need help paint or re gel coat!!!

[dade_county_biz]

i have a 1988 170 cc striper i been sanding the old paint and whats left of the gel coat on the outer hull fixed some blisters grinded them out sand and reglassed i took off all the bottom paint and it has like a primer on it would i be able to gel coat over the gray prime if its even a primer i have the sides to bare glass but i dont feel like sanding the bottom to bear glass anymore lol the boat is tralierd any help would be highly appreciated i was thiking paint to but real expensive awgrip awcraft2000 or just re gel coat i re wierd the entire boat droped a new 28 gallon aluminum tank i just whant to make it look good b4 hitting the water ill try and put some pics.

[gran398]

You can paint over paint. But you can't spray gelcoat over paint.

Gelcoat is the ideal finish for below the waterline... if you can get to remnant gelcoat/polyester-impregnated fiberglass (NOT epoxy).

Which appears to be opposite of what you've been dealt.

You'll hear many ideas...depends on your needs and how far you'd like to go.

Paint does a fine job...until you hit something.

[kraw2]

You can use Interlux VC for the bottom paint. It doesn't have a great shine to it but after wet sanding and buffing it will look like gel coat.

For the top side paint it all depends on your budget. If you can afford and know how to use Awlcraft 2000 that would be my choice.

[dade_county_biz]

if i have to wet sand and buff vc its the same as going with origanal gel coat i guess im going to just have to sand the hole bottom probly alot beter then paint ill just have some one spray it and ill help with wet sanding if anyone knows some one who gel coats and want to do a side job let me know my email is Dade_county_biz@hotmail.com  thanks for help

[gran398]

dcb,

It's a boat, and like all boats, depends on how far you'd like to take it.

If you think you'd like to hang onto this ride...grind the funk from the  bottom, get past the nasty, the bondo, the repairs, and grind straight down to the factory gelcoat and near the polyester resin fiberglass.

This is a good investment. Get down to the factory substrate...then spray fresh gelcoat.

You'll  be great on a rebuild, and great on a resale.

Take a look at the quality Tampa rebuilders.

They feature gelcoat below the waterline.

[slvrlng]

There is still one question. Do you care if the bottom of the hull is a different color? If you don't you can coat the "primer" section with epoxy mixed with graphite. This of course will be black, but it lays down nice and slick and it does make the bottom of the in-water section of the hull totally resistant to water blisters. Do it this way and forget it. The epoxy will bond with old glass much better than any styrene based product. It all gets down to if you care if its black or not. If you want to try this route post back and I can explain it in detail or look for Maddog's thread over on bateau2.com as he used this on his 22-2 build.   :afro:

[gran398]

You COULD go with epoxy.

But once you change, you pretty much can never go back...without a lot of work.

[dade_county_biz]

I'm halfway done with the sanding might as well finish get her fully naked and redress with a fresh gelcoat she will be trailered no bottom paint. Thanks for all the helpful comments.

[dade_county_biz]

All done with grinding the bottom now to try and sand everything smooth does it mater if it's not that smooth will gel coat fill in some of the little waves left behind by the grinder?

[gran398]

Nope, the gel is like paint, its not a filler.

Get a long hand sander, or an air powered "longboard" and keep gettin' it

Is the boat upside down?

[dade_county_biz]

Unfortunately not upside down I only have a 5" orbital with 40 grit. Don't really have much tools. Guess I'll get as smooth as I can its the bottom not really to concern on how it looks as long as the gel coat bonds good..

[gran398]

Gotcha.

See if you can go to a rental tool place and rent a long hand sander. You'll be able to knock down the high spots.

The gel will bond like crazy, no worries there.

[dade_county_biz]

I'll give the tool rental a call and see if thay have one thanks gran398 u giving me the motivation to finish and do it right because I was just about to bottom paint and put it in the water as is. Hopefully I could put more pics up it tells me something about pixels when I try to put up from my phone

[Capt. Bob]

Hopefully I could put more pics up it tells me something about pixels when I try to put up from my phone

Just a thought.
viewtopic.php?p=74368#p74368

Droid

[dade_county_biz]

I have a droid galaxy S3 don't know y it says something about pixels I'll keep trying thanks