Gelcoat Restoration
Hey guys, I've been trying to find the best way to restore the yellowy oxidised gelcoat on my chivers thunderbird. I came accross this product here and ordered it http://www.cleanaboat.com/Gel-Coat-Restoration/c1/p28/Gel-Coat-Restoration-Starter-Pack/product_info.html
The prob is I have been waiting for over a month for it to show up (even paid for express shipping) and have been getting dicked around no end by these people, so I am thinking about getting a refund. However it looks like a good product from their vids etc so my question to you guys : has anyone used this product before and is it worth the wait, or should I just do the old 600,800,1200 wet sand then use some cutting compound and give it a wax?
I've tried meguiars cutting compound on a small section without wet sanding and it got rid of the oxidisation and made it shiny but didn't get rid of the yellowing.
any advice appreciated :)
kwozz
Posts: 36
Date Joined: 03/11/09
gelcoat
hey mate you're on the money its a bit of work but the best bet is to sand through the grades and then buff it. The gelcoat itself yellows from the catalyst used as a hardener continuing to act on the polymers over time. Try a patch first it wont be like new but it should be better. Once it's yellowed or stained it never really comes up too flash with chemicals.
nico
Posts: 226
Date Joined: 17/08/10
Yes this is correct though
Yes this is correct though the styrene is the major factor for yellowing Gelcoat .
In Mocean
whipasswaverunner
Posts: 181
Date Joined: 25/09/09
Yellow gelcoat
Hi, I saw this on Youtube a while ago. It seems to work but by the looks of it, a lot of products and elbow grease to do the whole boat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x9_GX6zvEs
chrismb
Posts: 5
Date Joined: 08/01/11
thats the stuff I have on
thats the stuff I have on order but am still waiting over a month later and the bloke has come up with every excuse under the sun as to why he hasn't shipped it. Willing to give it a go, but somehow it doesn't look like it is going to rock up any time soon.
mr_meks
Posts: 189
Date Joined: 11/02/11
wet/dry sandpaper
Ive been experimenting on my boat where the teal coloured sides have gone that weathered cloudy white, proper gelcoat polish from BCF didn't really do much by itself . All I can say is 1200 wet/dry is my new best friend. I just hit it with that and a constant trickle from the hose and Bob became my uncle. Comes up gloss strait away, but I plan to hit it with gelcoat polish as well just for good measure.
Have been doing the white top half of the boat also, it had gone sort of chalky and fingerprints etc wouldnt come off. 1200 grit to the rescue.
I've even been doing my windscreen (perspex or whatever). 1200 grit will make it cloudy so I use normal kitten car polish to bring it back to clear. Fairly labour intensive because you have to do both sides for it to look good. If you do try this DONT use kitten cutting compound (black tin), it has grit in it and scratches the shit out of the window.
nico
Posts: 226
Date Joined: 17/08/10
800 1200 2000 wetn dry cut
800 1200 2000 wetn dry cut it polish it fine polish it wax i and then wax enery 4 weeks do not use cheap crap polish splurge out on good materials and it will shine like new.Wax is the key it seals the finish other wise don,t bother if the hull is old just cut it and then wax .
In Mocean
Muppet
Posts: 408
Date Joined: 23/11/09
Try steel wool for windscreens
If you want to get your windscreen clean, try steel wool. The type with the soap in them. (Steelos)
Works a treat on getting hard waterstains out and cleans the glass up great. Give it a spray with wax after and you'll be impressed.
THIS IS FOR GLASS WINDOWS ONLY, NOT PERSPEX.
Noi, this is not a piss take !
cheers
.