade of blue but they did have it. I'm a bit picky when it comes to having the right color, especially Carolina blue. I haven't opened up the can yet to look at the color and probably won't do so until the weekend when I hope to start spraying.

Author:  TiberiusGV [ Tue Dec 04, 2012 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

I know you said you spent around $500 on supplies. Mind sharing the break down on on that?

I see you built a spray booth. I would really like to see more pictures and detail of that.

Author:  Sail Revolution [ Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

Looking really good!

The Duratec contains a high percentage of styrene, so it thins the gel quite a bit. For better coverage, I like to use somewhere around 40% Duratec, then if it needs more thinning to go through the gun, hit it with some lacquer thinner. It will make the gel yellow less (a byproduct of using a high percentage of stryrene).

You might want to do a test panel to get your percentages right.

When the gel starts to look stringy as it comes out of the gun, it's time to stop and clean the gun immediately. Hot coat subsequent layers as the underlying coats flash off. That way you get a good chemical bond. Once you start, keep spraying until you don't have any gel left. Gel will hang pretty thick.

Sometimes, I will put my gun in the fridge between coats. Don't do it! Your wife will get mad, and your house will smell bad! :lol:

Cheers!

Author:  heelcat [ Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

TiberiusGV wrote:
I know you said you spent around $500 on supplies. Mind sharing the break down on on that?


Approximately (you can find the exact prices on their website):
2 gallons of colored gelcoat = $100 x 2 (I believe that included the MEKP)
1 gallon of Duratec = $120
1 quart styrene wax = $30
1 gel cup gun = $140
1 spray suit = $15
1 package of 25 paper cups = $18
1 mekp measuring bottle = $5
shipping = $60
I think that adds up around $600 then take off my 20%.

TiberiusGV wrote:
I see you built a spray booth. I would really like to see more pictures and detail of that.


Spray booth is really really easy. I have a really massive tarp that I picked up somewhere and it's probably about 15x 25ft. I nailed it to my rafters with the grommets. Where the grommet didn't line up with the rafter I used some string to tie it off. That was one side.

From there I had some clear plastic that I used when we painted the house. It was probably about 12 x 30 ft. I folded over the top edge so I would have three layers of the material about an inch wide and then took out the staple gun and stapled it to my rafters following the beams as much as possible. From there I ran out of full sized plastic that would hang to the floor and I had to tape together two smaller sections of leftover painting tarps to get coverage. Still doesn't quite reach the floor but I'm ok with that. I am also going to lay down tarp all over the floor to cover the entire floor.

I think you can see how the boat is hanging. I just passed some rope through the bolt hole and hung it from the rafters. I set it up with some carabiners and some 3:1 systems so I can raise and lower it if necessary. That has been handy in being able to properly sand the deck and the very bottom of the boat without me crouching over for an hour and killing my back. I'm an old climber so I have lots of that stuff lying around and I enjoy nothing more than setting up intricate rigging systems.

For ventilation I have two shop vacs with a 2 1/2" hose connected to a 1 1/2" x 10 ' PVC tube for each. I cut the PVC tube and installed 3 tees throughout the length and 2 90 degree bends at the end. I installed those hanging above the boat. I had to tape off about half way the T's closest to the shop vacs so that the shop vac was still pulling air at the end of the long tube. I then just connected the shop vac tube to the end of the PVC with some duct tape.
Check this guy out:
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Shop-Vac-Dust-Collector/

That's where I got the idea when I was setting up my wood working tools and just adapted the idea for this. You obviously don't need the vortex to collect particles as we are mostly worried about fumes.

I will also have two circular fans circulating air. The spray booth actually has a door at the stern of the boat which will be partially open and where the shop vacs will be venting their air. The garage also has a fan to blow fresh air into the garage (well once I reverse it it will). It's really that simple. It may sound complicated but once you get the parts in your hand and realize what it is you are trying to accomplish you should be able to figure it out.

It helps that I have tons of rope of various widths to use to hang stuff with and a bare garage of which my wife doesn't care what happens in there. I also have various cutting tools to cut the PVC with. Worst case is you just go at with a hacksaw. Most of these materials are fairly cheap I think, although I had almost all of it lying around from previous projects.

Author:  jonh [ Wed Dec 05, 2012 9:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

heelcat wrote:
I'm a bit picky when it comes to having the right color, especially Carolina blue.


If God Isn't a Tar Heel, Why is the Sky Carolina Blue?
Check out our fenders. Direct from a rattle can but it'll do.

Image

Author:  KarlR [ Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

I'm not quite clean on your venting plan, but I would be careful that you pushing fresh air, rather than pulling fumes through your shop vac. It can ignite anything flammable, I think.

Author:  MBounds [ Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

KarlR wrote:
I'm not quite clean on your venting plan, but I would be careful that you pushing fresh air, rather than pulling fumes through your shop vac. It can ignite anything flammable, I think.
+1
Sparks are bad in the Batcave.

Author:  heelcat [ Sat Dec 08, 2012 9:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

Anybody know if I should use PVA with a combo of Duratec and Gelcoat on my final layer? I was also going to add some Styrene Wax to this last coat. I know that maybe overkill but I already have a small bottle of Styrene Wax so why not? I figured with the Duratec and wax I won't need PVA.

Author:  MVD [ Sun Dec 09, 2012 6:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Restoring Hulls with Gelcoat -- More questions

I've used Duratec in the past and am a real fan of it. If you mix the Duratec 1:1 with the gel-coat, per the instructions, you won't need PVA or styrene in your finish coat. It will cure hard. However, you still need to use the catalyst. For example, if you use a half-pint of gel and a half-pint of Duratec to make a one-pint mixture, use the same amount of MEK that you'd use for one pint of gel.

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