Where can I get coloured gelcoat filler?

[Kyle2]

Can anyone tell me where I can get coloured gelcoat filler? I'm looking for that pale green/blue that seems common on 70's boats such as my Snapdragon.

 

[savageseadog]

Can't say if they have it for sure but try Glasplies (Glassplies?)in Southport, very helpful

 

[Alrob]

not used them myself but intend buying antifouling from them soon

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/CFS_Catalogue__PIGMENT_PASTES_11.html

I use allscot plastics in glasgow (not very often - touch wood)

 

[Stemar]

You'll probably find colorant for gelcoat in Swindleries, but you'll need a large scotch to help you recover from paying for it - except you won't be able to afford the scotch then!

Could you experiment with the paint colorants sold in DIY places?

 

[VicMallows]

Some GRP trade suppliers can scan a sample and produce an exact match of gellcoat. If you need a filler, I'm sure you could add the necessary.

Vic

 

[vyv_cox]

You will find it impossible to buy gelcoat in a colour to match what is now on your boat. Even if you had a pot of the original stuff it would not match due to changes brought about by the light. I had a small repair done professionally to my off-white topsides: it took the expert two or three attempts to get it right, using a blend of three or four pigments.

If you are certain that this is what you want you will need to buy a number of different pigments and experiment with them until you can get it right. A Google search brought up http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/ but they seem to have minimum sizes of 500 grams which would be enormous for your purposes. Might be worth talking to them about smaller amounts.

The people doing my repair advocated paint spray as this is so much easier to produce a good finish with even colour.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

I have asked cfs if they can make or supply pigment specified by Pantone number or similar, which would give a far more accurate match to your hull colour.

Problem is that Pantone don't just hand out cards willy nilly anymore, unless someone knows different.

 

[samwise]

I bought a small pot of pigment from the Seamark Nunn chandlery ( try the webshop) . web page It did cost a double scotch ( about £6) and I will have to experiment with mixing into the standard white stuff to get a match with the dark blue Westerly stripe that needs the treatment, but I think that's the best option. There is usually a pretty limited colour range and it may be that you will have to buy more than one i.e. a black and a red to get a darker red.

 

[StanFolds]

As you can see my boat is a green/blue colour from the 70s. Earlier this year I bought some filler on e-bay and mixed the blue and green to get a good match. I say good, the left overs were a perfect match but the filled scratches were a little on the green side. The seller was very helpful and I see that it is still advertised, no connection, just a satisfied customer. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JOTUN-GELCOAT-boat...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Boathook]

http://www.bluegee.co.uk/ some chandlerys stock their products but they do small amounts that does not seem expensive .....

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Update.

CFS are sending me gelcoat paste colour charts via the post, at no charge.

 

[Billjratt]

The mixing piglets trick is to rub a protective wax on the hull adjacent to the problem area. Then mix the gel and piglets using the waxed area as a pallette. When the colour is lost in the background,it's a match, so it's time to add the hardner and move it across to it's new home....

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Any definition of the protective wax? I assume its not so simple as rubbing a candle on the hull.

 

[Billjratt]

The guy who used to fix Princesses was supplied with sticks (crayons) Unfortunately I've lost touch with him. Try a candle on an old table mat or something then see if you can get it clean again after use. heat may help but you MUST polish the hull (pallette area) first (to it's proper colour and to keep the wax out of the porous chalky bits) Good luck,