How to rescue tired looking gel-coat?

[demonboy]

Hi all,

What wonder-product should I get a friend to bring over to India in order to rescue some of my GRP? It's had rather a lot of oxalic-acid washed on it and looks like its eaten its way through the gelcoat. Is there anything on the market that I can rub on it? Cutting it with marine compound is not the answer, the gel-coat itself needs to be replaced.

Thanks in advance.

 

[pvb]

There are lots of "miracle products", but in my experience they're pretty useless and may in fact end up making the boat look worse. On my 20-year-old gelcoat, I use 2 coats of Meguiars #45 Polish, followed by 2 coats of Meguiars #56 Wax. Started using it after asking the guys at Fox's what they used on the Oysters in the yard.

 

[ccscott49]

The 3M products are very good, if a bit expensive, but if the gel coat is actually destroyed, which I doubt, as the mat substrate would be showing and the boat would be completely knackered.

 

[Marine Reflections]

Oxalic would not have eaten away the gel coat.

Are the glass fibres showing?

It sounds like you need more gel coat.

 

[john_morris_uk]

We had the gel-coat on the topsides (and some of the cockpit) replaced. The old gel-coat was in such a poor state and so cracked and damaged, the GRP repair man ground it off and trowelled on several layers of new gel. He then spent a long time smoothing and finishing so it looked like new. This was done six years ago and we have not been disappointed with the results since.

If you gel coat really has been eaten away by something, it is possible to put a new gel coat on - our boat and several others I know of have had this job done.

 

[Seajet]

If you just want to restore some lustre, which I think is what you're saying, you could use 'Owatrol'.

It's made by the same people as Deks Olye 2-part varnish; was originally marketed for the purpose I'm about to describe, now marketed for thinning paint.

It's a bit like linseed oil, but stays on. You simply wipe it on with a cloth, it brings up a very good deep lustre.

Now the downside !

After a few years of doing well at this, ( it made my sun-chalked dark blue hull look almost new ) it formed a dried layer very like old varnish, which was quite difficult to remove - prior to topsides paint which I'd decided was the only real solution.

Also, nothing to do with Owatrol but,

When I did paint the topsides I foolishly thought oxalic acid de-greaser was feeble, as it said 'neutralise with water' - this was many years ago, warning labels were not like nowadays.

To cut a long story short, the residue ran down my arms and burned me badly, I was lucky a retired Matron was handy, she got me to completely immerse my forearms for a good 40 minutes; the only way to stop the burning which was alarmingly painful.

So if using this stuff please bear this in mind, eye, face, other people & boats protection essential...