tallpauly

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hey all, I've got a areomarine avenger and I have it sanded down to raw fiberglass, I am trying to decide on the best way to finish it gel coat or automotive paint.. pros/ cons anyone out there that has tried both ways or what is recomended?? thanks

Hydro Junkie

I"m doing the same thing with a scale hydroplane. I"ve been told to fill in any and all holes, prime the hull, block sand to find low spots, fill, reprime and sand as needed, then paint

Dreamin Hemi

You should have kept the gelcoat on there. That layer is there for a reason, to keep the surface free of slight voids and pinholes. Gelcoat is also the best primer for your paint as anything will adhere to it. You will now need to use a high build primer, scuff once dry, or wetsand. A few coats may be in order depending how "rough" the glass is before you begin applying your color whether it be a one step, or a basecoat/clearcoat.

tallpauly

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one more thing forgot to mention, I restore corvettes on the side (classic) so im not new to paint/fiberglass.. I'm looking for people that have tried both ways paint/gelcoat.. When I first got the boat it had base/clear on it and there were cracks everywhere, maybe they didn't use flex in the clear ? who knows... Im trying to aviod stress cracks from comming through the paint as much as possible, with all of the airbrushing ahead I dont want to waste alot of time on it if its just going to do the same thing. I can do either or...

Hydro Junkie

In my case, it was a matter of used boat with some major questions. Gelcoat had to come off to answer those questions. It also took off over a pound of weight to strip it down to bare glass. I found several places that needed work requiring the gel to be removed anyway so it's all good

misshydro

do not sand/strip off the gelcoat.. It give firber glass strainght and fills in voids.. any cracks in fiberglass ,should be drilled at each end of the crack.. Use 1/8 or smaller drill bit.. By doing this stops the cracks in its tracks. as for painting cracking?? well old lacqure clears cracked big time on fiberglass.. Lacqure paint are out dated and doesnt last for long with to much up keep in buffing and multy layers and lays of paint you have to apply on. any fiberglass hull will crack if the hull is to thin.. you may have to put a coat of epoxy on the hull to add strainght and durobility to it.. If you worked on vetts ,you can use Vett bond to fill in those cracks. Plus for pin holes I use USC ICING! auto&marine use..you should know that stuff or used it..Hydrojunkie your boat is a wooden hull alittle different then a glass hull. Wood weighs more then a glass hull. By removing the gelcoat/epoxy layers ,you just lightented a ten ton tank. Some guys get to carryed away in coating wooden hulls with to much epoxy. Just paint your hull like you do to vetts no differents.. same paint perperations.

Hydro Junkie

the only parts of my boat that are wood are the right sponson and rear transoms, engine rails and strut doubler. The rest is pure glass. I was told by David Newton to strip it down to bare glass, along with three or four others that have dealt with glass hulls, so I felt their word was good enough for me to go on.

misshydro

when it comes to bodywork and fiberglass and painting I know what I'm talking about unlike you who cant do bodywork and paint work.

Hydro Junkie

I'm not so sure, since you couldn't tell the difference between a glass hull and a wood one. Let me show you the difference. The left one is wood, the right one is glass. BTW, just so you know, I've done some Corvette body work as well, so I'm not inexperienced either

rcguy1411

all right children as for miss hydro i have seen there work and it is impecible can paint any of my boats any time has also given great advice to many boaters as far as painting a boat if nitro use a nitro proof clear or any good 2 part clear sand prime paint base clear works great if you have acsess to gel coat use it as it is tough as nails bolth systems will work verry well for you

Dreamin Hemi

Gelcoat is a great "paint", however requires extensive finishing. LOTS of wetsanding and buffing. It would be so much easier to stick with a base/clear, spray and be done.

joseywales

Been doing this since the age of 8 years old. Who do you think tought Misshydro some new tricks from this trade? She loves firberglass boats because there lighter then wooden tank boats! I've see why she loves them. faster then wooden boats, don't have to worrie about any wood rott or water loged wood hull. I don't care how well there sealed and epoxyed. All you need is one crack or chip in the wood and it will get water loged swelledup. I agree with Dreamin Hemi. base/clear it and be done with it.

Hydro Junkie

I said I didn't like glass boats and I still don't. That being said, I've referred to my glass hull as a Steve Muck or just Muck since the day I got it, that way anyone that knows boats would know who layed it up. I guess that means you two don't know boats. If I remember correctly, Henry Velesco has the molds and is now laying them up. Probably another name neither of you know, isn't it.
Will you two get a life? This is all the same old craps she's been spewing for years. I'll get my boats done on my own schedule and not yours or hers, so back off.

joseywales

I will not back off until you back off of her. Your the one who's been spewing the garbage and putting her down for years. As for not knowing boats? well we can build,fix/repair and paint them. Can you? Oh I forgot your taking schooling on autobody now. We took our classes in highschool=more time and experience then you will ever have.

Hydro Junkie

Sorry JW, you're just not worth replying to anymore. Neither is she for that matter. No one needs this in the thread so I"m not going to bother.

Justaddwata

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Posts have been edited + posts have been removed

Please keep posts on topic.

tallpauly

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what if I re-sprayed the boat gel-coat/ sanded out the gel, then did base clear?? it would add alot of strength to the glass.
As far as fixing the cracks I used a SEM product called "fiberall". the stuff is great, vette bond is old school, it works but fiberall is just amazing, once the fiberall has been sanded and leveled then go over it with U-Poly Dolphin glaze to smooth out any inperfections.
I swear I could build a whole boat with just fiberall!! its that good. When you use it on stress cracks or holes it bridges incredibly and is stronger, but still has flex to it.. I think this is the route im going to take. I'll repost in a couple of weeks to let you know how it turned out.

dirtslinger321

O.K. the gelcoat is gone oh well you can sand to bare glass as long as you stop before getting th

dirtslinger321

O.K. the gelcoat is gone oh well you can sand to bare glass as long as you stop before getting thin now if you can get some Dura Technologies surfacing primer your in business, Spray a HEAVY buildup then wet sand and then spray it with GELCOAT. I have been in the Boat and bodyshop bizz for 30 years Gelcoats for boats Paints for cars...... My opinion. Here are a couple of pics of my boat plug sprayed with Dura tech.

Doug Kirkland

misshydro

Dupont NASON paint line has that too. I forgot to mentioning that method too. Its a sprayable epoxy.

PRO PAINTER

You need the gelcoat. Check out the aeromarine in my gallery

tallpauly

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boats ready for gelcoat, pics soon

gtopillado

Interested on seeing how this turns out [&:]

exotica

...have recently done mine also. Sanded back to gel coat, fill any holes, cracks, additional resin applied, hull modified, primer, wet sand 400, primer, wet sand 800, paint.

exotica

...and a pic of her first day out in the sun...