Blue Flecks Just Below Gell Coat Surface

C

C-Sick

New member
I went to repair a minor scratch on my 2003 22ft C-Dory (Seattle Grey) in the white gel coat just prior to where the stern and transom meet. I noticed there were blue flecks just below the surface. When I sanded out the scratch the appeared right on the surface. Anybody know what causes this and how to eliminate it?

It sure would be great to have a well versed C-Brat Gel coat person do a class for the rest of us novices. There is always a scratch or two.
 
c-sick-

What color is your accent stripe?

My guess is that the blue flecks are overspray from the application of the spraying of the accent stripe into the hull mold before the application of the off-white gel coat, followed by the fiberglass lay-up.

They probably mask off the edges of the accent stripe, but not the whole interior hull mold, and a little overspray results in colored specs. Might even come from a nearby second boat lay-up.

Pretty much have to just live with it unless you want to spray over it with epoxy, LPU, or a softer paint. Would have to match the off-white color, let it harden good, then rub it out carefully.

If it's really critical to you, you might have a pro do it.

Hope this helps!

Joe.
 
c-sick-

Sorry I missed the color in your original post!

I've got some of the blue flakes in my gel coat too, but my accent color is blue.
Joe.
 
The flecks appear blue until they are exposed. They are grey when exposed. Any chance of sanding through them until I reach white gel coat again?
 
Yeah, for sure on that one...I would LOVE a guide with photos about how to do minor gelcoat repair. I would of course let Patty do it, since I am a totally uncoordinated klutz. Somebody willing to do this and put it up in the Documents forum?


C-Sick":3qd4xe7k said:
It sure would be great to have a well versed C-Brat Gel coat person do a class for the rest of us novices. There is always a scratch or two.
Click to expand...
 
We need to have someone look up this on the internet who has time. I'm sure there are a number of resources already.

The problem is, while the process looks fairly simple on the surface, a there are a lot of skills that get developed with practice, and there are so many different situations that require adaptations.

But the basic process should be readily available and understandable.

Joe.
 
Gelcoat patch kits are available at West Marine and other marine supply outlets. They allow you to mix colors to reach your desired color and even some of the manufacturers can provide gelcoat in the color of the boats they produce. I am not sure what the C-Dory Factory has to offer but I am sure some of you who make a lot of visits to the factory can find out.

Here is a very good link to the CW Boston Whaler Site for a very good tutorial on GelCoat Repair for reference.

http://www.continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/whalerRepair.html
 
From what we've read here over the past few years, the C-D factory has gel coat kits for current model colors. Those colors that have been discontinued and/or were put on boats before the change in ownership have to be matched by the owner or a shop from a kit.

I know of a marine dealer in Sacramento whose primary source of income is doing gel coat repair on boats. The most diffiicult? Bass boats with LARGE METALFLAKE gel coats!!!

Joe.
 
I was real sure about this when I decided to post, but now I am wondering if I'm losing it. However - it seems to me when we got the factory tour at an SBS, one of the shop guys said they spray the white gel coat with the area of the accent color masked off, and then remove the masking and spray the entire hull with the accent color so the white part is actually two colors thick. Something about the white being translucent so they put an opauqe coating between it and the fiberglass. So if you sand or wear through the white gelcoat, you'll find accent color gelcoat. And if you sand through that you will find fiberglass resin. Maybe Jeff or Scott or Mark or some engineer will either elaborate or tell me I'm nuts.
 
I wouldn't be surprised that the whole mold was sprayed with the accent color. In building boats, the mold is cleaned and waxed with a release wax. Then the gel coat is sprayed on. Next an opaque color gelcoat or resin is sprayed on, to keep light from shining thru the hull (People don't like to see light thru the hull!). There is no more white beneath the opaque color coat.

The Gel coat is sprayed on, and may not be a constant thickness (I have found that to be the case in the plugs I have pulled, that the white gel coat thickness varied).

If C Dory does not have the gel coat (and I got two cans of gel coat with my boat for repair), then Spectrum color does have good match. I suggest this rather than trying to match with West Marine and a color kit--although it can be done.

I ran thru the whaler article--it is good.

Be sure and spray on the gel coat with a Preval sprayer, if it is a large area. You can thin it some. Also coat the area with PVA, which occludes air and accelerates the curing process--putting a plastic wrap will do the same thing.

I had to a lot of gel coat repair on an 18' CC I got at Salvage from Hurricane Ivan--you cannot tell where the repair was one. I used the Specturm gel coat to match.

When we were building boats, we had to do a number of modifications after the hull was molded, or fix defects--this happens. Gel coat repair is a bit of an art, but is not all that complex technically.
 
I realize this is a (sort of) older thread, but the topic is on target. Whoops, I just spelled target with a pair of "N's" (tangent).

I am looking for some patch repair gel coat paste, maybe a pint, for my boat. The color is "Cabernet" the C-Dory burgundy, and wondering if anyone has some good ideas. Before you go back into the archives or search here, (I already did that, and Spectrum is the most recognized source.) I just talked to Jeff there, and like their web site says, they deal in gallon quantities or more. Yup and that's not cheap ---> $225 or close, plus shipping and it is a custom mix so it will take 2 - 3 weeks.

I need some alternatives, please.

Thanks for any input.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Harvey,
Many good repair shops mix their own color with pigments. You can get these many places. It takes some experimenting, but for small areas, best to get the clear or white Gel coat material, and tint it your self. For $200 you can do a whole lot of experimenting. I rarely use the large cans of gelcoat-because they go bad with time.

Another option is checking with the factory--aren't they still making that color accent? If so, they will have something available. By the way, a pint of Gel Coat is a lot. How much do and what you have to repair?
 
I have called and emailed NMI, no response yet but that was just early today.

I doubt I need a pint but would go with that or maybe 6-8 oz.

the FG guy that I'm working with orders from Spectrum, by the gallon, jsut not for this job, and he doesn't want to mix colors.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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