# Dings in gelcoat



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

My boat is from 1997 and the previous owner abused it. There are a couple of chips not many but this one on the back I'd like to fix. Don't say 5400 it turns an ugly gray


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## Guest (May 27, 2019)

Your gonna want to color match some gelcoat first. Then it’s basically grind out making a bevel about an inch larger “smaller is area won’t allow” thicken some of your color matched gelcoat with fumed silica to make a gelpaste. Squeegee into spot just above level. If you add some sanding aud or duratec you won’t need to cover. Once cured, wetsand starting with 220 to open it up finishing with 6/800 grit and buff.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Boatbrains said:


> Your gonna want to color match some gelcoat first. Then it’s basically grind out making a bevel about an inch larger “smaller is area won’t allow” thicken some of your color matched gelcoat with fumed silica to make a gelpaste. Squeegee into spot just above level. If you add some sanding aud or duratec you won’t need to cover. Once cured, wetsand starting with 220 to open it up finishing with 6/800 grit and buff.


i was hoping my repair would not involve gelcoat. I wouldn't even know where to get or how it looks. Matching to color will be a trick


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

maybe do a little googling. there are lots of gelcoat repair kits for sale. you've been on this board long enough to have seen a few of these repair threads and you also know that there aren't any shortcuts for this. unless you want to use 5200...or bring it to a shop.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Ok found one on Amazon. What color is my boat, Matterhorn white or Oyster white


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

so how would we know that? watch this video and learn. Its actually nice to know how to do this.


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## Guest (May 27, 2019)

I started a thread on this very subject a while ago. I used Andy’s videos for a quick reference for ya’ll because he does a good job splainin it all!


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I'm going to roll with Matterhorn white ordering now


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Boatbrains said:


> I started a thread on this very subject a while ago. I used Andy’s videos for a quick reference for ya’ll because he does a good job splainin it all!


Can you please provide a link


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Are you serious!

Did the sun fry your brain over the weekend?


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

DuckNut said:


> Are you serious!
> 
> Did the sun fry your brain over the weekend?


Yea i went on a run in 90 degrees and painted the deck and the deck furniture in 90 degrees. Then cleaned my boat in the heat then cut grass in the heat
Yea!!!!


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

permitchaser, the youtube vid I posted is the same as what boatbrains is talking about...it is the link.


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## Guest (May 28, 2019)

devrep said:


> permitchaser, the youtube vid I posted is the same as what boatbrains is talking about...it is the link.


And if you subscribe to his channel you can watch more videos on FRP repair than you will ever really want to!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

permitchaser said:


> Yea i went on a run in 90 degrees and painted the deck and the deck furniture in 90 degrees. Then cleaned my boat in the heat then cut grass in the heat
> Yea!!!!


Are you in heat?


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

permitchaser said:


> Ok found one on Amazon. What color is my boat, Matterhorn white or Oyster white


97? It is white gel coat. Those 2 colors weren't invented then.


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## Guest (May 28, 2019)

Looks off white to me. White gel plus a little yellow then brown repeat until it matches.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Boatbrains said:


> Looks off white to me. White gel plus a little yellow then brown repeat until it matches.


Once he starts wet sanding, it'll be white.

Now whe need to teach him how to change those teal colored rub rails


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Glad I’m not first to say it. I would say the color is Miami vice white to go with that teal blue rub rail.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

It’s a 20 year old boat, not last years hells bay , marine Tex ( white or off white ) razor blade ,call it done. Go catch a fish , that gouge didn’t happen this past week end


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

For a spot that size, first I'd not worry so much about a perfect match on a '97 hull your gelcoat has faded and dulled over time...

You can get a simple inexpensive gel-coat repair kit form West Marine that has several color pigments and do a little color matching and do a pretty good job of matching the color.
EverCoat also makes a similar packaged kit. Both have everything you need to repair/fix that spot and be fishing ina day or so.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

FWIW- I used this kit to repair a ding where a rock on the freeway jumped up and took a nickel sized chip out of my gel. The gel coat is actually clear but there are different pigments included so you can blend it to your correct color, or a reasonable approximation of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Evercoat-100...sprefix=gel+coat+rep,instant-video,163&sr=8-3


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I really dont care what color it is, i just want to fix it. I was going to use epoxy but y'all talked me in to gelcoat. So I'll get the tube next Tuesday, if it's off white that will work. Yea my rub rail my need replacing but I put that one back on after securing the cap in the winter. I dont want to do that again


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

permitchaser said:


> I really dont care what color it is, i just want to fix it. I was going to use epoxy but y'all talked me in to gelcoat. So I'll get the tube next Tuesday, if it's off white that will work. Yea my rub rail my need replacing but I put that one back on after securing the cap in the winter. I dont want to do that again


We're just busting your balls.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Here she is Off white. Old and faded. I keep the yeti casting platform in the garage and the cushion for the cooler there to. I use the big live well(open) for storage


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Well according to Amazon my repair kit was delivered Friday. But to an address 50 miles away. So i called Amazon their working on it


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

permitchaser said:


> Well according to Amazon my repair kit was delivered Friday. But to an address 50 miles away. So i called Amazon their working on it


Maybe he doesn’t care what color it is either...
I used that same kit on mine in a few places. Decent product.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Well I call Amazon as I was driving to a swim workout and they got UPS on the phone with me and Bamm!!! they said it was at my house


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

don't know what that is but its not gelcoat.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

I've heard of that stuff, never used it.

Let us know how you like it.


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## 18590 (Aug 21, 2017)

I've tried that product, followed the instructions exactly. Turned out chalky, gritty, and the color match was way off for matterhorn white. Maybe I got a bad batch, hopefully you have better luck. Ground it out a used a dab of marine-tex until I picked up a gel coat kit at west marine.


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