Easiest way to fill holes in cream coloured gel coat

[dunedin]

We have a few minor chips in the gelcoat around the cockpit, the usual results if knocks from winch handles etc. Mostly very small, but often quite deep.

What is the quickest and easiest way of filling? "Proper" gel coat is too thin to fill the depth, and I don't have the time (or warm weather) to fill and cure lots of layers.

Previously have used Plastic Padding gel coat filler as a quick and easy means of doing this - and used Humbrol model paint to match the colour. But recently the paint colouring has inhibited the setting (have they changed the formula). Is there another better solution for creating the cream colour with Plastic Padding ?
Or is there a better solution that will fill 1-2mm deep by similar width holes in one application, and will set reliably at temperatures below 10C?

NB Purists please look away. This is about preventing water ingress and getting a reasonable match. Our boat is about all year sailing and reliability, not perfection of appearance

 

[laika]

Cream because it's cream gelcoat or cream because it's old and yellowed? Blue Gee do cream (and other off-white) pigments which should be available from the local chandler. A local supplier might do more colours cheaper.
If the gelcoat has just yellowed you'll find (a) that once you've sanded things down everything will be much whiter (that may be obvious) and (b) new white gelcoat will yellow with age and uv. You may want to save yourself some hassle and just go with white.

There should be absolutely no problem with filling a 2mmx2mm hole with gelcoat: No laminating required.

 

[William_H]

Gel coat is just a resin with wax to ensure it hardens. You can add microballons or similar filler to make it thicker to stay in place and fill the hole. You can also as said buy a pigment in cream (beige) to add to the gel coat. You might need to experiment to get colour right. good luck olewill

 

[sailorbaz]

Could you not use an epoxy like International Epifill which is already thickened and a kind of off white colour?
My red hull has a small ding on the rear quarter above the waterline and I'm going to fill that with Epifill mixed with some red pigment paste I got from the chandlery.
Sailorbaz

 

[Finbar]

Just filled a small ding on my bow (crew retrieved anchor upside down) I made up the cream colour with white plastic padding gel coat filler tinted with a very small dab of yellow paint which I stole from the bosses tube of oil paint. It went off ok and is a close enough match from more than a couple of feet with my glasses off.

 

[Nigel-in-Oxford]

If its just age yellowing, use white gelcoat filler but instead of using the white hardener that comes in the pack use the yellow hardener that plastic padding use in there other polyester products. You can usually get a spare tube on its own at many chandlers.

 

[capsco]

If its just age yellowing, use white gelcoat filler but instead of using the white hardener that comes in the pack use the yellow hardener that plastic padding use in there other polyester products. You can usually get a spare tube on its own at many chandlers.

Yes you can, last time I looked they wanted a fiver for the hardener ###

 

[dunedin]

Thanks for the suggestions - will have an experiment. The deck mouldings were light cream colour from new, presumably to avoid dazzle (and complemented with teak looks pretty smart if clean and not chipped). Hull white which is easier to match / maintain.

 

[laika]

Thanks for the suggestions - will have an experiment. The deck mouldings were light cream colour from new, presumably to avoid dazzle (and complemented with teak looks pretty smart if clean and not chipped). Hull white which is easier to match / maintain.

Just encountered the following link which might be helpful on colour matching:
http://www.pettigrews.org.uk/lm/page028d.htm
As previously mentioned, Blue Gee have cream and also do a pack of 3 off-white pigments which can be combined. You've probably already done this but a mail to the manufacturer and/or owners association for info on gelcoat supplies might be worthwhile.

 

[prv]

As Laika says, some of the fillers are available with a selection of "old yellowed GRP" pigments for exactly this reason. After all, you aren't the first person with this problem

Pete