Forum: WHALER
  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Whaler Repairs/Mods
  Whaler gelcoat color

Post New Topic  Post Reply
search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Whaler gelcoat color
Sonny posted 01-28-2004 08:21 AM ET (US)   Profile for Sonny   Send Email to Sonny  
I am doing a 13' Sport restoration and I want the hull to look "new". Does anyone have a recommendation for a 2 part catalyst based paint color and manufacturer??
Thanks
sammo99 posted 01-28-2004 11:13 AM ET (US)     Profile for sammo99  Send Email to sammo99     
I am in the process of starting my own 13' 1968 Sport restoration as well. I have purchased the rub rail and brass drain hole replacement kit from Twin Cities Marine. The owner and employees are by far the most helpful people I have ever ordered parts from.

http://www.twincitiesmarine.com

With limited experience in Boston Whaler boat repair, I have found that Twin Cities Marine in Michigan is a great place for advice on anything with Whalers. They advised me to call Mini-Craft of Florida. Since whalers are made in Florida, these guys know what needs to be done. Here is the site that shows exactly what they have to offer in this area.

https://www.minicraft.com/retail/bostonwhaler.htm

Since there are many options out there, this is the one I am going to go with unless someone convinces me otherwise.


AC posted 02-02-2004 12:04 AM ET (US)     Profile for AC  Send Email to AC     
A little research in the Reference section turned up info. on Spectrum Color paint co.. They provide factory match gel coat colors for Whalers:
http://www.spectrumcolor.com/catalog.htm
AC posted 02-02-2004 12:11 AM ET (US)     Profile for AC  Send Email to AC     
Sonny,
If you perform a search on Paint, I'm afraid you might find too much info. to pilfer through. Maybe a search on Awlgrip, Imron, Interlux and others may turn up discussions
about the pro's & con's of these name brands.
jimh posted 02-02-2004 08:28 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
The term gel coat refers to a polyester resin that is applied in the original molding of the boat. Small quantities of tinted gel coat which are close matches to the original colors used by Boston Whaler are available from several vendors as mentioned above. These are often used to make small repairs to dings, cracks, etc. Applying a new finish of gel coat to the entire boat is a very expensive and labor intensive process.

Gel coat is not a paint, at least not in the way most people think of paint.

Many fine yachts, including the new Boston Whaler boats which are sold with hull color inserts like the 320 OUTRAGE, are painted with specialty paints like AWL-GRIP or IMRON. Application of these paints is difficult and dangerous because of their chemical composition.

There has been much previous discussion on both the topic of gel coat repair/color matching, and two-part paint application.

SMLWhaler posted 02-02-2004 09:35 AM ET (US)     Profile for SMLWhaler  Send Email to SMLWhaler     
Use Spectrum gel coat. Sprayed the entire hull of my 13' for about $300.00 worth of product. As many previous posts have mentioned this stuff is more labor intensive after the spraying is done. Or is it? Consider you will most likely have to repeat the paint process every few years. With the gel coat once you get it on and finished it will last for many years. Also consider its what Whaler intended to be on the boat.

I think many times people are intimidated by spraying gel coat. It is very different from paint but not as difficult as many of the posts say it is. You need to be organized and very quick when spraying but even a novice like myself was able to get good results. Keep in mind you won't get a factory finish but in my case the finish I was able to obtain was a lot better than what I started with.

AC posted 02-02-2004 04:34 PM ET (US)     Profile for AC  Send Email to AC     
Sonny,
I've explored the debate of whether to refurbish a hull with gel coat or 2-part paint to great depths. While I have repaired gouges & scratches with gel coat that I tinted myself, I have no experience applying gel coat or 2-part paint with a spray or brush application. I've studied videotape of applying Awlgrip by brush application, as well as videos of gel coat repair, and they both require lots of work. Personally, I've concluded that gel coat is the route I want to take - the finished product lasts alot longer. I recommend you take some time and thouroughly research the advantages of each. Here's a current thread to get you started:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005429.html
hardensheetmetal posted 02-02-2004 06:19 PM ET (US)     Profile for hardensheetmetal  Send Email to hardensheetmetal     
Not to get too far off this subject, but I saw something interesting at Home Depot today. It was a two part epoxy paint used to refinish bath tubs and sinks. The product was available in either a brushable form or a spray. The box had a picture of one can (part A the catalyst) inverted into the other can(part B). There was a note on the box that claimed it was good for use on fiberglass as well as porceline (sp?). I just thought it looked interesting as a possible alternative for those refinishing a hull. White was the only color available. It was about $30.00 for the two cans (part A and B), and I did not see what the coverage was.

Dan

AC posted 02-02-2004 07:15 PM ET (US)     Profile for AC  Send Email to AC     
Those hulls you refurbished in the past, Dan. Did you just sand down through the crazing? Did you ever spray gel coat or paint?
hardensheetmetal posted 02-04-2004 10:24 PM ET (US)     Profile for hardensheetmetal  Send Email to hardensheetmetal     
AC

Sorry it so long for a reply.

No, I "chased out most of the larger spider cracks (crazing) with a sharp tool, then I filled with spectrum gelcoat, and sanded many times. If I had to do it over, I would have left alone some of the less noticable cracks. The gelcaot was not a perfect match, and I was left with the lesser of the two evils, lines of mismatched gelcaot instead of crazing. I would have expirimented with lightening the gelcaot a little more. I did this toward the end of the project, and it was possible to find a close match by mixing in some white with the blue.

I did not spray on any gelcoat. I am tempted to try this on another project I am working on now. It almost does not seem worth the extra effort though, as I am going to sand down the small areas of repair anyway.

Dan

Post New Topic  Post Reply
Hop to:


Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.