Gelcoat scratch repairs

[BlueSkyNick]

Having spent 6 hours polishing the hull (and still not finished) I found I have more minor scratches than I had realised (not all of my own doing!)

They are too deep to polish out with G3 but not deep enough for filler (which I am loathed to use due to colour matching etc).

I am thinking about polishing them out with 1200 wet and dry, but don't know how to bring back the high gloss of the original gelcoat.

What is the standard practice?

 

[dt4134]

Does 1200 grit and polishing not look as good as the topsides? What compound are you using for the polishing?

Having sanded several race boats down to 1200 then polished them I couldn't tell the difference between below the waterline and the topsides.

If that doesn't work maybe finer sandpaper will help.

Edited: Sorry you've already said you've used G3. If 1200 grit & G3 don't do it maybe add gelcoat then 1200 & G3 to smooth it off.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Thanks that is what I was thinking, but wanted to check. I havent tried 1200 yet because the local chandlers had sold out today, and I wanted to be sure it was the right thing before doing any more damage.

Should the paper be particularly wet?

 

[Richard10002]

Nick,

I would think the wetter the better.

I watched a chap at Glasson Dock fill and wet sand a hole in my cockpit, (he had fitted the VHF remote mike connection where there used to be a bigger hole). An exact match and a glossy finish with very wet, wet and dry IIRC.

He is called Al, (one of 3 Als), and he did mainly electrical work on my boat, but could turn his hand to anything.

 

[dt4134]

I just rinse down the patch I'm working on very frequently.

 

[ark]

rub the 1200 along a bar of soap every now and again. gives a smoother finish

 

[AIDY]

bit of fairy liquid on the wet'n'dry stops it clogging up.

 

[Searush]

I found a pen of car paint touch-up paint to be useful at disguising small scratches. Your hull is seldom seen close up, unless being boarded from a dinghy or in a marina or on a harbour wall.