spraying gelcoat

garagenc · #1 05-06-2007, 04:28 PM

Hey Guys
I haven't been on lately because my "part time" job (landscaping) has taken off so much I had to lay-out from my real job at the shipyard to get my landscaping work caught up.

Since the weather is crappy for outside working today I was working on the "V" and trying to spray gelcoat. I tried 2 of those aerosol can sprayers where the paint/gelcoat is poured into a clear screw on bottle to the bottom of the aerosol can. I can't get either to work. I tried thinning but it still wouldn't work. I saw a guys paint the entie bottom of a 16ft and they worked great for him. Anyone know what I might be doing wrong. I kept the outlet in line with the vent.

msbhammer · #2 05-06-2007, 06:30 PM

Never seen tat type of sprayer before. No air lines or compressor ?? ???

Mac_Attack · #3 05-06-2007, 08:21 PM

I've used them and the paint has to be very thin. Billy Mac

Bygracealone · #4 05-07-2007, 12:38 AM

Garage,

I've not used it either, but I'm very interested in knowing more about this way of spraying gelcoat. Can you provide any more info? Any links or pics would be very helpful. Where can you get the stuff?

Thanks

76GMC1500 · #5 05-07-2007, 02:15 AM

If you're painting large surfaces, just use paint. Gel coat is for molds.

Skools Out · #6 05-07-2007, 02:34 AM

thin it out with acetone is how builders spray it with HVLP guns to regelcoat a whole side of a boat that sticks to the mold.

Skools Out · #7 05-07-2007, 02:36 AM

i'm going to flip the Sea Ox upside down and spray the whole boat with thinned gelcoat.

Bygracealone · #8 05-07-2007, 02:38 AM

I was just about to ask you whether or not you re-gelcoated any of your boats... I can't wait to see how the Sea Ox turns out...

Skools Out · #9 05-07-2007, 02:39 AM

i'm going off white gelcoat on it, inside and out lol

spareparts · #10 05-07-2007, 11:16 AM

I've had varing luck with the preval sprayers, I only use them whem I can't get coompressed air or if its a real small job. I have been buying the touch up gravity feed spray gun at Hrbour Freight, you can get it on sale for $8.99, yes thats right, 8 dollars and 99 cents, about the cost of two prevals, I probably spend more money in acetone cleaning the gun than its worth. I only thin the gel if I have too, acetone will slow the kick, so I don't use much if I can get away with it, If its cold outside, I will warm the gel with a heat gun or hair dyer before Imix it. I use patch aid to thin the gel slightly( it helps the gel to kick) from Spectrumcolor.com. And I have found the less I thin the gel, the better results I get