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Speedo pickups removed


martinarcher

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martinarcher

Notice anything missing? I removed my speedo pickups after installing the paddle wheel for Perfect Pass and my GPS speedo. I was pretty surprised the amount of gel I needed to cover the darker filler, but after 5 coats it's looking really nice. Thumbup.gif

I got it all gel coated over and thought I'd share some pics. Looks odd, but very clean without them hanging off the transom! Biggrin.gif

IMAG0413.jpg

IMAG0415.jpg

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Notice anything missing? I removed my speedo pickups after installing the paddle wheel for Perfect Pass and my GPS speedo. I was pretty surprised the amount of gel I needed to cover the darker filler, but after 5 coats it's looking really nice. Thumbup.gif

I got it all gel coated over and thought I'd share some pics. Looks odd, but very clean without them hanging off the transom! Biggrin.gif

IMAG0413.jpg

IMAG0415.jpg

Very nice! I have just removed mine today, I've also just installed a perfect pass. No paddle wheel though, we boat mostly on lakes so the paddle wheel is not really required. Nice gel coat work, I've got plenty of that to do but that will have to wait until next year now.

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Never done gel. Can you give a little low down on how you did it? Where did you get the color match? Did you do the color match yourself? I assume you sprayed the gel. What type of spray gun did you use? where did you get the product? I have a few scratches that need help in multiple colors and through color transitions and was thinking of trying it myself but am a total noob at gelcoat repair so looking fo a little info.

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martinarcher

Never done gel. Can you give a little low down on how you did it? Where did you get the color match? Did you do the color match yourself? I assume you sprayed the gel. What type of spray gun did you use? where did you get the product? I have a few scratches that need help in multiple colors and through color transitions and was thinking of trying it myself but am a total noob at gelcoat repair so looking fo a little info.

Color matching has to be done to get it right and to get the repair to match the boat properly. If you contact Spectrum they can hook you up with color matched gel for your boat. Not sure the cut off, but if you boat is old enough they require a 1 sq inch sample of your boats gel. If is a good time to add an accessory that requires a hole cut out of the boat. Back when I ordered my gallon I cut out a 1 inch hole for a thru hull fitting for my ballast drains.

I did spray the gel and used one of the disposable Preval sprayers. The bummer is you need one for each coat and I went through 5 coats.

I patched the holes with a fiberglass filler and the masked off the area. Rough it up with 200 grit paper. The big thing to remember is you need to thin the gel in order to spray it. You can use Acetone, but I don't recommend it. Every time I've sprayed gel thinned with Acetone I was displeased with the results.

I thinned my gel by mixing it 1:1 with Duracoat Polyester Hi Gloss additive #904-001. It turns out great and really looks good after polishing the gel.

Before spraying the spot make sure any big chunks or holes are filled in a smoothed out to match a 200 grit finish. Clean the area by wiping it off with a acetone soaked rag. Repeat this process ot make sure it totally clean of grease, wax, and other contaminants.

Mix your gel. Note how many ounces of gel your mixing. You'll need about 14-16 drops of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) hardener per ounce. Before adding the hardener mix it with a 1:1 ratio of the Duracoat additive. Now add 14-16 drops of hardener per ounce of gel. Example.....if spraying 2 ounces of gel, you'll end up with 4 ounces of total spray-able liquid after adding the Duracoat. Only add 30 drops of hardener.

Spray a THIN coat of gel over the repair area. I let it cure for at least 24 hours.

I then wetsand the area with 400 grit until totally smooth. Check the area and see if you can see through the repair or if there are imperfections from bubbles or any imperfections in the surface. If so, repeat the process.

After your happy with the 400 grit finish, go to 600 grit and wetsand again. Then 1200 grit. After your done with the 1200, buff it to a nice shine and the wax the total area. Now step back to admire your repair. Thumbup.gif

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martinarcher

You do good work.

Thanks REW!

Thanks for the info Martin, very helpfull !!

No problem! Glad to help! Thumbup.gif

looks good. How did you get it so "flat"? I see no trace of the work. I'd expect to see an indentation.

Also, is there a danger of thinning the gel around the repair?

Thanks. The key to any flat, uniform repair is using a sanding block on flat surfaces. I used a 3"X2" wood block and wrapped my paper around it to do the initial smoothing of the repair area with the 400 paper. After your happy with the "flatness", you can ditch the block and sand the edges of the sprayed gel until it's fully feathered out. You do run the risk of thinning the old gel. When spraying I "feather" the new gel out over the old stuff. This means, your thickest coat is in the middle of the repair area and as you spray out away from the repair, gradually thin the new gel your applying. This does 2 things, 1 - it requires a lot less sanding on the old gel to get it perfectly smooth, and 2 - the thinner gel will be slightly transparent and help mask any differences in gel color. Thumbup.gif

Great looking transom MA. Can't even tell anything was there previously. Thanks for adding the how-to also. Great work!

Thanks man. I was hoping it would be invisible! Helps my dad taught me how to do bodywork growing up. Sure somes in handy. The quality of the repair really comes down to how meticulous and patient you are with sanding and prepping the surface and adding coat after coat of gel.

Edited by martinarcher
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