Universal clear over gelcoat

B

Brandon

New Member
Hello, I've got some background in collision repair & restoration work but not much in regards to fiberglass & boats. I've got a newer boat that has oxidized, I am planning on going thru the precleaning steps followed by a thorough sand with 400 and then clear with universal clear. Is this the right approach? Any suggested changes based on past experiences?
 
That is done a lot, just depends on gel or and color damage.
Might want to wet a foot or two spot after sanded to see what color looks like.
 
if your going through the trouble of prepping and spraying, why bother with clear? why not just use single stage in the color of your boat. once its sanded just spray a super thin sealer coat of epoxy then 3 coats of single stage. sand and buff and your done. then you dont have to worry if the gel is faded or blotchy.
 
Gelcoat can be buffed a LOT, that's for sure.

I clear coated a boat for a guy once, he prepped it and I shot it. It had a lot of defects in it but he liked it because it no longer needed to be waxed all the time. Painting would not have been as cool because it had all kinds of crap like simulated wood grain and fake gold leaf in the gelcoat, which was a kinda cool '70s look.
 
Just remember, none of these car paints will hold up on a boat that stays in the water
more than a couple weeks at a time, like in a marina all summer.
 
Yes avoid base clear and no 2k primer. 2k primer is not good down to the waterline but ok above where it doesnt get wet constantly. Epoxy and single stage is good down to the waterline but not below.
 
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Click to expand...
FWIW, years ago a buddy did an older Freightliner with a similar product from a camping supply. From a distance it looked like he had the truck painted! The truck was solid yellow if that makes any difference.
 
years ago i buffed a glastron 21 that looked like hell. i used the old red river mud paste . couple of days and it looked like new .
 
jcclark said:
Just remember, none of these car paints will hold up on a boat that stays in the water
more than a couple weeks at a time, like in a marina all summer.
Click to expand...
The standard rule of thumb is automotive paint will start to bubble off the epoxy or e-coat in 5 to 8
Months if the paint does not come up for air.
This is why bottom paints, swimming pool paint have been epoxy as epoxy-based is waterproof, automotive is water-resistant.

Year's ago, I bought an inboard from a jobber, brought it home, gray padded it,
and shot stripes and cleared the whole gell coat in the driveway.
It was perfect seven or eight years later when we sold it.
At times in water for weeks.
 
I was into boats years ago. If I remember it correctly some of the big high end boats (fiberglass) were painted hulls and topsides. Awlgrip & Imeron were 2 brands used, there were probably others.
Wood hull boats were a different story. They need softer oil or alkyd paint and needed redcoat often.
 
Yes they are all awlgrip or awlcraft. Imron isnt really used anymore but awlcraft is basically the same thing, polyurethane ss.
 
What grit would you sand the gelcoat before epoxy if you were to repaint with single stage? I will be doing this soon but I would like to level out the gelcoat some. It wasn't very slick from the factory.
 
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