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24
Nov
Are you a first-time gelcoat user, excited to try your hand at the popular finishing technique? Or perhaps you're an experienced pro looking to troubleshoot some of the common issues that may arise when applying gel coat. In this series of troubleshooting blog posts, we will dive deep into different problems that can occur while using gel coat and provide easy-to-follow solutions. Today's focus is on those pesky dull or soft spots – see the graph below to find out the causes and remedies for these unsightly imperfections in your otherwise flawless finish.
| PROBLEM | CAUSE | SOLUTIONS OR ITEM TO CHECK FOR |
|---|---|---|
|
Dull or soft spots at random |
Gel coat uneven |
Poor breakup; Use three passes |
|
Catalyst poorly mixed into either gel coat and/or laminate. |
Mix catalyst thoroughly or make equipment adjustments for good catalyst mix. |
|
|
Trapped solvent in gel coat and/or laminate. |
Equipment surging in material pump and/or atomizing air. Improper catalyst settings (high or low). Gun held too close to mold |
|
|
|
Trapped water in gel coat and/or laminate |
Check cleaning procedure. Check catalyst level with equipment using solvent reduced catalyst. |
|
Insufficient catalyst |
Drain lines and correct the problem. Confirm correct catalyst concentration. |
Read the other parts in our troubleshooting series here-
Part 2- Fading and Fiber Pattern Showing Through
Part 3- Alligatoring, Blisters and De-lamination
Part 4- Cracks, Fisheyes, Pinholes, Sags and Runs
Dallin Leach
comments (2)
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David Williamson
I am new to this but need to apply and colour match gel coat damage to my motorhome
@David- We have a gel coat color chart that we can send you. You would just need to email us your mailing address if it is in the US. You could also go down to Sherwin Williams and find a paint card that matches your motorhome color the best. We can color match most of Sherwin Williams’ paint colors.