Gelcoat tinting

[Anderson22]

Now have learned how to apply gelcoat I want to grind it all back out and do it with tinted gelcoat.

Can anyone advise me on how to colour match gelcoat and the pitfalls of doing so?

Thanks in advance,

BJ

 

[Avocet]

It's very, VERY difficult! There are a number of standard pigments available (any GRP resin supplier will be able to sell you some) and you just mix them up to get variations in shade then add the mixture to the resin and off you go.

Unfortunately, it's really hard getting an exact match with existing gelcoat (say for repairing scratches) and when you do, it will, like-as-not, fade at a different rate to the surrounding gel so after a few years it might well look different anyway!

I'm not saying it's impossible but I've never managed it with 100% success. You can get quite close though. For very small areas I'm sure I've seen little pots (like oil paints) of gel pigment in kits. Ask round the chandlers for gelcaot repairkits.

 

[bluedragon]

I experimented last year with using a small amount of artists oil paint. It worked OK with a polyester gel coat repair kit and hasn't lost its colour in 12 months. I was worried about compatibility and whether it would react preferentially with the peroxide...but the quantities used were so minute that no problems were aparent. Anybody else tried this?

 

[Birdseye]

One worthwhile tip when you finally get a batch of gel to match the hull - keep the unused gel in the freezer. That way you can keep it from year to year without it going off.
Have some in my freezer now that I have had there for 7 years and can confirm its still viable. Mind you, my wife is less impressed!

 

[vyv_cox]

I had a small area of damage professionally repaired last season. The repairer used a base white gelcoat and added small amounts of various pigments until the match was correct. It took him a long time and the match was not perfect when it was complete. I have seen the pigments for sale but I suspect the minimum size might be far more than you will need.

 

[gjgm]

try cfs supplies. A large can of pigment is about £5, and enough for half a navy, id reckon, but at least you re going to have plenty to play with. For off white, try white gelcoat, black,yellow and red pigment. Unless you re an artist, expect to spend a couple of hours to get a close match, and be aware it tends to change shade a touch when it hardens. If its blue you re trying to match, take a week off work!