Yup, but you need to make sure the paper is for wet sanding. It is usually black. Actually 600 grit works pretty well. Use it with a light touch, you can cut through gel coat very easily. If the repair is fairly large, a block will help keep everything level, but on a boat hull there is usually some curve, so you might not want the sanding block. A rubber faced sanding block works okay if it is fairly soft. Once you have it wet, you will feel it cutting right away. Just go easy. Don't be afraid to re-wet the paper often. Dip it right in to a pail. If you see the green of the filler showing up, or even a faint shadow, stop. You might need to apply some more gel coat, then fair it carefully again. Easy, easy, light touch with the paper. Don't rush it. You will be an artiste! Bill On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 4:34 PM, Daniel Rich <danielgrich@gmail.com> wrote:
OK, now this sounds great. OK, I am truly ignorant, so when you say wet sand, does that mean take a block of wood, put the 1000 grit on it, get it wet with water, and sand? The rest of it I think I follow.
Daniel
On 5/6/2011 11:40 AM, Bill Wickett wrote:
Hi Daniel,
Having had similar experiences, I have used 3M Premium Marine Filler for work like that and like it. It is a 2 part filler, and you can mix up just a small amount. Fair it just level or a bit below the gel coat level and wet sand carefully. Then use a gel coat touch up kit to color it and level to the surrounding area. You might have to play a bit with the gel coat colorants to match your hull color. Very light wet sanding with 1000 grit paper will let you fair in the gel coat. The gel coat kits usually come with a jar of paste, and tubes of color. Some times you only need part drops of color to get what you need. As well there should be a couple of sheets of semi rigid acetate film. This is taped over the repair so it cures. It also helps to smooth the gel coat.
Light use of buffing compound helps to fair it as well if you have gone a bit higher than the surrounding area. Polish it all after and should look good.
Kinda fun to do. Wear your wounds as badges of experience.
Bill M17 Makin' Time #622
On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 2:04 PM, Daniel Rich<danielgrich@gmail.com> wrote:
Montypals:
On my maiden voyage last month I didn't get the boat onto the trailer correctly, so on the ride home she bounced around and gouged up the bow a bit on a bolt on the trailer. So, I have an area about an inch long with the gelcoat gone, into the glass. Not through the glass. What is the best way to repair this? It is below the red stripe. I figure I need to sand it, wet it with epoxy, then fair it with more epoxy, dry, and paint? I've never done anything like that. Or, can I epoxy, and put some kind of gelcoat on the spot? Thoughts from the experts?
Daniel M15 208 Kestrel _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!
_______________________________________________
http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!