Making Boat Gel Coat Simple! (Easiest Application!)

[@Beachnative42]

I really enjoy all of your videos but this series shows what is possible if you have the time and materials as well as a place to do this.Keep up the great work and ideas!!!

[@cbrusharmy]

I've been following this job with keen interest, and am excited to see it at this stage. Learning something every time.

[@rogerroger7734]

My friend did fiberglass for 30+ years. Building boats. Always said never gelcoat over the top of paint. You can paint over gel coat but you can’t gelcoat over paint because it won’t stick.

[@charliegglines3965]

That’s what someone did to my boat before i bought it, the front half of the floor has paint underneath and when I sprayed it with the hose it all came off. Looks like crap.

[@sparkyobrian6417]

advice from a 40 year tech with cancer from organic solvents- gloves gloves gloves !!! they didnt have gloves per se as you do now, you still have time to change your habits- use them as much as possible, of my fellow techs about 88% have cancer (some deceased) it does make a difference, even with alcohol and acetone.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Yeah, that's probable the thing I'm the worst at! Just having the gloves on trying to work with my fingers, but yeah, you are completely right, need to get better about wearing gloves :(

[@gpmadrox91]

Knee pads too cant forget all the knees and hip surgeries I've heard from older technicians

[@willhall7777]

Jesus heals. Knowing Jesus personally is vital to having a good retirement in the next life. Don't let media and movies fool anyone... It's not foggy and misty...The next life is many thousands of times more real than this one.

[@tylersimmons2686]

@@willhall7777 jesus aint gonna save you from getting cancer by not wearing gloves my friend... you gotta do the footwork yourself

[@91rss]

friend said to wipe over paints that might lift, Rattle can paint and primers etc, You can use windex. works good, had ammonia in it so it lifts oils. and also when wiped, You dont touch the surface with a bare hand till your all done with paint. For bugs, a big fan upwind that will blow em right past the job.

[@tomv2302]

Thank you so much for putting together these videos. I am always learning so much. The biggest thing is to just go after it and stay on it. Cheers to you

[@svuglyduck8595]

Awesome set of videos man! I love watching the progress of the rebuild especially because of how detailed it is. I have done boat work myself before so I wonder, was it worth it? I suppose if your doing it yourself and not paying labor hours, the cost is worth it but man, that looked like a LOT of work lol. Good job man its looking awesome!

[@joeyl6911]

Welcome back sir! Long time since your last video. Thanks for all you do.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you!

[@shananagen09]

"The holes didn't work" Killed me lmao. We've all been there.

[@RichardMauri]

Did you use gelcoat containing wax for both layers or a laminating gelcoat first layer followed by gelcoat containg wax?

[@puravidasnorkeling4072]

Awesome video bro! im going to do it on my boats thanks of you! Greetings from Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica

[@BornAgainBoating]

That's awesome! Glad to help! Just make sure you sand it down :) that's crucial if you want it to last lol also that's a really nice area there! We snorkeled the reef there at Playa Flamingo, I think we went to Playa Grande too. It was great, had Amigo's tacos and then went to a couple other restaurants, the Pleamer and a couple other ones. Super nice area!

[@paulkersey2179]

You're podcast guy, so you are the real deal!

[@BornAgainBoating]

;)

[@choimdachoim9491]

Love the pale blue.

[@robertolashley4701]

Thanks for all the tips bro ,great video

[@Thedeadbeetsband]

Looks like a 13’ whaler but two questions. Why the two holes in the back and is that your steering council way up front?

[@BornAgainBoating]

Yes, it's a 13' Whaler, and the 2 holes in the back are for speakers, and the console is up front because it is a Bully Netter used for lobstering on the flats at night :)

[@RStout59]

How many hours do you have in the restoration? The boat looks nice.

[@chrisphelan498]

I redid my 15 foot Rinker runabout. I the EVA Teak style amazon foam I have on it now. My problem is it doesn't stick to raw fiberglass (bubbles and comes off in the sun) but is fine on Gel Coated Fiberglass. My question is should I use gel coat to get that finish so it sticks or is there a better paint product thats easier to work with? (Topside Paint comes to mind).

[@danpease8395]

99% preparation, 1% application! For next time, I would definitely suggest to nonskid those areas on the floor wide enough to cover the parts that bevel up on the sides, both fore and aft. Those are the places where your toes are going to looking to grip when you are handling something over the side. That will also help protect another area where your feet will surely be. Just a suggestion.

[@chiendo8460]

Hi If I apply multiple layer of non-wax gelcoats then apply a final coat with wax gelcoat, would gelcoat cure properly? Thanks

[@cspray5386]

Yes 15%

[@AustinJenkins-fv5di]

What was you using as a filler for the little holes

[@cspray5386]

Just use car bog.

[@brandonpiper5000]

Looked like bondo short strand fiber filler

[@BornAgainBoating]

amzn.to/4gaYjdE

[@jtiptonevo2490]

great video makes me wanna find project boat

[@Addictedtothewild]

I removed all the carpet from my aluminum bass boat and want to go back with gel coat. Any tips and tricks you can share would be awesome!

[@cspray5386]

Sand , clean, epoxy primer, sand , 2k toppy. On the floor, add beads

[@achurcher66]

New to boating and your site. Just recently brought my first polar 17 skiff. Previous owner painted interior but didn't prep correctly and paint is peeling up like old enamel paint on wood . What do you suggest on removing old paint so I can regel

[@cspray5386]

Blow, chisel, grind , sand. No easy way

[@BornAgainBoating]

Yeah, pretty big job, sanding is in the future :(

[@woodyahh2110]

Cure your gelcoat by spraying a light coat of dish soap on the surface right after you apply the gelcoat Spay off with a hose the next day You will like the result Your welcome

[@crowejagerson3628]

Never fails always a bug landing i. The gel coat. Bever fails. I do gel coat, fiberglass and boat painting for a living and whenever i have to apply nonskid sand i use my 3m spray gun with a large open tip 1.8 or 2.0 and spray it up in the air over the wet gelcoat. Its comes out very even and gets great coverage.

[@davidandersson7945]

nice ! is this "topcoat" (with wax) or gelcoat? Heard gelcoat cant harden in air.

[@BornAgainBoating]

First coats without wax but the last coat was with wax

[@mndad2201]

really appreciating the videos.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you!

[@donsreview-hakim]

What kind of filler are you using? I hate doing finish work as the filler is always too damn difficult to sand down. Automotive filler sands much easier, but im not sure you can use it on a boat.

[@BornAgainBoating]

That's a big debate there for sure, we've had great results with both, using fillers like Total Boat: www.totalboat.com/products/glass-microballoons Or West System: amzn.to/3WgbXDV But we've also used 3M Fiberglass Bondo, which people don't seem to like, but we've had great results from it so far: amzn.to/3Yn0l4u

[@donsreview-hakim]

@@BornAgainBoating Thanks i will give those a try.

[@EndlessWeekendFishing]

Damn, it's really coming along now. 🙌

[@n.vinther3087]

Hey, I love your videos, so keep up the great work. I have a question though: In my country (denmark) we only call it Gelcoat if it is sprayed in a form before laying up the fiberglass, if it is applied on top like in this video, we call it topcoat. Does that distinction not apply to the US?

[@femo66]

Hi there, Gelcoat in the US is the same in Europe….and gelcoat will not harden fully. So u use a wax additive to make it harden in the last layer…..that can also be called topcoat….difference is only the ‘wax’.

[@3elmas]

​@@femo66finally somebody has explained me the difference between gelcoat and topcoat. Can you apply two coats of topcoat on glassfibre then?

[@femo66]

@@3elmas hello, yes you can, but that is not the idea....the idea is to lay the layers with gelcoat and finish of with the topcoat, for bonding reason. And check with the manufacturer, could be, that you need to sand between the 2 topcoats - could be a timing issue. Me personally would go 2-3 layers gelcoat > one layer topcoat. Can suggest the following Channel for that stuff: @boatworkstoday

[@3elmas]

@@femo66 thank you for your clear explanation. Very valuable information for my DIY project

[@BadiniBoats]

Esse pó que ele joga depois do gel colt seria o que?

[@dustinfrost5214]

What kind of filler is this you used before you used the gelcoat

[@BornAgainBoating]

There is another kind but both work good, depending on what you are doing of course: amzn.to/3WMjRVV

[@dougrandolph4930]

What was the filler?

[@rokomarkovic4556]

Most likely Bondo but make sure you get one with fiber glass in it

[@BrentWoodard-y5v]

Looks like Napa pro filler. Never use bondo in a marine situation

[@cspray5386]

​@@rokomarkovic4556 Big no

[@serviceproper]

I'm building up multiple layers of gelcoat without wax, before using with wax as the final coat. How do you get the gelcoat without wax to cure (does it dry on it's own?) I'm doing a coat a day btw.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Without the wax it won't cure, it stays tacky, so you have to put the wax in for the last coat, or do the other coats in durations quickly

[@سیدجلیلمیرکاظمنژادفروهی]

سلام استاد لذت بردیم از مهارتی که محصول سالها تجربه است البته نا گفته نمانه که خودمم تو همین حرفه ام البته تو پادگان یاد گرفتم نقاشی حرفه ای ساختمانی وصنعتی(اتومبیل) حرفه ای اصلیه منه ولی خوب از تجربه های پر بار شما استفاده بردیم متشکرم

[@thongyiewkhong8542]

Do you need to put wax on gelcoat? Thks

[@BornAgainBoating]

Gelcoat doesn't require waxing as part of its routine maintenance. But over time, gelcoat can lose its shine due to exposure to sunlight, oxidation, and other environmental factors. In such cases, polishing and waxing the gelcoat can help restore its shine and provide additional protection against UV rays

[@Jarek12010]

the catalyst for polyester materials is not MEK, it is MEKP. The last letter makes a big difference. Methyl ethyl ketone is mainly used as a thinner, methyl ethyl ketone PEROXIDE is a catalyst for polyester materials. Both are not good for you, by the way. The thing you cannot remember, the "sanding aid" is not really a sanding aid. It does make sanding easier, but this is a side effect of what it really does, which is allow the polyester material to cure properly, Without wax (the "sanding aid"), the top layer of the material, gelcoat of resin, remains not fully cured, to allow a chemical bond for subsequent layers and because of that it is difficult to sand.

[@margilligan8172]

I´m learning to do small repairs on gelcoat boats and looking for the proportion of estyrene paraffin to ad to gelcoat, can´t find it anywhere! Somebody suggested 5% , but the repair doesn´t cures properly. Can you help me, please?

[@Jarek12010]

@@margilligan8172 I am sorry, I have not been practicing for years. I do not remember exact ratios.

[@billwallenstein3387]

Nice work

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thanks

[@samuelyeet6006]

I don’t get it, why does everyone talk about a shit ton of sanding of the gelcoat itself to smooth it out? Is that not the case?

[@BornAgainBoating]

All depends on the application and the surface. Honestly it's all about the surface before you put any gel coat down, and if you are putting it on the sides, spraying it will give you the best smoothness. I think people talk about sanding it a lot to get it smooth when they try and roll and tip it which is harder to get smooth on vertical surfaces. Obviously on the floor its way easier and you are also usually putting non skid down so it doesn't need that smoothing out. But that's my guess to what people are talking about.

[@albertotosta5280]

Good job

[@T.B.C.D]

What is mek?

[@BornAgainBoating]

Methyl Ethyl Ketone, think about it as the hardener or catalyst for the polyester resin

[@palosanto3111]

Great video 👍🏼

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thanks 👍

[@dwayneroberts6616]

Ever been out there working on your boat and the sun starts going down in Florida? The mosquitoes just eat you alive there's so many they drive me into the house 😂

[@BornAgainBoating]

Lol. I can relate bro!

[@urso0909]

SUPER!!!

[@Dex01-Z_WingZero]

You need the chicken feed shaker can😄

[@serviceproper]

what is sanding aid, why use sanding aid??

[@surferdude4420]

It’s a polyester wax solution that is a styrene base. When it gasses off it creates a layer/film on top of the gelcoat cutting it off from the air letting it fully cure. If it’s not used the gelcoat will not fully cure and will stay tacky. Also always use the wax solution or duratec high gloss additive instead of patch-aid because they have a uv inhibitor to keep it from yellowing as patch-aid does not. Hope this helps 🤙

[@margilligan8172]

@@surferdude4420 which proportion of styrene parafinn should i use? because i tried 5% and it doesn´t cure properly.

[@tsunamisurfer7325]

Deck****

[@damiansailas6296]

Just use some gaco it's slip proof...lol water proof

[@BornAgainBoating]

Lol that would be pretty :)

[@SD-ft6gs]

Always wear a mask when sanding! this stuff causes all types of respiratory conditions such as Pneumoconiosis, this is non trivial danger!

[@txguynnh]

I was wondering about that. When you’re young you’re invincible, but give it time.

[@SailingSwallowtail]

I don't need no stinkin mask when I'm sanding fiberglass.

[@willhall7777]

I've worked with a lot of guys that think they are more manly by not using PPE. I find myself praying for them constantly. Accidents do happen regardless of how careful a person is. PPE definitely makes it less severe.

[@SailingSwallowtail]

@@willhall7777 I hope you did catch my sarcasm there.

[@mikencrew8885]

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🔥🔥🔥

[@dwayneroberts6616]

Looked like one of those damn love bugs. They love white. I hate those things. Last year working on my boat they were swarming me getting in my face landing on my arms and hands while I'm trying to do stuff grrr!

[@سیدجلیلمیرکاظمنژادفروهی]

سلام استاد لذت بردیم از مهارتی که محصول سالها تجربه است البته نا گفته نمانه که خودمم تو همین حرفه ام البته تو پادگان یاد گرفتم نقاشی حرفه ای ساختمانی وصنعتی(اتومبیل) حرفه ای اصلیه منه ولی خوب از تجربه های پر بار شما استفاده بردیم متشکرم