Gelcoat care

On Thursday, October 31, 2013 7:14:33 AM UTC-7, mike wrote:
On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 7:32:14 AM UTC-6, dogger wrote:

What is the best way to prolong gelcoat life?







I have a friend that says that waxing, polishing is only good for the



pilot, does almost nothing for the gelcoat.







I really don't know much about this issue.



Would it make sense to cut a bit off like .002 every once in a while to



stop/prevent any crazing? Then wax it?







Does Gelcoat off gas over time and then start going bad?







Seeing how very little time most ships are out in the sun, a lot of them



look rough. Sailboats sit outside 24/7 and can look good for many years..



Whats up? Should I be parking my LS3a in a Marina?







Do nothing or try and work on the gelcoat to attempt to get the longest



life out of it; or something in between?







If Gelcoat does off gas, and kind of dries out and cracks,would it make



sense during the winter lay up to cover the gelcoat with a coat of wax, to



seal it, and then buff it off come spring?







I painted a sailplane several years ago and did a fair amount or research before actually applying the paint. My paint guys told me that sanding the finish actually allows for a more rapid (UV) degradation of the surface as the resin the encapsulates the pigment has been compromised. Waxing does slow the process down. I think that this would also apply to Gelcoat. The more completely a wax would seal the sanded surfaces would be more beneficial, and wax using nano technology such as WX Seal and Block would be closer to the ideal. Other waxes also are now advertising Nano technology. Whether or not they are as effective as the WX products may be open to discussion.

No one mentioned trailer solar vent so far? How effective are they? They only cost something like $200 so I must wonder if they are effective why they are not provided with every trailer. I added one to mine but it keeps breaking down every 1-2 years and I wonder if I should even bother replacing it again.

Ramy

Instead of a solar vent, I installed two vents, one low in the front of the
trailer and one high on the doghouse. Each had louvers to keep out rain and
screen to keep out bugs. When the temperature warms up, circulation begins.
Worked for me for many years and I probably spent under $10 for everything.
Aluminum Cobra, LS-6a, no gel coat crazing.


"Ramy" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, October 31, 2013 7:14:33 AM UTC-7, mike wrote:
On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 7:32:14 AM UTC-6, dogger wrote:

What is the best way to prolong gelcoat life?







I have a friend that says that waxing, polishing is only good for the



pilot, does almost nothing for the gelcoat.







I really don't know much about this issue.



Would it make sense to cut a bit off like .002 every once in a while to



stop/prevent any crazing? Then wax it?







Does Gelcoat off gas over time and then start going bad?







Seeing how very little time most ships are out in the sun, a lot of them



look rough. Sailboats sit outside 24/7 and can look good for many years.



Whats up? Should I be parking my LS3a in a Marina?







Do nothing or try and work on the gelcoat to attempt to get the longest



life out of it; or something in between?







If Gelcoat does off gas, and kind of dries out and cracks,would it make



sense during the winter lay up to cover the gelcoat with a coat of wax,
to



seal it, and then buff it off come spring?







I painted a sailplane several years ago and did a fair amount or research
before actually applying the paint. My paint guys told me that sanding the
finish actually allows for a more rapid (UV) degradation of the surface as
the resin the encapsulates the pigment has been compromised. Waxing does
slow the process down. I think that this would also apply to Gelcoat. The
more completely a wax would seal the sanded surfaces would be more
beneficial, and wax using nano technology such as WX Seal and Block would
be closer to the ideal. Other waxes also are now advertising Nano
technology. Whether or not they are as effective as the WX products may be
open to discussion.

No one mentioned trailer solar vent so far? How effective are they? They
only cost something like $200 so I must wonder if they are effective why
they are not provided with every trailer. I added one to mine but it keeps
breaking down every 1-2 years and I wonder if I should even bother replacing
it again.

Ramy

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 9:32:14 AM UTC-4, dogger wrote:
Sailboats sit outside 24/7 and can look good for many years.

Whats up?

Sailboats don't fly in mountain wave.

I heard that the rapid temperature changes of wave flights are tough on gel coat.

I heard that Germany is the place to buy a used glider with a good gel coat. Maybe it has something to do with Germany's high latitude and cloudy weather.

On Wednesday, October 30, 2013 7:32:14 AM UTC-6, dogger wrote:
What is the best way to prolong gelcoat life?



I have a friend that says that waxing, polishing is only good for the

pilot, does almost nothing for the gelcoat.
Who ever told you this is on drugs. Although, I notice the skin on my hands is nice and soft after a wax job. I have a family member who will pay 8K to repaint an 9 YO oxidized Infinity because he doesn't believe in car care products but he cannot explain how my 20 YO Mustang (Which gets waxed regularly) still has original paint which looks new. My 77 vintage glider was the same way. Original finish and it looked great. I waxed the entire ship in the off season and then I would do the upper surfaces twice during the season. I have attended product webonars and spoke with product support people at Simtec Dupont and others and they all say the same thing. If you want your stuff to look good and last, it has to be taken care of.

I can't think of any reliable convincing way to prove that waxing helps, other than always waxing only one wing and comparing after 15-20 years. Otherwise you don't compare apples to apples.

Ramy