gelcoat tricks and repairs anyone?

[baz-r]

ok people i have a problem the flanges of my scuttle nearly broke off as the resin and glass fiber was only about 1mm thick and there was a string of bubbles between the gelcoat and fiber in the corners.
i have now reinforced the inside with extra grp and filled the cavities with new gelcoat but on flatting back the repair i have noticed pin holes and shadowing where the gelcoat is real thin.
i could see with a light that it was uneaven and had lots of thin patchs before i started to took care in only rubbing back the as little as possible

is there a trick or way of adding a layer of new gel on the outside and making it look ok
if not im going to have to look at getting a new one made or going down a paint route.

[Talonmotorsport]

The problem is that where the gel coat has been put on too thin (which is the more expensive gel and why you may not have enough of it) then presumably polished to make it look good, there is simply is not enough depth to the material in the first place. Did you back fill the inside of the part will coloured resign/gel coat or just use clear?
If you go down the buy a new one route I doubt the colour of the gel will match 100%, at least if you paint all three parts scuttle,bonnet and nose it will match and any damage can be repaired easily.

I know this will not help you but when I start making my parts I'll be using layers woven roven around the edges/flanges of my parts, so the it can be rolled in to the corners better to help avoid what you have got.
All my parts will also only be supplied in medium grey gel coat or high build primer ready for either surface prep or painting. I know this will add an extra cost to the parts as a whole but then your choice of finish is greatly increased, I've yet to see metallic or pearl finish gel coat.
Another reason for the limited supply of colour choice is that should the parts not come out of the moulds as they should they are not automatically scrap, and if the parts are damaged while on the car repairs should be a lot easier to be done at home.

[baz-r]

looks like im going to either go buy a new body from a diffrent supplier or go full paint post iva.

the gel thicknesses is all over the shop and is just a thin patch where i have repaired it its a light colour so it looks like a dark patch .
if the resin was tinted this would have not been a problem. i have managed to get hold of the right pigment and ist spot on sadly i had to go hunt down the orignal pigment supplyer.
i could get a new mould taken form the old one and have it re made it as this is the only option a local laminator could offer me and as i already had the pigment would only cost me £500

anyone know if any other suppliers scuttles match up to the orignals?

[K4KEV]

Baz.....I don't know if this is any good to you, but check out this guy on driftworks his thread is about 8 pages but if you read it you will see some of his work and he is charging £500 for a quick blow over (used to be £400) how the hell he does it for that kind of money I don't know anyway here is the thread


http://www.driftworks.com/forum/part...ack-again.html

[Talonmotorsport]

I will probably come to kick myself some time in the future for posting this but you can get any colour paint pre mixed in 10-20 hairy arse hole cans for about £20-30 more than the cost of the paint in a tin. Granted if you use them it will double the labour needed to make a clean job of it over using a compressor and gun, but not every body has a 3hp 200L compressor, an air fed mask and enough space to use it safely.
Lay down one light coat of etch primer on to keyed GRP leave to 'flash' then lay down one heavy coat of high build primer leave over night then block sand with 1000 grit wet and dry and panel wipe (do not cut this corner trust me on this!!!) Lay down 2-3 light coats of paint leave it over night then colour sand (2000 grit wet and dry then panel wipe) give it another 2-3 light coats then colour sand and panel wipe clean, 2-3 coats of clear to finish. leave for a week then if it needs it a light colour sand with 2000 grit wet and dry and G3 polishing compound or Tcut.