Gelcoat Question

[Jackman]

I'm fabricating something out of wood to house my new navnet 3d screen and would eventually like to gelocoat it to match the rest of my helm. What do I need to do to get to the fiished product? Coat in fiberglass resin and then gelcoat? I know I can't expoxy because gelcoat doesn't stick to it. What are my options?

Thanks!

Jack

 

[bostonhatteras]

What I would watch out for is dimensional shifting or in other words, the wood changing shape due to heat/cool and humidity. humidity being the more likely of the two. Polyester resin is fine to adhere to plywood and most residential type lumber, but the oily woods such as teak and mahogany to a certain extent may give some problems if you dont remove the oils from the surface before laminating. If your base isnt too complex in shape laminate in one or two layers of fine cloth to cover the joints. If it is simply a rectangle of plywood with a hole cut in the middle dont bother. watch out for out-gassing of the material whatever it is. either do the work inside or out of the sun. have you considered polyurethane two part paint instead of polyester/gelcoat?
good luck
Russ

 

[Jackman]

I should have been more descriptive....sorry..

It birch 3/4 plywood and the work will be done inside out of the elements. I considered the 2 part paint or imron but have not found anyone to do it yet. I actually was interested in having my helm painted in imron once I remove all the electrical switche4s ect because the helm is looking rough from exposure to sun and weather, which it no longer gets because its enclosed.

Should I just coat it in resin and wait until I decide to get the helm painted with imron? In which case, what do I need to do to the current gelcoat at the helm to get it ready for imron?

 

[Vincentc]

I thought all gel coat on a Hatteras was painted.

I would coat the wood with epoxy and used filled epoxy to fair it. You may want to tape the seams. I don't see any reason to work with gel coat. Epxoy is more expensive but in my experience, does a better job and is easier to work with. After the epoxy cures, clean off the blush, then sand and paint it with 2 part polyurethane primer then sand that fair. Be sure the primer is compatible with your paint.

When you get ready to paint the helm, paint it all at once I believe you would also need to prime the existing gel coat surfaces. Surface prep is important and any surface imperfections will be highlighted by high gloss paint.

My experience has been with 2 part polyurethane by Interlux, I believe they call it "Perfection" now. No need to spray, use a foam roller and then tip with a foam brush. In any case the fumes are not good for you and you should have adequate ventilation and a respirator.

I beleive Jamestown Distributors website has information on all this. Likewise Interlux has a site.

Regards,
Vincent
43 DC Lilly Marie

 

[ohiohatteras]

Here ya go.....

http://www.evercoat.com/productDetail.aspx?pID=105

 

[34Hatt]

Jackman

I have done what you are thinking and don't just coat the wood with resin you need to add glass to it. Then if you spray the gel coat its a pain in the butt to polish it out. Gel coat is always a little porous it cures different in a mold when the air is not present. In the same amount of time your better off making a one off mold. There are a lot off way to make them easy. Some use Formica or press board and Duratec. I have done a bunch all different ways if you want I can walk you thru it. You get a good quality part when your done.

 

[34Hatt]

I thought all gel coat on a Hatteras was painted.


Regards,
Vincent
43 DC Lilly Marie

Nope Not all the 32's are Gel coat.

 

[Boatsb]

Dan is right. gelcote is not made to cure with air. It is unwaxed and that adds some other issues.

Just another method to look at. Dan told me of a product too but I had access to ( as in free) a foam product to build a box out of that can be sandwiched between layers of glass. A friend did fish boxes of the foam and the came out well. Dan told me of a higher density product that I may look at to close the windows in my 41. It was made in Alabama I think. Nice stuff and very resin friendly.

 

[Trojan]

Hatteras boats don't have a gelcote coat. They were always painted.
I would single cloth coat the box for strength and finish. Then prime paint and wait till you paint the rest of the boat. You don't need to gelcote it.

BILL

 

[stormchaser]

MOST Hats are painted...apparently the 32 is not. Oh, and they DO indeed have Gelcoat under the OEM paint.

 

[Jackman]

Thanks for the responses so far. I know for a fact my 32 is one of the few Hats given gelcoat. Only thing painted is the Imron Blue boot stripes. Everything else is shiney gelcoat with lots of wax.

For gelcoat curing I heard you can use wax paper to make it shiney...but I am trying to figure out if I should just prepare the console and just paint it. SOunds like the results will be fairly good with minimal effort...most effort being the prep work.

 

[Trojan]

MOST Hats are painted...apparently the 32 is not. Oh, and they DO indeed have Gelcoat under the OEM paint.

You don't ever paint gel-coat as a rule only for repair. That is why you gel-coat. The color is fixed in the gel an last longer than paint. If the 32 is gel coated it's one of the few. Gel-coat is applied first in the build mold before the boat is lay-ed up and is a finished product about 1/16 thick. I don't think you can apply gel coat to a finished hull and get the gloss and flat finish you get from a mold. But I can be wrong on the after spray. We only used it in our molds. Hats are painted with no gel-coat.


BILL

 

[doc g]

There's white gelcoat under my Hatteras Off White Imron . I thought all Hat's were Imron over GC........................Pat

 

[Blaine Thorpe]

I did something similar on each sdie of the bridge on my 36C. The previous owner hadcut holes on each side with plexiglas doors, but the boxes he had were pretty crude.

I made boxes out of 1X12 Cedar just large enough to fill the openings, then put a front face on them. The bottom part hinges up so that I can see the displys better. Everything visible has a coat of fiberglas and epoxy, then faired with resin and 407 filler, then painted with off white Imron to match the bridge.

I'll try to get a couple of photos this weekend.

Blaine

 

[kwerges]

I also modified my helm to allow me to remount my radar and GPS. Had fiberglass laid over the wood, and painted with Sterling to match the rest of the console. Turned out great. Will send photos while I'm at the boat this weekend...

 

[34Hatt]

You don't ever paint gel-coat as a rule only for repair. That is why you gel-coat. The color is fixed in the gel an last longer than paint. If the 32 is gel coated it's one of the few. Gel-coat is applied first in the build mold before the boat is lay-ed up and is a finished product about 1/16 thick. I don't think you can apply gel coat to a finished hull and get the gloss and flat finish you get from a mold. But I can be wrong on the after spray. We only used it in our molds. Hats are painted with no gel-coat.


BILL

Hatts do have gel coat other wise you would have print through!!!
And you can get shine back by using PVA but it still is a PITA.

The hole process of building and then doing all the fairing primer and then paint is a lot of time. Spend that time making the mold and make the piece pop it out and your done!

 

[Trojan]

Hatts do have gel coat other wise you would have print through!!!
And you can get shine back by using PVA but it still is a PITA.

The hole process of building and then doing all the fairing primer and then paint is a lot of time. Spend that time making the mold and make the piece pop it out and your done!

Primer, no gel-coat. Gel-coat is a finished product. Nothing more is needed
BILL

 

[34Hatt]

Primer, no gel-coat. Gel-coat is a finished product. Nothing more is needed
BILL

Are you saying Hatteras shot primer against the mold then started the lay up?

 

[Trojan]

Are you saying Hatteras shot primer against the mold then started the lay up?

No, they spray the mold with wax and polished the hell out of it. Then lay the hull up. After the glass has set up, usually by the next day. We used water between the hull and the mold to float the hull up to release the hull from the mold. Using water you spread the lifting force per inch to release the hull and helps to prevent spot sticking. Without wax the glass would stick to the mold. The hull is then primed and finished with paint. If you want gel-coat. After the wax you spray the mold with the color gel-coat you want and then lay the boat up. Some places used a mold release product. But then you must wash the complete hull before the primer is put on. I'm not sure if Hatteras used a mold release or not. We never did. A lot of boat companies use a series of rope loops embedded in the hulls to use as lifting rings. Hatteras is the only boat company that paints there hulls that I know of.

BILL

 

[34Hatt]

No, they spray the mold with wax and polished the hell out of it. Then lay the hull up. After the glass has set up, usually by the next day. We used water between the hull and the mold to float the hull up to release the hull from the mold. Using water you spread the lifting force per inch to release the hull and helps to prevent spot sticking. Without wax the glass would stick to the mold. The hull is then primed and finished with paint. If you want gel-coat. After the wax you spray the mold with the color gel-coat you want and then lay the boat up. Some places used a mold release product. But then you must wash the complete hull before the primer is put on. I'm not sure if Hatteras used a mold release or not. We never did. A lot of boat companies use a series of rope loops embedded in the hulls to use as lifting rings. Hatteras is the only boat company that paints there hulls that I know of.

BILL

Yes I know the process since I have built molds and done lay ups and know about wax, polish, pva blah blah.

But you never answered the question.
But I will tell you that some hatteras's actually had gel coat spray into the Polished waxed mold then Gelcoat sprayed then a black polyester primer sprayed onto the gel coat then the glass.
I also talked to a guy from Hatteras the first year the new 54' Hatt came out and he said they were still added gelcoat for print thru reason's then spraying them with Alwgrip after they came out!