Scratches on swim platform

[paulga]

One corner of the swim platform has had scratches from rubbing with the slip corner due to winds. Can this blemish be sanded off using Dremel oscillating tool with dark sand paper fine grit?

 

[Xlantic]

I would first try rubbing compound.

If that doesn't do it, try sanding it by hand with fine grit and a gentle touch following the curves.

The dark stuff may wash-off with soap or solvent.

With a power tool it will be hard to end-up with a fair curve plus you are likely to go below the gelcoat.

 

[paulga]

I thought it's hard plastic. So the swim platform is solid fiberglass, with gelcoat on top of its surface?

I would first try rubbing compound.

If that doesn't do it, try sanding it by hand with fine grit and a gentle touch following the curves.

The dark stuff may wash-off with soap or solvent.

With a power tool it will be hard to end-up with a fair curve plus you are likely to go below the gelcoat.

 

[STB]

You'll have to go touch it. It is hard from pictures. To me it looks like gel over fiberglass.

You can fix it by cleaning it out and then filling it with a resin-based repair putty from West Marine or similar, sanding to shape, and sanding past the damage, and then cleaning with acetone. From there you can apply your gelcoat.

They sell these very small sprayers that work with cartridge propellant. You can mix some gelcoat, tinting it a bit as needed, and spray it on. If the color isn't right, you can adjust a bit. Once ready, overspray past the edges of the repair. Get good coverage. Probably 4 or 5 thin coats.you can also brush it on.

Most gelcoat wont cure in the air, so the final coat needs a wax additive to make it self-sealing or to be covered tightly with a film. Once cured, finish sand and buff it.

Thickened epoxy can also be used, but is a bit more problematic. The bond is never quite as good as with resin and you need to clean it really well with water and a lightly abrasive cleaning pad before sanding and applying the gelcoat. This is to get off the amine blush, basically a water-soluable film that forms on the surface as it cures. Sanding before washing off the blush has a habit of pushing the amine carbamate into the texture from the sanding and making it harder to wash off. Since the amine blush is water soluble only water need be, or should be, used to clean it, but the cleaning step is important.

The process really isnt bad and can be done in a couple or few hours each day over a weekend. Total Boat and West Marine both have tutorials.

As with anything else, prep like masking and cleaning is as much of it as anything else. Ditto for the final sanding and buffing.

 

[paulga]

Thanks.
That sounds like the process.
I'll put on some adhesive foam protector for now and leave it for the season, since it requires more than simply sanding.

You'll have to go touch it. It is hard from pictures. To me it looks like gel over fiberglass.

You can fix it by cleaning it out and then filling it with a resin-based repair putty from West Marine or similar, sanding to shape, and sanding past the damage, and then cleaning with acetone. From there you can apply your gelcoat.

They sell these very small sprayers that work with cartridge propellant. You can mix some gelcoat, tinting it a bit as needed, and spray it on. If the color isn't right, you can adjust a bit. Once ready, overspray past the edges of the repair. Get good coverage. Probably 4 or 5 thin coats.you can also paint it on.

Most gelcoat wont cure in the air, so the final coat needs a wax additive to make it self-sealing or to be covered tightly with a film. Once cured, finish sand and buff it.

Thickened epoxy can also be used, but is a bit more problematic. The bond is never quite as good as with resin and you need to clean it really well with water and a lightly abrasive cleaning pad before sanding and applying the gelcoat. This is to get off the amine blush, basically a water-soluable film that forms on the surface as it cures. Sanding before washing off the blush has a habit of pushing the amine into the texture from the sanding and making it harder to wash off. Since the amine blush is water solvable only water need be, or shoukd be, used to clean it, but the cleaning step is important.

The process really isnt bad and can be done in a couple or few hours each day over a weekend. Total Boat and West Marine both have tutorials.

As with anything else, prep like masking and cleaning is as much of it as anything else. Ditto for the final sanding and buffing.

 

[STB]

It really isnt bad and doesn't need to be done all at once. Masking an unmasking would be the biggest pain to doing it over time.

 

[alormaria]

Unless you fix the wind or the slip its just going to re-appear.

 

[STB]

Unless you fix the wind or the slip its just going to re-appear.

I always claim it is the wind. Unless I am a transient somewhere. Then it is the wind and the slip. If I really screw up, the current, too. The worst dockings, the crew just can't get it right, either.

 

[Max1]

Try one of those magic erasers first. You would be surprised at what those things can remove.

 

[STB]

Try one of those magic erasers first. You would be surprised at what those things can remove.

Too bad they can't add back!

 

[Pascall]

On both sides of the swimming platform, apply a stainless steel or plastic wear strip.

Greeting

Pascal.

 

[paulga]

You'll have to go touch it. It is hard from pictures. To me it looks like gel over fiberglass.

You can fix it by cleaning it out and then filling it with a resin-based repair putty from West Marine or similar, sanding to shape, and sanding past the damage, and then cleaning with acetone. From there you can apply your gelcoat.

They sell these very small sprayers that work with cartridge propellant. You can mix some gelcoat, tinting it a bit as needed, and spray it on. If the color isn't right, you can adjust a bit. Once ready, overspray past the edges of the repair. Get good coverage. Probably 4 or 5 thin coats.you can also brush it on.

Most gelcoat wont cure in the air, so the final coat needs a wax additive to make it self-sealing or to be covered tightly with a film. Once cured, finish sand and buff it.

Thickened epoxy can also be used, but is a bit more problematic. The bond is never quite as good as with resin and you need to clean it really well with water and a lightly abrasive cleaning pad before sanding and applying the gelcoat. This is to get off the amine blush, basically a water-soluable film that forms on the surface as it cures. Sanding before washing off the blush has a habit of pushing the amine carbamate into the texture from the sanding and making it harder to wash off. Since the amine blush is water soluble only water need be, or should be, used to clean it, but the cleaning step is important.

The process really isnt bad and can be done in a couple or few hours each day over a weekend. Total Boat and West Marine both have tutorials.

As with anything else, prep like masking and cleaning is as much of it as anything else. Ditto for the final sanding and buffing.

I'll try the approach next week.
I didn't get why you would first apply repair putty before sanding past the damage. why not directly sand beyond the damage?

 

[STB]

I'll try the approach next week.
I didn't get why you would first apply repair putty before sanding past the damage. why not directly sand beyond the damage?

Just as a reminder, I can't see what's going on in your picture for sure, but it looks to me like the damage goes into the fiberglass a bit.

So, I think you want to get anything in there that is loose or compromised or contaminated out by poking, prodding, grinding, sanding, etc, as appropriate, to get yourself to a good, reliable substrate.

Then, I think you want to slightly overfill it and sand it to shape. I'd probably use a power random orbital sander, followed by a sanding block, followed by a sanding sponge, followed by a very find sand paper by hand. I've seen different techniques.

Then, once the damage had been fully repaired and I couldn't detect any deficiencies either visually or by touch, I'd probably thoroughly clean and lightly sand it one more time, this time extending a little bit past the actual repair in all directions, giving me a larger work area than the original damage. Then, I'd clean this all up.

Next, I'd mask off any of the "no overspray" areas around the repair that I absolutely am not willing to get dirty. But, I would not mask down to the exact repair area. And, I'd then take a good picture for posterity.

Then, I'd spray the damaged area, but extend it out to the areas around the damage. This way, there would be no hard line in the repair.

Once done and it was cured, I'd pull the tape and use my picture as a guide and lightly sand it, cleaning up any overspray past the area I sanded end prepped, probably lightly affecting an area around that. Then, I'd buff it all up to a nice shine.

So, there would be the center area, where there was the original damage. Then, there would be a ring around that that I prepped to be sprayed. And, a ring around that probably got a small amount of stray sanding for clean-up or while prepping the rest. This would all get polished. So, there is a center repair-only area, a slightly larger and inclusive paint area, and a slightly larger and inclusive buff area.

The reason to spray a slightly larger area than the repair si so you don't have to tape off the area you are painting closely enough to give you a hard line for the repair. Those are hard to sand and blend. The reason for buffing out a slightly larger area is because it invariably there will be the occasional sanding mark outside of the intended area and buffing out a larger area will help you blend the new and shiny part with the old oxidized part w.r.t. more than just the paint.

There are a lot of techniques. This is just the one I'd use if i were me, given what I think I see of the damage you've got.

Again, this all sounds like a long and complex process, but it really isn't. I think I just make it sound longer and more complex than it is!

 

[STB]

I'll try the approach next week.
I didn't get why you would first apply repair putty before sanding past the damage. why not directly sand beyond the damage?

Also, in case it better answers your question, I'd sand past the repair area after filling the damage, rather than before filling the damage, because invariably when shaping and sanding the repair area, you'll end up going past the repair anyway. This just makes it easier to get a nice smooth transition form the repair to the original material all at once. At least such is my usual technique and experience.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ms. P. MY opinion ONLY! What I can see is mostly cosmetic damage. It should be sealed, at least, to prevent water migration into the surrounding area. The "repair" I'm suggesting may be visible but she's not a new boat.

Scrub damage with a stiff synthetic brush (not metal) using something like Spray 9. Rinse REALLY well with water (hose nozzle). Flood area with rubbing alcohol and scrub again a couple of times. Do final rinse with rubbing alcohol. Dry area with hair dryer, NOT a heat gun. You just want to evaporate the last of the alcohol, not damage the Gel coat.

Mask off about 1" around area. Apply Marine-Tex filler and allow to cure. Sand excess, as described above, to smoothness. I would NOT use power tools-hand action only. De-grease with alcohol again (soaked rag is sufficient).

Buy a spray can of paint as close to the colour of the gel-coat as possible. Apply 3 or 4 light coats. Done.

I understand some people will scoff at this "repair" but it's quick and easy. You won't have to fiddle with mixing and matching gelcoat and it should last quite well until you re-paint the whole boat.

Adjust lines and/or put padding on the dock so it doesn't happen again.

Again, MY OPINION only.

 

[paulga]

Just as a reminder, I can't see what's going on in your picture for sure, but it looks to me like the damage goes into the fiberglass a bit.

So, I think you want to get anything in there that is loose or compromised or contaminated out by poking, prodding, grinding, sanding, etc, as appropriate, to get yourself to a good, reliable substrate.

Then, I think you want to slightly overfill it and sand it to shape. I'd probably use a power random orbital sander, followed by a sanding block, followed by a sanding sponge, followed by a very find sand paper by hand. I've seen different techniques.

Then, once the damage had been fully repaired and I couldn't detect any deficiencies either visually or by touch, I'd probably thoroughly clean and lightly sand it one more time, this time extending a little bit past the actual repair in all directions, giving me a larger work area than the original damage. Then, I'd clean this all up.

Next, I'd mask off any of the "no overspray" areas around the repair that I absolutely am not willing to get dirty. But, I would not mask down to the exact repair area. And, I'd then take a good picture for posterity.

Then, I'd spray the damaged area, but extend it out to the areas around the damage. This way, there would be no hard line in the repair.

Once done and it was cured, I'd pull the tape and use my picture as a guide and lightly sand it, cleaning up any overspray past the area I sanded end prepped, probably lightly affecting an area around that. Then, I'd buff it all up to a nice shine.

So, there would be the center area, where there was the original damage. Then, there would be a ring around that that I prepped to be sprayed. And, a ring around that probably got a small amount of stray sanding for clean-up or while prepping the rest. This would all get polished. So, there is a center repair-only area, a slightly larger and inclusive paint area, and a slightly larger and inclusive buff area.

The reason to spray a slightly larger area than the repair si so you don't have to tape off the area you are painting closely enough to give you a hard line for the repair. Those are hard to sand and blend. The reason for buffing out a slightly larger area is because it invariably there will be the occasional sanding mark outside of the intended area and buffing out a larger area will help you blend the new and shiny part with the old oxidized part w.r.t. more than just the paint.

There are a lot of techniques. This is just the one I'd use if i were me, given what I think I see of the damage you've got.

Again, this all sounds like a long and complex process, but it really isn't. I think I just make it sound longer and more complex than it is!

you mentioned a ro sander and buffer. does this BAUER 12 Amp, 7 in. Variable Speed Rotary Polisher/Sander do both so only one machine is needed? to my surprise a polishing pad is almost as expensive

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ms. p. With the greatest respect, one can do quite a bit of damage with a power tool IF one is not used to using it. Keep in mind that Bauer machine weighs 7.5 lbs and you will be hanging over the edge of the swim platform in an awkward position with a bulky unit attempting to work in a small area. I still suggest doing any sanding by hand. Not a large area so you can readily polish by hand, as well.

 

[paulga]

Greetings,
Ms. p. With the greatest respect, one can do quite a bit of damage with a power tool IF one is not used to using it. Keep in mind that Bauer machine weighs 7.5 lbs and you will be hanging over the edge of the swim platform in an awkward position with a bulky unit attempting to work in a small area. I still suggest doing any sanding by hand. Not a large area so you can readily polish by hand, as well.

there are two more points on the swim platform edge where the gelcoat has chipped off due to a deck bumper. I have covered it using Nashua tape but now the tape wont come off. I'll post a photo after I remove the tape.

 

[paulga]

Just as a reminder, I can't see what's going on in your picture for sure, but it looks to me like the damage goes into the fiberglass a bit.

So, I think you want to get anything in there that is loose or compromised or contaminated out by poking, prodding, grinding, sanding, etc, as appropriate, to get yourself to a good, reliable substrate.

Then, I think you want to slightly overfill it and sand it to shape. I'd probably use a power random orbital sander, followed by a sanding block, followed by a sanding sponge, followed by a very find sand paper by hand. I've seen different techniques.

Then, once the damage had been fully repaired and I couldn't detect any deficiencies either visually or by touch, I'd probably thoroughly clean and lightly sand it one more time, this time extending a little bit past the actual repair in all directions, giving me a larger work area than the original damage. Then, I'd clean this all up.

Next, I'd mask off any of the "no overspray" areas around the repair that I absolutely am not willing to get dirty. But, I would not mask down to the exact repair area. And, I'd then take a good picture for posterity.

Then, I'd spray the damaged area, but extend it out to the areas around the damage. This way, there would be no hard line in the repair.

Once done and it was cured, I'd pull the tape and use my picture as a guide and lightly sand it, cleaning up any overspray past the area I sanded end prepped, probably lightly affecting an area around that. Then, I'd buff it all up to a nice shine.

So, there would be the center area, where there was the original damage. Then, there would be a ring around that that I prepped to be sprayed. And, a ring around that probably got a small amount of stray sanding for clean-up or while prepping the rest. This would all get polished. So, there is a center repair-only area, a slightly larger and inclusive paint area, and a slightly larger and inclusive buff area.

The reason to spray a slightly larger area than the repair si so you don't have to tape off the area you are painting closely enough to give you a hard line for the repair. Those are hard to sand and blend. The reason for buffing out a slightly larger area is because it invariably there will be the occasional sanding mark outside of the intended area and buffing out a larger area will help you blend the new and shiny part with the old oxidized part w.r.t. more than just the paint.

There are a lot of techniques. This is just the one I'd use if i were me, given what I think I see of the damage you've got.

Again, this all sounds like a long and complex process, but it really isn't. I think I just make it sound longer and more complex than it is!

At this step "spray the damaged area, but extend it out to the areas", do you mean to spray the gelcoat? What can and sprayer to use?

 

[STB]

For the odd job, I'd use something similar to one of the ones below. You'll need to thin the gelcoat a bit and, of course, practice on cardboard until you get the hang of it and it mixed just right (color, viscosity). Don't skim on the cardboard practice!

Paint Sprayer | West Marine

Check out our Paint Sprayer and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

Preval 9 oz. Complete Spray Gun 267 - The Home Depot

The Preval Airless Paint Sprayer is a professional spray system that is interchangeable for flexible use in a variety of applications. This spray gun is able to atomize almost any liquid and offers a professional finish. The sprayer functions at a maximum operating pressure of 70 psi with no...

www.homedepot.com

This video should give you the idea.

The trick is to test it on some cardboard to get the hang of it. Practice on it set up vertically in your backyard or basement one day. Learn how much thinner works well for you, how it covers for you, etc. With some tests. Then, when boat day rolls around, you can focus on tweaking the color to be perfect on site, spraying on some cardboard and comparing and adjusting the mix until it is just right.

Just give it some practice time and you'll turn into a magician with it for cheap. You'll never need to ignore or "rattle can white house paint" these minor dings.

 

[paulga]

For the odd job, I'd use something similar to one of the ones below. You'll need to thin the gelcoat a bit and, of course, practice on cardboard until you get the hang of it and it mixed just right (color, viscosity). Don't skim on the cardboard practice!

Paint Sprayer | West Marine

Check out our Paint Sprayer and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

Preval 9 oz. Complete Spray Gun 267 - The Home Depot

The Preval Airless Paint Sprayer is a professional spray system that is interchangeable for flexible use in a variety of applications. This spray gun is able to atomize almost any liquid and offers a professional finish. The sprayer functions at a maximum operating pressure of 70 psi with no...

www.homedepot.com

This video should give you the idea.

The trick is to test it on some cardboard to get the hang of it. Practice on it set up vertically in your backyard or basement one day. Learn how much thinner works well for you, how it covers for you, etc. With some tests. Then, when boat day rolls around, you can focus on tweaking the color to be perfect on site, spraying on some cardboard and comparing and adjusting the mix until it is just right.

Just give it some practice time and you'll turn into a magician with it for cheap. You'll never need to ignore or "rattle can white house paint" these minor dings.

Thanks.
so "sanding past the damage" means not to sand vertically through the damage and deeper.

this video did not use a repair putty before filling gelcoat into the dent. He opened up the crack a bit, grinding the gelcoat just down to a "laminate" for the gelcoat to bond to. Does the "laminate" or "substrate" here means the fiberglass?

If I use a resin based loctite epoxy putty that already has a strong bonding ability, still necessary to grind down to the laminate?

 

[STB]

With respect to the depth of the repair, you don't need to make it deeper except to remove loose material that isn't a good foundation for the repair or to widen tiny cracks so filler can get in.

The reason to sand lightly a little past the repair is so that you can spray past the repair and don't end up with a hard tape-off line. It makes it easier to get a smooth blend. Polish old gelcoat to blend into the shallow, superficial new gelcoat, and the shallow new superficial gelcoat is to blend over the deeper repair.

I think that video was refinishing very shallow damage, e.g. crazing or similar. Unlike most paints, getcoat can be built up a little bit.

You could try doing that with layers of gelcoat. But, for whatever the picture and my thoughts on it are worth, In your case, I think I'd use a filler before gelcoat.

I've used those epoxy putties for a lot of things, but I have never had good luck with them in this application. Further trauma seems to knock them back out. In my weak model of the world, in many cases, they just aren't wet enough to get a good bond. They just don't soak in and around the nooks and crannies as well together as good a bite. In my experience.

Marine-Tex 5:1 (Not rapid set 1:1) seems to be better in this respect.

I don't actually recommend it, but you can use Bondo or Bondo Glass (l think your damage is too shallow for Bondo Hair). It fast, easy, and gelcoat adheres to it better than any common epoxy. It is rapidly sandable and easy to build up in coats. Regular bondo can be used to fair and pin-hole fill bondo hair.

My old dock didn't float and had some complications when tying up for major storms. The very back (toward stern) area of the lower port rub/splash rail, which was a hollow fiberglass structure, kept getting good damage during the annual major storms. I ultimately decided it was sacrificial. A couple years ago I built up the damaged area solid with bondo hair, glass, and regular vs repairing the glass more normally as I had in the past. I was only in that slip for another season, but it took all the abuse of the next season without anything more than the bottom-type paint on it rubbed off it. It is still solid today, although my new slip doesn't present the same challenge.

I don't recommend it because I don't know the thickener used or proportions used. Non-marine products may use thickener that can get wet just fine, but if submerged for a long time or frequently can absorb water or salt and water, and swell, crack, and/or fail from the inside out, etc

I've been very happy with my repair. One white rat lived. That doesn't guarantee anyone else's repair. I wouldn't have done it on a part of the boat I didn't expect to repair again. But, as it turned our, in my one case, it worked great.

 

[STB]

Don't forget: If filling with an epoxy-based filler, once it is fully cured, you need to wash the amine blush off the outside with soap and water before sanding.

Similarly, don't forget to opt for a gelcoat with wax, or to have some way of sealing it so it can cure without exposure to air.

 

[paulga]

Just as a reminder, I can't see what's going on in your picture for sure, but it looks to me like the damage goes into the fiberglass a bit.

So, I think you want to get anything in there that is loose or compromised or contaminated out by poking, prodding, grinding, sanding, etc, as appropriate, to get yourself to a good, reliable substrate.

Then, I think you want to slightly overfill it and sand it to shape. I'd probably use a power random orbital sander, followed by a sanding block, followed by a sanding sponge, followed by a very find sand paper by hand. I've seen different techniques.

Then, once the damage had been fully repaired and I couldn't detect any deficiencies either visually or by touch, I'd probably thoroughly clean and lightly sand it one more time, this time extending a little bit past the actual repair in all directions, giving me a larger work area than the original damage. Then, I'd clean this all up.

Next, I'd mask off any of the "no overspray" areas around the repair that I absolutely am not willing to get dirty. But, I would not mask down to the exact repair area. And, I'd then take a good picture for posterity.

Then, I'd spray the damaged area, but extend it out to the areas around the damage. This way, there would be no hard line in the repair.

Once done and it was cured, I'd pull the tape and use my picture as a guide and lightly sand it, cleaning up any overspray past the area I sanded end prepped, probably lightly affecting an area around that. Then, I'd buff it all up to a nice shine.

So, there would be the center area, where there was the original damage. Then, there would be a ring around that that I prepped to be sprayed. And, a ring around that probably got a small amount of stray sanding for clean-up or while prepping the rest. This would all get polished. So, there is a center repair-only area, a slightly larger and inclusive paint area, and a slightly larger and inclusive buff area.

The reason to spray a slightly larger area than the repair si so you don't have to tape off the area you are painting closely enough to give you a hard line for the repair. Those are hard to sand and blend. The reason for buffing out a slightly larger area is because it invariably there will be the occasional sanding mark outside of the intended area and buffing out a larger area will help you blend the new and shiny part with the old oxidized part w.r.t. more than just the paint.

There are a lot of techniques. This is just the one I'd use if i were me, given what I think I see of the damage you've got.

Again, this all sounds like a long and complex process, but it really isn't. I think I just make it sound longer and more complex than it is!

For sanding at the very first step, do you use 100 grit wet paper/ block? then for the other two sanding steps, use 600 grit wet paper?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ms. P. I would not wet sand until the finish coats.

 

[STB]

I, myself, don't really wet sand until the very end, but I may wash off the sand paper of it starts to get clogged.

Start with a higher grit than you'll think you'll want and light pressure then move to coarser paper, keeping light pressure, until you are happy with the speed you are removing material. Then, when you get it close, start walking back to finer paper.

I use 60 grit to shape material, 100 grit to 150ngrit to correct a surface. 180 - 220 grit for paint prep. 220grit to 320 grit between coats. And then walk my way from 400 grit to 800 grit to 1000-1200 grit, then polishing compound, or directly from 800 grit to polishing compound.

I often do initial shaping using an RO sander.

Just remember this is a skill. It gets faster and easier the more you do it. When starting out, don't get frustrated. Sand too much off while doing the initial repair? Add some more back and get back to it. Sand through while polishing? Spray some more back on and get back to it. Color not matching? Add some tint and spray another coat.

Redoes aren't wasted time -- they are a great investment in practice and getting better.

Just make sure you prep and clean for redoes as well as you did originally.

 

[paulga]

For the odd job, I'd use something similar to one of the ones below. You'll need to thin the gelcoat a bit and, of course, practice on cardboard until you get the hang of it and it mixed just right (color, viscosity). Don't skim on the cardboard practice!

Paint Sprayer | West Marine

Check out our Paint Sprayer and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

Preval 9 oz. Complete Spray Gun 267 - The Home Depot

The Preval Airless Paint Sprayer is a professional spray system that is interchangeable for flexible use in a variety of applications. This spray gun is able to atomize almost any liquid and offers a professional finish. The sprayer functions at a maximum operating pressure of 70 psi with no...

www.homedepot.com

This video should give you the idea.

The trick is to test it on some cardboard to get the hang of it. Practice on it set up vertically in your backyard or basement one day. Learn how much thinner works well for you, how it covers for you, etc. With some tests. Then, when boat day rolls around, you can focus on tweaking the color to be perfect on site, spraying on some cardboard and comparing and adjusting the mix until it is just right.

Just give it some practice time and you'll turn into a magician with it for cheap. You'll never need to ignore or "rattle can white house paint" these minor dings

I saw this premixed gel coat scratch patch at the west marine store. It is only available in "buff white" so the color may not be a perfect match, but it should be much easier to apply than using the paint sprayer. @STB have you used this premixed patch on small area repairs?

 

[STB]

I saw this premixed gel coat scratch patch at the west marine store. It is only available in "buff white" so the color may not be a perfect match, but it should be much easier to apply than using the paint sprayer. @STB have you used this premixed patch on small area repairs?
View attachment 154314

These things all, I think, come down to expectations. That won't get you to a perfect repair. But, if it gets you to a repair you are happy with, then it'll make you happy.

You might want to try the white vs the buff white. Buff white may be darker than it sounds.

The stuff is, I think, runnier than it seems, so vertical surfaces may be a little challenging if deeper.

I've played with it, but never really used it. Those I know who have have either loved it or hated it, probably depending upon the application and their own prep and expectations.

It hasn't worked like their apply-wait-scrape-done videos for anyinenI know. That'll probably only work for very small holes or thin scratches. But it can be overfill a little and sanded.

I think these all depend if you want a 15min fix, and hour or two fix,,or perfection, etc.

Curious how whatever you do works out for you in the end!

 

[paulga]

These things all, I think, come down to expectations. That won't get you to a perfect repair. But, if it gets you to a repair you are happy with, then it'll make you happy.

You might want to try the white vs the buff white. Buff white may be darker than it sounds.

The stuff is, I think, runnier than it seems, so vertical surfaces may be a little challenging if deeper.

I've played with it, but never really used it. Those I know who have have either loved it or hated it, probably depending upon the application and their own prep and expectations.

It hasn't worked like their apply-wait-scrape-done videos for anyinenI know. That'll probably only work for very small holes or thin scratches. But it can be overfill a little and sanded.

I think these all depend if you want a 15min fix, and hour or two fix,,or perfection, etc.

Curious how whatever you do works out for you in the end!

If not using the smaller patch, I would need to buy a can of "one step finish" and some tubes of tint to use the sprayer. I wonder if a smaller can is available.

What tint are needed for different "grey scales" of white?

 

[SteveK]

For the odd job, I'd use something similar to one of the ones below. You'll need to thin the gelcoat a bit and, of course, practice on cardboard until you get the hang of it and it mixed just right (color, viscosity). Don't skim on the cardboard practice!

Paint Sprayer | West Marine

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Preval 9 oz. Complete Spray Gun 267 - The Home Depot

The Preval Airless Paint Sprayer is a professional spray system that is interchangeable for flexible use in a variety of applications. This spray gun is able to atomize almost any liquid and offers a professional finish. The sprayer functions at a maximum operating pressure of 70 psi with no...

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This video should give you the idea.

The trick is to test it on some cardboard to get the hang of it. Practice on it set up vertically in your backyard or basement one day. Learn how much thinner works well for you, how it covers for you, etc. With some tests. Then, when boat day rolls around, you can focus on tweaking the color to be perfect on site, spraying on some cardboard and comparing and adjusting the mix until it is just right.

Just give it some practice time and you'll turn into a magician with it for cheap. You'll never need to ignore or "rattle can white house paint" these minor dings.

STB. Care to share why you need to thin the gelcoat and even the video is unclear as to what thinness compared to the as is can of gelcoat. Use a syringe, then pour styrene (amount of each).

Can you compare to a liquid consistency we can relate to? Why is it not thinned to start with?