# How hard is it to color match off white gelcoat?



## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

I have a spot on my hull that needs repair and don't want to paint the whole boat. The hull is an off white because the deck is a brighter white. I can do the repair if I have the correct color.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

For you probably hard and not cost effective to purchase gel and colors. Anyone around you that sells auto paint gel and supplies? Higgs auto paint has a few central fl locations. Probably some boat repair places could for a fee. Fiberglass Florida too.


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

Capnredfish said:


> For you probably hard and not cost effective to purchase gel and colors. Anyone around you that sells auto paint gel and supplies? Higgs auto paint has a few central fl locations. Probably some boat repair places could for a fee. Fiberglass Florida too.


I can get the stuff at marine trading post. Getting the supplies is not an issue. I checked a few paint places and ask if they can color match with the machine they have and said yes, but it will be paint not gelcoat.


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## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

You can do it. Start with a very small amount of yellow tint mixed in white gel coat. Keep dabbing it onto the original surface to get a comparison. It's a time consuming process even for a pro to match by eye. Yellow, brown and black should cover any of the typical boat interior colors. You might want to split the gel coat into 2 different containers just encase you mess up by adding too much pigment.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Do you guys have a Fiberglas Coatings near you? The one here in Ft. Lauderdale does great with color matching Gel Coat.


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

often times - when making a repair on an older boat,the gel coat has changed color - we all understand this ,right ? making the repair,wet sanding and compounding is required,this often changes the gel coat color again - leading to which shade to match...get what i'm saying ?

trial and error my friend...trial and error...


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

RunningOnEmpty said:


> You can do it. Start with a very small amount of yellow tint mixed in white gel coat. Keep dabbing it onto the original surface to get a comparison. It's a time consuming process even for a pro to match by eye. Yellow, brown and black should cover any of the typical boat interior colors. You might want to split the gel coat into 2 different containers just encase you mess up by adding too much pigment.


I might play with it to see what I get. Who knows, I may be a natural with color matching.



paint it black said:


> Do you guys have a Fiberglas Coatings near you? The one here in Ft. Lauderdale does great with color matching Gel Coat.


No, but have seen the company truck here quite often. I think I'll give them a call and see If I can meet them somewhere here locally.


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

predacious said:


> often times - when making a repair on an older boat,the gel coat has changed color - we all understand this ,right ? making the repair,wet sanding and compounding is required,this often changes the gel coat color again - leading to which shade to match...get what i'm saying ?
> 
> trial and error my friend...trial and error...


I planned on wet sanding and buffing a area to use that as a color match spot.


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## HBFanatic (Dec 2, 2016)

If the spot is small fairly easy 
If going todo a large area, hire a pro


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

HBFanatic said:


> If the spot is small fairly easy
> If going todo a large area, hire a pro


I'm going to get an estimate from a pro today. The area is 6in by 2ft.


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## Skiff Junky (Oct 6, 2015)

CodyW said:


> I'm going to get an estimate from a pro today. The area is 6in by 2ft.


Like others said, it's trial and error and by the time you buy all the materials to DIY correctly, the cost of the pro is usually not much more.


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## HBFanatic (Dec 2, 2016)

Good idea. My Whipray had the transom raised in 09 at HB to accommodate the 50 2 stroke. The gel coat yellowed with time. I can Clorox and buff it but still not a perfect match. I had Glasser remove all hull scratches but did not do the transom. Probably gonna cost me an arm and leg since platform and engine needs removing to do it right


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## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

I think gelcoat is easier than paint because paint darkens after it cures. Every time I custom match paint it has to be mixed with activator, sprayed and force dried with a heat gun to check the color match. After 10 years of experience it's still time consuming. One big tip is to test the color match in natural light.


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

RunningOnEmpty said:


> I think gelcoat is easier than paint because paint darkens after it cures. Every time I custom match paint it has to be mixed with activator, sprayed and force dried with a heat gun to check the color match. After 10 years of experience it's still time consuming. One big tip is to test the color match in natural light.


Good tip about the natural light. I went ahead and waxed a small spot and put it in the sun and found my true color. It is a very light grey. Now I have to decide wether to use grey or blue tint to get my color. I'm starting to feel confident that I can get a good match myself.


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## RunningOnEmpty (Jun 20, 2015)

CodyW said:


> Good tip about the natural light. I went ahead and waxed a small spot and put it in the sun and found my true color. It is a very light grey. Now I have to decide wether to use grey or blue tint to get my color. I'm starting to feel confident that I can get a good match myself.


Start with black in a small batch. I never use blue to match a off white color. Some blacks actually have a hint of a blueish appearance aka lamp black.


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## Fritz (Jan 17, 2017)

I've had good luck mixing white gel coat (with wax) to color match ice blue and off white. Add the color slowly to the gel coat, and keep dabbing the colored gel coat onto the area you want to match to until you like the way it looks. As long as you don't put hardener in the gel coat you can wipe it off with a rag. When you can't tell the difference between the boat and the smear of new gel coat, you're there.

Do your color matching on a clear day, even your sunglasses might affect your perception of color. Once you have the gel coat mixed to the right color it will keep for a little while, if you store it properly.

Gel coat is surprisingly easy to work with, at least the lighter colors. I've had only bad luck with dark blue.


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## FSUDrew99 (Feb 3, 2015)

Ive battled with matching white spectrum color patch paste that was scanned to match my boat.... after applying (which looked awesome) and then wet sanding and buffing it had a slight yellow tint to it.... I would just contact your manufacturer or take it to a professional and save yourself the headache. Nothing worse than buying everything, applying the gel coat, wet sanding and buffing out to find it be slightly off and it may be something only you will notice, but youll notice it every time!


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

FSUDrew99 said:


> Ive battled with matching white spectrum color patch paste that was scanned to match my boat.... after applying (which looked awesome) and then wet sanding and buffing it had a slight yellow tint to it.... I would just contact your manufacturer or take it to a professional and save yourself the headache. Nothing worse than buying everything, applying the gel coat, wet sanding and buffing out to find it be slightly off and it may be something only you will notice, but youll notice it every time!


I got an estimate from a professional and was to much for my taste. I plan on wet sanding and buffing the boat before I do the color match and repair, that way I have the true color to work off of.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

On an episode of ShipShapeTV, I saw a guy color match by first taping a strip of clear packing tape onto the hull, and slowly adding pigment to the gelcoat. Every time he altered it, he would apply a small strip to the packing tape and hit it with a heat gun to check for the correct color. Once you find the right shade, simply peel off the tape!


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## CodyW (Jan 26, 2016)

yobata said:


> On an episode of ShipShapeTV, I saw a guy color match by first taping a strip of clear packing tape onto the hull, and slowly adding pigment to the gelcoat. Every time he altered it, he would apply a small strip to the packing tape and hit it with a heat gun to check for the correct color. Once you find the right shade, simply peel off the tape!


I like that idea. It would help with getting a cure color match.


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