Flowcote / Flowcoat

[ChrisKaye]

Hi all
Can anyone recommend a place to get this stuff from please, I have some small cracks that I want to gouge out and fill with this stuff.........The surveyor recommended it at the time of the survey. Somewhere near to Southampton please

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[gjgm]

gelcoat wont set if exposed to air, so wax is added at about 2pct. You can add wax to a can of gelcoat, or buy it ready mixed, by the name of flow/topcoat. Note however you must only use it as the final coat, as the wax will stop further coats/laminations bonding.
CFS in cornwall will help you out, delivery within 24hrs if needed. Note that its comes in clear which is a purple tint,grey or white. CFS are trade suppliers- they do sell 1 litre though.. You might want to play with some pigments, its not too hard to get pretty close with some patience. they only come in 500g tins at smallest, which at 4pct mix is enough for a lifetime, but at about a fiver a tin its still cheaper than some silly chandlery thimble quantity. PM me if you want any (learned!) tips

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[jfm]

Glassplies in Southport, they do mail order. If you visit (too far I know) they are the cheapest source. They sell the wax neat, or ready mixed as flow coat.

However, for your job - if it is on the hull sides or bottom - I wouldn't use flowcoat and I think your surveyor would be wrong to suggest it in those circs. Use normal gelcoat. The downside to normal gelcoat (as mentioned) is that the outer layer will not dry in air, but you will be sanding that off anyway, and you can even rub it off with an acetony rag. Flow coat or gelcoat with mixed wax has the wax layer to ensure it dries, but the wax floats upwards and if you are working upside down a bit, like on you bottomsides, it could prevent a good bond. Of course, flowcoat is fine if working on say your cabin top or painting out the bilges or whatever

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[ChrisKaye]

Hiya gjgm and jfm for your replies.
I think that I have it clear in my mind now what to use on the topside and on non structural areas. I was going to use the flowcote ready mixed for some repairs that I have on the bathing platform and around the flagpole base, mainly small crazing which I am going to use a dremmel thingy for and then wet and dry and finally finish off with a bodywork polisher. However the underneath I was going to wait until I have the technical manual from West Systems at Romsey who seem very helpful, to see what they suggest (I am not sure yet but epoxy filler seems to be No1) No disrespect to anyone here's comments, I just wanted to hear all the recommendations before setting out

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[burgundyben]

try Marineware in southampton under the toll bridge in the same industrial estate as hampshire hose.

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[jon_bailey]

Could you just confirm that the alternative to adding wax is to place an airtight layer on top of the gelcoat, e.g. clingfilm, to create the same affect, i.e enabling it to cure.

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[pistonbroke]

For small repairs it's fine to cover with sellotape or similar, otherwise use gel with wax or flowcoat/topcoat. If you only want a small quantity you should visit your nearest boatbuilder/repairer. A little bit of beer money is always welcome to a laminator.

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