Gel Coat Question

[Mark A.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

In response to Jim who said GM never used GC, why should we. I think the difference is that GM baked the 2 coats of primer for 60 minutes at 280 degrees. I don't have the ability to do that. Tom Ames of Automotive Specialties, has an excellent arcticle called: Building Barriers on Fiberglass. The Importance of Gelcoating Fiberglass. He is adamant about using GC on OEM fiberglass, and reproduction parts. There are obviously different trains of thought on this from some very knowledgeable people. Keep the information coming! Mark

[Jim D.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

Mark,
GM baked the primer because it was lacquer based and shrank terribly. The products available today are 100 times better than what was used back then. Very few, and I mean VERY FEW, use gel coat. The other, 1000's of 1000's don't and have ZERO problems. There's nothing wrong with using a gel-coat, but it's a lot of unnecessary work.

Jim

[Timothy B.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

Also, GM used a very good primer, I don't know what it is but my experence with factory primer is that it's even tough to strip off.

Dick, I agree about the DP not being sanded, I used it to seal the body then the next day spray a different color lacquer sandable primer. Before topcoat, DP mixed as a sealer lays down flat to keep solvents out of the primer.

[Dick W.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

Also, GM used a very good primer, I don't know what it is but my experence with factory primer is that it's even tough to strip off.

Dick, I agree about the DP not being sanded, I used it to seal the body then the next day spray a different color lacquer sandable primer. Before topcoat, DP mixed as a sealer lays down flat to keep solvents out of the primer.

Timothy, you would be light years ahead by using a modern primer such as K-36. I will quote a DuPont rep when he visited a local fleet. They were using lacquer primer under Imron. "That is like putting gold on peanut butter"

[Steven S.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

"That is like putting gold on peanut butter"

I like that one!!

[Timothy B.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

Dick,

What is K-36 and is this a Dupont lacquer based product..

[Jim D.]

Re: Gel Coat Question

Dick,

What is K-36 and is this a Dupont lacquer based product..

It is an Acrylic Urethane Primer Surfacer made by PPG. It is great stuff.

Jim