Shelf Life Of Mixed Coloured Gel Coat - What Do You Think?

[Deleted member 36384]

Hi,

A previous owner mixed up some Gel Coat to the correct "Sea Gull" grey colour and popped the batch into an ice cream tub. Many years later I open the tub and the concoction is still liquid, a bit of separation taken care of by mixing.

I haven't use the concoction yet, do you think it would still work? I estimate 5 years old.

Regards,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[Chris_robb_ndota]

I would think it'll likely be ok, but the only certain way to find out is to mix a small batch with catalyst, spread it onto your ice cream tub lid thinly, and wait. If it's set the next day (or even a few hours later) you're onto a winner!

 

[jfkal]

Certainly way past the "Best before" date. But simple answer: Take a small quantity add a drop of MEK and see whether it cures alright.

Hi,

A previous owner mixed up some Gel Coat to the correct "Sea Gull" grey colour and popped the batch into an ice cream tub. Many years later I open the tub and the concoction is still liquid, a bit of separation taken care of by mixing.

I haven't use the concoction yet, do you think it would still work? I estimate 5 years old.

Regards,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[William_H]

Gel coat

If indeed it is gel coat with catalyst and correct colour then if it is still liquid it is probably OK as said just put some hardener in a bit and see what happens.
However it may be just pigment in which case it will last for ever. But must be mixed into resin (with catalyst) then have hardener added.
Note here most resin we buy has catalyst already added. So is not of concern but this resin will go hard in the pot after a year or more.
I had a friend who had what he thought was gel coat that he added MEKP (hardener) to and wondered why it did not harden. It was just pigment with no resin at all.
So if your stuff does not go hard with MEKP try adding it to resin (with wax) (for an outside layer). Hopefully you will not dilute the colour too much. You can buy "flow coat" a white resin made for use as a paint and this might be tinted enough with your grey stuff. good luck olewill

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Thanks for this information. I suspected that there might be more to it than just adding hardener and it may indeed just be colour and resin only, its quite runny. I'll have to have a rummage through the boxes again and see what else there is. Maybe it was part of a kit, but no other products jumped out as being part of a custom gel coat kit.

Thanks again, very useful information.

Fair winds,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[stuartwineberg]

Should be OK

Thanks for this information. I suspected that there might be more to it than just adding hardener and it may indeed just be colour and resin only, its quite runny. I'll have to have a rummage through the boxes again and see what else there is. Maybe it was part of a kit, but no other products jumped out as being part of a custom gel coat kit.

Thanks again, very useful information.

Fair winds,

BlowingOldBoots

Hardy give you a tin of the original gel coat with a new boat - mine was a 2005 tin and it covered a chip in the blue gel coat perfectly in late 2011 so it seems to age OK