Gel repair

[fnshrmaster]

I have a small spot the size of a tennis ball on my hull that got some dock rash. Looks like several small divots. I ordered gel from allison. Other than adding hardener, any tips to make this repair look like new? Have done some body work so I have a little bit of experience. Kurt

 

[suicidealli]

Not sure on this one... Clean it well all around the area. I mix up the gel with the hardener, and have done touch up... I use clear packing tape after applying the gel to the spot. You work the tape to keep the gel smooth, and flat with the surface. Let the dry 24 hours, and peel the tape off. Wet sand and buff, if it needs a second coat. I sand it, reapply, and tape.. With as many spots as you have I'm not sure that is the ticket.. At least the stripes will cover some of it when finished... If your work the tape and see the gel spread out everywhere you have to much. Peel the tape back, and remove a little.. You don't want a big hump. You want it perfect as possible. I would try just a few spots, and see how it goes...

Roy

 

[ROBERT CROSS]

Great tape tip.... Tried several methods without good results.:sad
Got some small scratches I'll give it a try.

Bob
:beer:

 

[fnshrmaster]

Great tape tip.... Tried several methods without good results.:sad
Got some small scratches I'll give it a try.

Bob
:beer:

Bob your not making me feel very confident about this repair. Maybe I should take the gel to a good marina and pay to get it done? I guess I can't make it worse than it is.
It's a shame, the boat is almost perfect other than that. Someone must have tied it up and walked away. My Grandsport was never tied to a dock. Put in, used and pulled out, washed and wiped down. Same for this 03, it keeps them much nicer. The Sylvan in my signature stays in the water. Aluminum boats are better for that type of use.

 

[fnshrmaster]

Not sure on this one... Clean it well all around the area. I mix up the gel with the hardener, and have done touch up... I use clear packing tape after applying the gel to the spot. You work the tape to keep the gel smooth, and flat with the surface. Let the dry 24 hours, and peel the tape off. Wet sand and buff, if it needs a second coat. I sand it, reapply, and tape.. With as many spots as you have I'm not sure that is the ticket.. At least the stripes will cover some of it when finished... If your work the tape and see the gel spread out everywhere you have to much. Peel the tape back, and remove a little.. You don't want a big hump. You want it perfect as possible. I would try just a few spots, and see how it goes...

Roy

Roy how do you apply the gel, with a small brush or some sort of knife- squeegee? I have watched several you tube videos on the subject, I think I am up to the task. Small amounts, do it 2 or 3 times if needed. Don't put it on too heavy and end up with a hump I guess.:gasp

 

[ROBERT CROSS]

Bob your not making me feel very confident about this repair. Maybe I should take the gel to a good marina and pay to get it done? I guess I can't make it worse than it is.
It's a shame, the boat is almost perfect other than that. Someone must have tied it up and walked away. My Grandsport was never tied to a dock. Put in, used and pulled out, washed and wiped down. Same for this 03, it keeps them much nicer. The Sylvan in my signature stays in the water. Aluminum boats are better for that type of use.

Don't give up too soon.

When we got the GS it had a pretty nice gouge on the port side edge of the pad. A couple attempts with Marine-Tex and it's now all but invisible and still solid after three seasons.

I've tried the brush on method,(no tape), for the gel coat twice but with the white hull it's harder to make the repair less visible, I'm going to try the tape this Spring.

Bob

 

[chester8420]

I think my boat gets about 5 scratches every time I take it out! I have just about quit worrying about it...

 

[MWest77]

I think my boat gets about 5 scratches every time I take it out! I have just about quit worrying about it...

Going to wrap mine in bubble wrap!
I don't like tying off to docks cause of that. I usually jump off the bow just in time to catch it before it touches. Probably gonna get a bath one day!

 

[suicidealli]

Roy how do you apply the gel, with a small brush or some sort of knife- squeegee? I have watched several you tube videos on the subject, I think I am up to the task. Small amounts, do it 2 or 3 times if needed. Don't put it on too heavy and end up with a hump I guess.:gasp

I use a tiny paint brush.. An artist paint brush... You can use about anything. The tape is what makes it smooth.. If you have a match pack, rip out a match, and use the tore end....

Roy

 

[Ocktane]

I think my boat gets about 5 scratches every time I take it out! I have just about quit worrying about it...

+1, I have to tell myself "its a fishin boat after all!"

 

[Allyfishing]

I have a small spot the size of a tennis ball on my hull that got some dock rash. Looks like several small divots. I ordered gel from allison. Other than adding hardener, any tips to make this repair look like new? Have done some body work so I have a little bit of experience. Kurt

That makes me nauseated just looking at it!!!! And you got that from tying up at a dock??? You need a good set of bumpers or something!!!

Oh man, I remember fishing a state team tourny back in the day and all the competitors had to beach the boats to take their bag up to the weigh in. I just bought my new Astro the month before and when I returned to the beach area after weighing in i was greeted with a competitors boat swung sideways to mine and his SS prop just grinding away at the side of my hull with the wave action!!!!!:gasp

It was as big an area as all of yours but completely gouged away in the entire area. i almost puked!!! took it to a professional gel shop and had it repaired but it never looked the same!!!

 

[fnshrmaster]

That makes me nauseated just looking at it!!!! And you got that from tying up at a dock??? You need a good set of bumpers or something!!!

Oh man, I remember fishing a state team tourny back in the day and all the competitors had to beach the boats to take their bag up to the weigh in. I just bought my new Astro the month before and when I returned to the beach area after weighing in i was greeted with a competitors boat swung sideways to mine and his SS prop just grinding away at the side of my hull with the wave action!!!!!:gasp

It was as big an area as all of yours but completely gouged away in the entire area. i almost puked!!! took it to a professional gel shop and had it repaired but it never looked the same!!!

No I bought it that way. That is sinful to let your boat pound the dock like that. My boat never gets tied off. Launched, used then pulled out. To me they cost to much to use them like that. I guess for some its easy come easy go?

 

[Bobalouie]

I have used a syringe that I got from West Marine to put the gel in the little divot marks. It works pretty good. I tried the saran wrap method of covering the repair, but you can never get it smooth. I have never tried covering it with tape.

You need to make sure the area is clean, so wipe it very good with acetone to get rid of any waxes or oils around the blemish.

What I did was put tape all around the repair, so I was basically masking off the area that I didnt want gel coat to go. The repair I made was a gouge, and I put the tape on all 4 sides of the gouge, about 1/32" out past the gouge so I would have minimal overlap.

Then I used the little injector to put gel in the gouge and used a plastic squeegy to level it off even with the top of the tape.

Let it cure for a day and peel the tape off. Now you have a repaired area that is just a hair wider than the original blemish and only as tall as the thickness of the tape.

I then wet sanded with 2000 grit with no pressure, and in 5-10 min of wetsanding you have brought the repair down to the proper height and you cant see the blemish anymore.

Then you buff with 3M finesse-it and then wax it and you are done. If your color match is perfect you cant tell there was ever anything there.

I did this for rock chips in the front of the hull and a gouge on the top cap and it works pretty good, and is easy. The Gel sands so easily, dont worry about getting the repair "too full".

 

[fnshrmaster]

I have used a syringe that I got from West Marine to put the gel in the little divot marks. It works pretty good. I tried the saran wrap method of covering the repair, but you can never get it smooth. I have never tried covering it with tape.

You need to make sure the area is clean, so wipe it very good with acetone to get rid of any waxes or oils around the blemish.

What I did was put tape all around the repair, so I was basically masking off the area that I didnt want gel coat to go. The repair I made was a gouge, and I put the tape on all 4 sides of the gouge, about 1/32" out past the gouge so I would have minimal overlap.

Then I used the little injector to put gel in the gouge and used a plastic squeegy to level it off even with the top of the tape.

Let it cure for a day and peel the tape off. Now you have a repaired area that is just a hair wider than the original blemish and only as tall as the thickness of the tape.

I then wet sanded with 2000 grit with no pressure, and in 5-10 min of wetsanding you have brought the repair down to the proper height and you cant see the blemish anymore.

Then you buff with 3M finesse-it and then wax it and you are done. If your color match is perfect you cant tell there was ever anything there.

I did this for rock chips in the front of the hull and a gouge on the top cap and it works pretty good, and is easy. The Gel sands so easily, dont worry about getting the repair "too full".

Thank Bob, I will try that method with the syringe and the masking tape. Kurt

 

[jas638]

kurt, there is a guy on scream n fly. rob f look him up. he owns raybo marine in lindenhurst n.y he is an expert in gelcoat. repairs ,blends ,color matching you mane it. tell him i referred ya . john with the allison grand sport. maybe he can give ya some good advice he is a real cool guy .

 

[fnshrmaster]

kurt, there is a guy on scream n fly. rob f look him up. he owns raybo marine in lindenhurst n.y he is an expert in gelcoat. repairs ,blends ,color matching you mane it. tell him i referred ya . john with the allison grand sport. maybe he can give ya some good advice he is a real cool guy .

Thanks John.

 

[racerx]

How deep ate those gouges,the one that ar in a group might be able to wet sand with a block and buff,knowing your not gonna get all of it but if you put your registration numbers over the worst pat of it will help alot,then just go to a auto body supply store an have them match the color and touch up the bad spots,where you remove the stripe will show also,just cut it out where the numbers would go..maybe..

 

[LakeAnna]

Kurt give me a call one evening dude.

 

[ssv1761982]

I have a small spot the size of a tennis ball on my hull that got some dock rash. Looks like several small divots. I ordered gel from allison. Other than adding hardener, any tips to make this repair look like new? Have done some body work so I have a little bit of experience. Kurt

How is this coming along?

 

[fnshrmaster]

Weather turned before I did this project. I put the boat in storage and hope to tackle it in April if we get a nice spring. We have a really good glass shop in Grand Rapids that did some work on my uncles Tiara, I may just have a pro do it, this boat is almost mint, hate to not keep it that way. Kurt