Gel coat where to buy?

[ultrasport]

Guys thinking of tackling some Knicks in gel coat before I launch. I see great step by step instructions on how to but still unsure where to get matching gel coat? Straight from Parker call direct? Maybe Parker dealer like whitewater?

 

[samsims]

Your local parker dealer should have what you need or can order it for you.

 

[Bryan 2530]

Whitewater should have it, I know Boats, Inc in Niantic CT has it in pint and quart sizes.

 

[TomS]

Does Gelcoat have a shelf-life?

I got a small container of gelcoat from Parker about 6 years ago and never opened it, has been sitting on a shelf in my office the entire time.

Do you think its still usable, or better to get some new?

-- Tom

 

[TomS]

To answer my own question - yes, it has a shelf life.. opened up the can I got from the factory many years ago and about 90% of the material had dried solid. Good news is that I was able to pick up a fresh pint for $18.

-- Tom

 

[Brad 21se]

Hey Tom,

Were you able to get it from a local dealer? I need to pick up some.

 

[TomS]

Yes, Riverfront Marine in Salisbury..

They kept it in a fridge, which may explain why mine didn't last

-- Tom

 

[ParkerJr]

Yes, Riverfront Marine in Salisbury..

They kept it in a fridge, which may explain why mine didn't last

-- Tom

Kind of strange as my dealer here in Florida does the same thing. She actually told me to keep it in the fridge during long periods of storage. Don't understand why as there is no catalyst in the gel coat.

 

[ultrasport]

Ok tried patching 4 scratches gashes in gel coat yesterday used Parker gel coat n hardener from west marine. Mixed 1 oz gel coat 9 drops of hardener. 24 hrs later still tacky def can't sand yet. I'm hoping it will harden but afraid I may have not added enough hardener. Is this normal? Will it eventually fully cure?

 

[samsims]

You need to add wax to get the gelcoat to cure. It may never harden as is.

 

[ultrasport]

Wax? Gently rub wax over new gel coat to help it harden? Any wax?

 

[Luv2fish]

I had the exact same issue a couple of weeks ago with a repair on some transducer holes on the transom. I did a lot of research and read that if you put a piece of regular wax paper over the patch it will cause the gelcoat to harden. I did that and it did much better but was still a little tacky to touch. I took some acetone and just wiped the top "tacky" coat off and it was fine. I thought my main issue was that the temps were on the low end at 45*.

Steve

 

[warthog5]

The idea is to seal the air off from it.

 

[samsims]

Sorry for the incomplete answer, you need to add surface agent to the gelcoat hardener mix before application. Surface agent is a styrene/wax solution that allows polyester resin to cure hard. I have had better results using it than the wax paper/cling wrap method.

 

[Fishaddict]

I just ordered 1 gal of interior type gelcoat and 1qt of awlgrip sand 160$ delivered by UPS to my doors by Don's Marina in RI. Great folks.
BTW, from conversation with Eric from Parker I learned that the difference between exterior and interior gelcoats is that interior has wax already mixed in an will harden in less than 1 hour and exterior will need to be covered to harden. i hope this helps.
Mike