Plastic Padding Gelcoat Filler. MEKP?

MEKP

Yes try a bit first to see if it goes off with MEKP. (and how much!)
Be aware that MEK (no P ) is common as a solvent and not the same thing.
Assuming your gel coat past is polyester resin with catalyst already in then it should be fine. olewill
 
Update

Thanks for the replies.

The luck seems not to be with me.

I added 3 drops of MEKP to 6mm (the nozzle is about 20mm dia) of filler, after five hours and spreading it thinly it made no attempt of setting.
So mixed in a further 3 drops again no progress.

Bought a new kit and used some of that hardener with the suspect filler, success.

The average temp was 12 C and rH 70% in my garage, it is an English summer.

The MEKP is fresh and am using it on some brushing gel coat with no problem.

So it looks like that Plastic Padding Gel coat filler uses a unique hardener :eek:
 
capetown said:
Thanks for the replies.

The luck seems not to be with me.

I added 3 drops of MEKP to 6mm (the nozzle is about 20mm dia) of filler, after five hours and spreading it thinly it made no attempt of setting.
So mixed in a further 3 drops again no progress.

Bought a new kit and used some of that hardener with the suspect filler, success.

The average temp was 12 C and rH 70% in my garage, it is an English summer.

The MEKP is fresh and am using it on some brushing gel coat with no problem.

So it looks like that Plastic Padding Gel coat filler uses a unique hardener :eek:
Click to expand...

No
Like other Plastic Padding products and Davids Isopon and Fast Glass liquid resin it uses dibenzoyl peroxide

.
 
Nearly a year to the day later...I've run out of Plastic Padding Gelcoat repair hardener...I've evidently mixed too much from the little tube, with not enough from the big...

...but where can I find another of the little tubes, of hardener?

View attachment 32058

...apparently it's not to be confused with...

View attachment 32059

I thought I had found it on the Pirate's Cave site... http://ow.ly/lhI8a ...although their outrageous postage cost would be three times the value of the product :( ...but it is seemingly sold as "Gelcoat Hardener", despite a footnote for the product warning that it is for every Plastic Padding product except Gelcoat Filler. Apparently staff there haven't noticed the contradiction...or is it my mistake?

Either way, does anybody know where I can find an extra little tube of the correct hardener for Plastic Padding Gelcoat Filler?
 
Last edited:
dancrane said:
Nearly a year to the day later...I've run out of Plastic Padding Gelcoat repair hardener...I've evidently mixed too much from the little tube, with not enough from the big...

...but where can I find another of the little tubes, of hardener?

View attachment 32058

...apparently it's not to be confused with...

View attachment 32059

I thought I had found it on the Pirate's Cave site... http://ow.ly/lhI8a ...although their outrageous postage cost would be three times the value of the product :( ...but it is seemingly sold as "Gelcoat Hardener", despite a footnote for the product warning that it is for every Plastic Padding product except Gelcoat Filler. Apparently staff there haven't noticed the contradiction...or is it my mistake?

Either way, does anybody know where I can find an extra little tube of the correct hardener for Plastic Padding Gelcoat Filler?
Click to expand...

here? http://www.seamarknunn.com/acatalog/extra-hardener-for-plastic-padding-gelcoat-filler-6817.html
 
Thanks, Stork_III...

...that certainly does seem to be the right stuff. All the sites I'd looked at showed an apparently identical product, but very specifically excluded its use with Gelcoat Filler!

I'll order it and hope for the best...assuming postage/delivery cost doesn't make it cheaper simply to buy another £9 pack, and take more care of the mix proportions...
 
dancrane said:
Thanks, Stork_III...

...that certainly does seem to be the right stuff. All the sites I'd looked at showed an apparently identical product, but very specifically excluded its use with Gelcoat Filler!

I'll order it and hope for the best...assuming postage/delivery cost doesn't make it cheaper simply to buy another £9 pack, and take more care of the mix proportions...
Click to expand...

£2.95 SHIPPING. Order a couple forsame shipping cost.
 
Not sure about the product's colour - though I doubt that would cause the manufacturer to exclude one item's use with another of their own...

...but while I was ultimately ready to pay more than double for postage, I'm extremely reluctant to click acceptance of SeamarkNunn's Terms and Conditions, because at least on my computer, they're totally unreadable...

...tiny gold typeface on a very dark blue background!! I infer that they want me to accept, without reading what I've agreed to! What do they not want me to know?

No sale. Hard to believe that their site designer could be that dim!
 
Last edited:
dancrane said:
Not sure about the product's colour - though I doubt that would cause the manufacturer to exclude one item's use with another of their own...
Click to expand...

The point is that the gelcoat catalyst is bright white for obvious reasons.. For other fillers it's always strongly coloured so you can see that it's thoroughly mixed.
I think that's the only difference.
 
dancrane said:
Not sure about the product's colour - though I doubt that would cause the manufacturer to exclude one item's use with another of their own...

...but while I was ultimately ready to pay more than double for postage, I'm extremely reluctant to click acceptance of SeamarkNunn's Terms and Conditions, because at least on my computer, they're totally unreadable...

...tiny gold typeface on a very dark blue background!! I infer that they want me to accept, without reading what I've agreed to! What do they not want me to know?

No sale. Hard to believe that their site designer could be that dim!
Click to expand...

Terms seem quite clear to me. http://www.seamarknunn.com/acatalog/info.html

Or try Pinnell & Bax http://www.pinbax.com/index.asp?selection=detailed&uid=41220&cg=1&mc=226&cct=9&sc= . Cheaper for hardner and postage too.
 
Last edited:
You're quite right Stork, thanks again. The Seamark page was unreadable when I clicked it to open...

...but I've ordered the stuff from Pinnell & Bax instead. Much cheaper postage. :D
 
Received the hardener from Pinnell & Bax...

...but I'm certain that what they've sent is identical to the product which all the other online chandleries describe (advisedly, I expect) as NOT for use with gelcoat filler.

Very irritatingly, the manufacturers themselves neither differentiate clearly between their different hardeners, nor offer a direct address for queries...

...and critically, they've not bothered to label the catalyst-tubes to indicate which is which.

I get the strong feeling that the chandleries are equally under-informed, and that many just repeated an earlier guideline (which itself wasn't very specifically attributed).

Sounds like a lot of fuss over not very much...

...but if there's a genuine chemical reason not to use Plastic Padding's standard filler-hardener with their gelcoat filler, they've balls-up the distinction between products. :(
 
dancrane said:
Received the hardener from Pinnell & Bax...

...but I'm certain that what they've sent is identical to the product which all the other online chandleries describe (advisedly, I expect) as NOT for use with gelcoat filler.

Very irritatingly, the manufacturers themselves neither differentiate clearly between their different hardeners, nor offer a direct address for queries...

...and critically, they've not bothered to label the catalyst-tubes to indicate which is which.

I get the strong feeling that the chandleries are equally under-informed, and that many just repeated an earlier guideline (which itself wasn't very specifically attributed).

Sounds like a lot of fuss over not very much...

...but if there's a genuine chemical reason not to use Plastic Padding's standard filler-hardener with their gelcoat filler, they've balls-up the distinction between products. :(
Click to expand...

The "ordinary" stuff for car body filler and liquid resin etc is yellow


Th stuff for gelcoat filler is white.


Checked ... I have both in the workshop.


My guess would be that the yellow stuff woud work with Gelcoat filler but end up yellow. If colour not important try it if it turns out to be the yellow stuff.
 
Thanks Vic...starting to wonder if it is just a matter of colour. But the hardener in the tube supplied with my gelcoat filler itself, is also yellow! Although, the mixed results were perfectly white.

I'll try it and see.

My only enduring thought on the subject is how unnecessarily, exasperatingly lazy it was of Plastic Padding's packaging designers, to specify so little on their products.

They seem to have been around for so long, I daresay the styling is now fixed because it's become a reverenced tradition. And possibly the original designers are now playing with chemistry sets in the clouds... :rolleyes:
 
theoldsalt said:
This source specifically states that the hardener is for Plastic Padding Gelcoat Filler.
Click to expand...

Yes indeed, oldsalt...and that's exactly the same advice which Pinnell & Bax use, about the product they sent me...and yet, the instructions on the box say it's for "Plastic Padding fillers & resins"...which seems to be exactly what separates it from advised use with gelcoat filler.

There's a terrible lack of information here - fault of the manufacturers I'm sure - but it'd be nice if the chandleries/suppliers themselves would contact Plastic Padding and clarify what is what...because at the moment they all seem to share the very limited, uncertain advice about inadequately labelled products.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top