I am a complete novice when it comes to gelcoat spraying, but after watching a few of your videos, I picked up a Preval sprayer and went to work. Biggest issue I found was having the confidence to attempt the repair in the first place and ended up being really happy with the finished project. Thanks again for all your advice!
Thank You for this helpful demonstration of the preval sprayer. This is exactly what i was planning to use for a small fiberglass mold i want to make. I am a hobbist and don't need all the equipment. I appreciate your informative videos. I learn something everytime.👍
I love these sprayers Joe!... I have used them well over 25 years exact ones... I have had from a little chapparal villain 23' to a 38 scarab Kevlar hull and now with health issues im bound to the garage with classic cars... I am only a garage painter but I had a guy at a paint supply that would mix the color/reducer/flex agent and anything else just to spray in the sprayer to have good results.... I painted a front bumper cover on my wifes 2 year old BMW and I couldnt believe the results from that bottle sprayer.... NO CONTAMINATED AIR, PERFECT PRESSURE and the contents were MADE FOR THE JOB!!!! it looked so good the Dealer had no idea it was resprayed... it was 2001 and the service manager brought every employee in the dealership to see the bumper cover I lol what he called (CAN BOMBED)..... Nobody believed it ... I swear seeing that little bottle sprayer brought back some good times Joe!!!...... You have such knowledge that I will 98.9% not ever work on a boat again but its always so nice for the ear Clear to hear 100% from your heart to our minds the way its done!..... I wish you your son and the rest of the Best Boat Buldin and trustin the Busken charter crew to the best.....
I have sprayed endless amounts of Duratec Clear High Gloss Additive. It's magical at improving the spray-ability and improves the gelcoat's properties. Don't forget to get a proper thickness so as to generate exotherm and insure a good cure. Buy a small electronic scale and catalyze by weight, it removes the guesswork. Great video.
I agree. The clear additives that are now available for gelcoat are a total gamechanger! It would be hard to go back to the old days for sure. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experience!
I have used spray guns for years--also I have used the Preval units for last 10yrs--used with automotive finishes and Gel-coat. The Preval works great for those small repairs and to Fog-on gel-coat where an aged finish is wearing thin. I use styrene to thin my gel-coat for spraying------Mikey, Belfair, Wa
I cannot thank you enough for all the hard work that goes into making those videos. They are so well made and Joe is such a good teacher! I'm also glad you often point to specific products and being precise on which materials you use from which company, as this is then the easiest to choose for a layman like myself.. Fiberglass Warehouse should be happy about that! 😀
Thanks Joe, all this info is starting to sink in and has become very helpful. It's like school they just don't tell you one time and you got it and understand there are sometimes varying applications but all in all it's the end results we want it to look like when we are done that's important.
Yes, that is so true! Sometimes, you have to see and hear things several times and then see several different aspects and materials used together before it all starts to make sense! I appreciate you watching and commenting on the videos!
Honestly it’s pretty great keeping my knowledge on boat building and composites fresh with your channel. I started working at a pokey boat shop out in Nova Scotia a couple years ago and fell in love with it pretty quick
Are you thee same Jimmy Fisher from the honest toon? Anyways this guy Joe Buskins must have heart n lungs made of girders. I'm struggling to get confidence in using gelcoat because in oor bonnie Scotland they have nowhere to purchase the same products that Joe easily obtained.
@@rha4374 Fibreglass Warehouse and if you need any colour differences if you contact them they have a colouring system they use trust him he knows what he is talking about and will answer any questions and yes I am Jimmy Fisher 121I was looking for a channel name when I start my You Tube and now google just uses which ever it wants but I will learn hope this helps.
@rha4374 A lot of what we use is available from Amazon and other online retailers. We also provide links to the products we use below our video descriptions. I hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
@@FishBumpTV I'll certainly have a look Joe n co. It's always a pleasure learning from you and your bruv . Grateful thanks for your courteous reply. Cheers from Scotland ❤️
Great video as usual! Thanks. A little off topic but I have a 2019 polar Kraft frontier. It's aluminum with painted aluminum gunwales that need refinishing. Would you ever consider doing a video on the topic?
Thanks, glad that you are enjoying the videos! I have painted, and even built some welded aluminum boats in the past, but it's not something that we see a lot of. But who knows, maybe in the future we will. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!
Hi Captain Joe! I have heard of people using cheap dollar store furniture wax polish (like lemon scented Pledge for instance) as an air barrier on the final coat of their gel coat repairs. Any thoughts on that? Other than your boat has a fresh lemon scent afterwards of course... :) Thanks again for the enormous amount of absolutely priceless information for us DIY boat types! Your hard work, time and effort to make and post these videos are greatly appreciated! All the best from California!🧡
I haven't tried that one yet. I have also heard that aerosol hair spray can work. Maybe I will do a video on that for you all. Thanks so much for watching and commenting,it's much appreciated!
@@FishBumpTVI recently used hairspray as I was doing a repair to my boat several hours away and forgot the PVA. Started with plastic film on the first repair but the wind made it terribly frustrating though it did work. I then went to the nearby drug store and got a can of extra hold Aqua Net for the remaining spot repairs. It worked and the gelcoat was ready for sanding the next day. The can did say it holds in rain so after washing with soap and water I wiped with acetone before scraping and sanding. No idea if that was necessary.
I’ve watched so many of your videos I’m starting to predict what you’re about to say “now remember the P in MEKP. It’s different than MEK”😂😂. Great videos. RECOMMENDATION/REQUEST - Could you do an overview of a small diamond nonskid gouge repair? Making the female mold then doing the repair? Thanks!
Haha, I hear ya! I try to repeat and emphasize things that I know cause people problems. I guess it can get repetitive if you are watching one video after another. But, I can guarantee you this, I bet you will never confuse Mek with Mekp! Thanks for watching!
Great video Capt. Do you find that the Duartec or the other additives you use cause the gel coat to yellow over time? Also is 2 coats with the preval enough to go through the sanding steps you show without sanding through?
Thanks! No, I haven't noticed any yellowing or complaints of that personally, but I suppose it's not impossible. Maybe someone else can comment if they have seen this to be a problem. I generally recommend 5 coats for full coverage if you are going to wet sand the gelcoat. I did a 3-part gelcoat spraying, sanding, and polishing video just prior to the prevail spraying video that shows the process of wet sanding in full detail. I hope this helps and thanks for watching!
This is perfect for so many applications! If you had to tint the gel coat at what point in the process would you add the coloring agent? Before or after the duratec?
Thanks! The Air dry clear and the Duratec clear doesn't change the color of the gelcoat to any noticeable degree, in my opinion. So either way can work in my opinion. I typically color match first, then add clear. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
Sure, pigment can be added to gelcoat, but if you are starting with a white gelcoat base, your colors will come out as a pastel. Light blue, pale yellow, grey, etc. You can buy a neutral gelcoat and add pigment to get a deep red, blue, yellow, etc. I have a gelcoat tinting and color matching video that I did a few months back. I am sure it will answer many of your gelcoat questions. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
@@FishBumpTV thank you for that helpful and prompt reply. Looking forward to learning more. I may use this to dress an RC plane’s cowl which I had to reglass.
When Kathy and I finally get our house sold in San Diego we will be moving East to buy a trawler and become loopers for our retirement! I will definitely be looking you up and I'll buy the beers at Lulu's! Hopefully next season...
I love your show. Incredible information. I see that you used styrene as a thinner. A lot of folks on Facebook gelcoat repair say that when you use this this, it causes the gelcoat to discolor. Is this true? Is it noticeable discoloration if it does?
Thanks, glad you are enjoying the channel! Styrene is the recommend thinner verses acetone, but it is recommended to only use 5 percent or so. There are also clear gelcoat additives like Orca air dry, or Duratec that might be a option. If you can apply pure gelcoat without any thinning, then that will give you the truest colors. Hope this helpsand thanks for watching!
Fantastic video Is it possible to make a fibreglass mold that is on a sheet of plastic, with the plastic sheet is the mold and could the fibreglass come off, If you can one day can you do a small test and what will be the best fibreglass/ and resin to use
Sheet of plastic, plastic film it works. Plastic is self removing as aluminium is. Not later than yesterday I've used plastic film over wooden plug/master to mold a part directly which does not require a mould.
@@williamfreret6859 Thank you so much, why I asked is im planning on making a 2m x 2m dish and im in the middle of making the plug out of wood a I was planning to use a plastic sheet as the base of the mold
Another great video! But, what if you have a really small repair that you want to spray. 1oz or less material. How would you spray a small job like that? Lets say you have a stantion that was ripped out and you had to fix the 3 screw holes and the circle line left from the stantion? is a 2" circle repair...
It gives the gelcoat better working properties. It thins the gelcoat which allows it to spray better, it gives it more gloss and it allows it to dry tack free when you mix it in a 50/50 ratio with the gelcoat. I hope this helps and thanks for watching!
G,day Captain Joe and Logan from Sydney Australia. I'd like to know the weight difference between gelcoat and other paint such as automotive. Have you ever heard of gelcoat being used on aircraft? 🌏🇦🇺
Gelcoat is going to be thicker, and generally heavier than automotive paints. Some new composite parts on aircraft might be built using gelcoat as a base, but I have not heard of it being used beyond that. Wish I had more for you on that topic, maybe someone else can chime in that has some experience with that. Thanks for watching all of the way from Australia 🇦🇺!!
1.5mm , but that is more for very small areas or touch-ups. A 2.5 or 3.0 is more commonly used for gelcoat, but they can be harder to find locally. I have Amazon links below the video description that should help. Thanks for watching
Sounds like that could be more than just one thing causing that and possibly not a sprayer itself and possibly the mix not being able to flow enough prior to it setting up. Happened a lot with industrial urethane paints when they were mixed wrong and had too much of the hardener or catalyst but we would occasionally add an activator depending on the weather that would make it dry in a fraction of the time and it would cause lots of issues for inexperienced guys. I'm not a fiberglass expert but maybe you made your mix too hot and the solvents were gassing out and drying into bubbles before it had time flow out.
I am a complete novice when it comes to gelcoat spraying, but after watching a few of your videos, I picked up a Preval sprayer and went to work. Biggest issue I found was having the confidence to attempt the repair in the first place and ended up being really happy with the finished project. Thanks again for all your advice!
That's awesome! I'm glad the videos helped you with your gelcoat project! Thanks for watching and sharing your experience!
Excellent. I cannot imagine a demo-tutorial being done any better or more thorough in my most vivid imagination. Very well done.
Wow, thank you so much!
We have just subscribed! Your channel is very interesting. Cheers from Shane and Carmen, QLD Australia (boat builder novices :-))
Welcome aboard! Thanks so much for watching all of the way from Australia 🇦🇺!
Thank You for this helpful demonstration of the preval sprayer. This is exactly what i was planning to use for a small fiberglass mold i want to make. I am a hobbist and don't need all the equipment. I appreciate your informative videos. I learn something everytime.👍
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching, and I wish you all the best with your mold building project!
I love these sprayers Joe!... I have used them well over 25 years exact ones... I have had from a little chapparal villain 23' to a 38 scarab Kevlar hull and now with health issues im bound to the garage with classic cars...
I am only a garage painter but I had a guy at a paint supply that would mix the color/reducer/flex agent and anything else just to spray in the sprayer to have good results.... I painted a front bumper cover on my wifes 2 year old BMW and I couldnt believe the results from that bottle sprayer.... NO CONTAMINATED AIR, PERFECT PRESSURE and the contents were MADE FOR THE JOB!!!! it looked so good the Dealer had no idea it was resprayed... it was 2001 and the service manager brought every employee in the dealership to see the bumper cover I lol what he called (CAN BOMBED)..... Nobody believed it ... I swear seeing that little bottle sprayer brought back some good times Joe!!!...... You have such knowledge that I will 98.9% not ever work on a boat again but its always so nice for the ear Clear to hear 100% from your heart to our minds the way its done!..... I wish you your son and the rest of the Best Boat Buldin and trustin the Busken charter crew to the best.....
Awesome, what a nice comment! I appreciate you sharing your experiences and taking the time to watch our videos!
I have sprayed endless amounts of Duratec Clear High Gloss Additive. It's magical at improving the spray-ability and improves the gelcoat's properties. Don't forget to get a proper thickness so as to generate exotherm and insure a good cure. Buy a small electronic scale and catalyze by weight, it removes the guesswork. Great video.
I agree. The clear additives that are now available for gelcoat are a total gamechanger! It would be hard to go back to the old days for sure. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experience!
Awesome lesson as always! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate you watching and commenting!
You do such a great job of simplifying the process. Absolutely great instruction!
Wow, thanks so much!
Hey Joe love everything you put out!! How about a live stream one night where we can interact and ask questions?
Wow, thank you! I have never done a live stream before, but that sounds like a cool idea, and I will look into that. I appreciate the suggestion!
I have used spray guns for years--also I have used the Preval units for last 10yrs--used with automotive finishes and Gel-coat. The Preval works great for those small repairs and to Fog-on gel-coat where an aged finish is wearing thin. I use styrene to thin my gel-coat for spraying------Mikey, Belfair, Wa
Good to know! Thanks for sharing your experience and for watching!
I cannot thank you enough for all the hard work that goes into making those videos. They are so well made and Joe is such a good teacher! I'm also glad you often point to specific products and being precise on which materials you use from which company, as this is then the easiest to choose for a layman like myself.. Fiberglass Warehouse should be happy about that! 😀
What a nice comment. I'm glad you are enjoying our videos! Thank you very much for watching!
Good info. I have never messed with gelcoat before but have been around the automotive side of things for 30 + years. I learned something .
Thanks! Glad the video had some good info.
Wow - Loving your tips down under- excellent preparation works indeed with minimum tools. Well done
Fantastic! Thanks for watching all of the way from Australia 🇦🇺!
Thanks you so much. This was the video I have been hoping for.
Good deal! Glad to help!
Thanks Joe, all this info is starting to sink in and has become very helpful. It's like school they just don't tell you one time and you got it and understand there are sometimes varying applications but all in all it's the end results we want it to look like when we are done that's important.
Yes, that is so true! Sometimes, you have to see and hear things several times and then see several different aspects and materials used together before it all starts to make sense! I appreciate you watching and commenting on the videos!
Great video! I was just thinking about the prevail sprayers, my dad used them all the time when I was a kid for small automotive repair jobs!
Thanks! They can be a great option for those small touch up jobs.
Honestly it’s pretty great keeping my knowledge on boat building and composites fresh with your channel. I started working at a pokey boat shop out in Nova Scotia a couple years ago and fell in love with it pretty quick
Glad to hear it! I would love to visit Nova Scotia some day. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thank you Joe and Logan learning each time I watch one of your videos. Jim from Scotland.
Our pleasure Jim! Thanks for watching all of the way from beautiful Scotland!
Are you thee same Jimmy Fisher from the honest toon? Anyways this guy Joe Buskins must have heart n lungs made of girders. I'm struggling to get confidence in using gelcoat because in oor bonnie Scotland they have nowhere to purchase the same products that Joe easily obtained.
@@rha4374 Fibreglass Warehouse and if you need any colour differences if you contact them they have a colouring system they use trust him he knows what he is talking about and will answer any questions and yes I am Jimmy Fisher 121I was looking for a channel name when I start my You Tube and now google just uses which ever it wants but I will learn hope this helps.
@rha4374 A lot of what we use is available from Amazon and other online retailers. We also provide links to the products we use below our video descriptions. I hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
@@FishBumpTV I'll certainly have a look Joe n co. It's always a pleasure learning from you and your bruv . Grateful thanks for your courteous reply. Cheers from Scotland ❤️
Great video as usual! Thanks. A little off topic but I have a 2019 polar Kraft frontier. It's aluminum with painted aluminum gunwales that need refinishing. Would you ever consider doing a video on the topic?
Thanks, glad that you are enjoying the videos! I have painted, and even built some welded aluminum boats in the past, but it's not something that we see a lot of. But who knows, maybe in the future we will. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!
this is great!! thanks!
You're welcome! Thanks for watching
Hi Captain Joe!
I have heard of people using cheap dollar store furniture wax polish (like lemon scented Pledge for instance) as an air barrier on the final coat of their gel coat repairs. Any thoughts on that? Other than your boat has a fresh lemon scent afterwards of course... :)
Thanks again for the enormous amount of absolutely priceless information for us DIY boat types! Your hard work, time and effort to make and post these videos are greatly appreciated!
All the best from California!🧡
I haven't tried that one yet. I have also heard that aerosol hair spray can work. Maybe I will do a video on that for you all. Thanks so much for watching and commenting,it's much appreciated!
@@FishBumpTVI recently used hairspray as I was doing a repair to my boat several hours away and forgot the PVA. Started with plastic film on the first repair but the wind made it terribly frustrating though it did work. I then went to the nearby drug store and got a can of extra hold Aqua Net for the remaining spot repairs. It worked and the gelcoat was ready for sanding the next day. The can did say it holds in rain so after washing with soap and water I wiped with acetone before scraping and sanding. No idea if that was necessary.
I’ve watched so many of your videos I’m starting to predict what you’re about to say “now remember the P in MEKP. It’s different than MEK”😂😂. Great videos.
RECOMMENDATION/REQUEST - Could you do an overview of a small diamond nonskid gouge repair? Making the female mold then doing the repair? Thanks!
Haha, I hear ya! I try to repeat and emphasize things that I know cause people problems. I guess it can get repetitive if you are watching one video after another. But, I can guarantee you this, I bet you will never confuse Mek with Mekp! Thanks for watching!
Thanks man. I always learn so much here.. Peace Rolfie
You are very welcome, thanks so much for watching!
Great video Capt. Do you find that the Duartec or the other additives you use cause the gel coat to yellow over time?
Also is 2 coats with the preval enough to go through the sanding steps you show without sanding through?
Thanks! No, I haven't noticed any yellowing or complaints of that personally, but I suppose it's not impossible. Maybe someone else can comment if they have seen this to be a problem. I generally recommend 5 coats for full coverage if you are going to wet sand the gelcoat. I did a 3-part gelcoat spraying, sanding, and polishing video just prior to the prevail spraying video that shows the process of wet sanding in full detail. I hope this helps and thanks for watching!
This is perfect for so many applications! If you had to tint the gel coat at what point in the process would you add the coloring agent? Before or after the duratec?
You’d tint after the duratech because when you reduce your color50% it might change the consistency
Thanks! The Air dry clear and the Duratec clear doesn't change the color of the gelcoat to any noticeable degree, in my opinion. So either way can work in my opinion. I typically color match first, then add clear. Hope this helps and thanks for watching!
Can you add color, eg red or blue, to end with a colored gelcoat?
Sure, pigment can be added to gelcoat, but if you are starting with a white gelcoat base, your colors will come out as a pastel. Light blue, pale yellow, grey, etc. You can buy a neutral gelcoat and add pigment to get a deep red, blue, yellow, etc. I have a gelcoat tinting and color matching video that I did a few months back. I am sure it will answer many of your gelcoat questions. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!
@@FishBumpTV thank you for that helpful and prompt reply. Looking forward to learning more. I may use this to dress an RC plane’s cowl which I had to reglass.
What sprayer you can recommend to paint siding?
When Kathy and I finally get our house sold in San Diego we will be moving East to buy a trawler and become loopers for our retirement! I will definitely be looking you up and I'll buy the beers at Lulu's! Hopefully next season...
That sounds awesome! I pass by Lulus every day on my way to the shop! Thanks for watching
Hope you guys are high and dry and that your family and friends are safe and sound
We are all good. Thanks for checking in on us!
I love your show. Incredible information. I see that you used styrene as a thinner. A lot of folks on Facebook gelcoat repair say that when you use this this, it causes the gelcoat to discolor. Is this true? Is it noticeable discoloration if it does?
Thanks, glad you are enjoying the channel! Styrene is the recommend thinner verses acetone, but it is recommended to only use 5 percent or so. There are also clear gelcoat additives like Orca air dry, or Duratec that might be a option. If you can apply pure gelcoat without any thinning, then that will give you the truest colors. Hope this helpsand thanks for watching!
@@FishBumpTV thank you.
Fantastic video
Is it possible to make a fibreglass mold that is on a sheet of plastic, with the plastic sheet is the mold and could the fibreglass come off,
If you can one day can you do a small test and what will be the best fibreglass/ and resin to use
Sheet of plastic, plastic film it works. Plastic is self removing as aluminium is. Not later than yesterday I've used plastic film over wooden plug/master to mold a part directly which does not require a mould.
@@williamfreret6859 thanks
@@williamfreret6859 Thank you so much, why I asked is im planning on making a 2m x 2m dish and im in the middle of making the plug out of wood a I was planning to use a plastic sheet as the base of the mold
Thanks! Yes, in most cases resin does not stick to plastic. Probably a good idea to test the materials you have in mind first though, just to be sure.
@@FishBumpTV Thnak you for that infomation
Another great video! But, what if you have a really small repair that you want to spray. 1oz or less material. How would you spray a small job like that? Lets say you have a stantion that was ripped out and you had to fix the 3 screw holes and the circle line left from the stantion? is a 2" circle repair...
Can wax be added to the gelcoat at mixing time for that sprayer?
Sure, the prevail sprayers can spray gelcoat with wax. They do better if the gelcoatvis thinned a bit. Thanks for watching!
@ I thank you for your awesome boat building vedio Capt.👍
Granddaddy did this and I learned... authentic... no big sugar!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi. Please could you explain the purpose of the "Air Dry Coatings"?
It gives the gelcoat better working properties. It thins the gelcoat which allows it to spray better, it gives it more gloss and it allows it to dry tack free when you mix it in a 50/50 ratio with the gelcoat. I hope this helps and thanks for watching!
I checked West Marine for PVA. They said they have some thing called mould separating agent. Is that the same?
Do boats have a paint code?
With my boat the manufacturer looked it up for me from the serial number. 🤷
G,day Captain Joe and Logan from Sydney Australia.
I'd like to know the weight difference between gelcoat and other paint such as automotive. Have you ever heard of gelcoat being used on aircraft?
🌏🇦🇺
Gelcoat is going to be thicker, and generally heavier than automotive paints. Some new composite parts on aircraft might be built using gelcoat as a base, but I have not heard of it being used beyond that. Wish I had more for you on that topic, maybe someone else can chime in that has some experience with that. Thanks for watching all of the way from Australia 🇦🇺!!
Joe, are you guys okay? Saw the hurricane went through. 🙏
We are all good! Thanks for asking!!
@@FishBumpTV that’s great to hear! 👍
What size nozzle do you use with your “Lowe’s” sprayer when spraying gelcoat?
1.5mm , but that is more for very small areas or touch-ups. A 2.5 or 3.0 is more commonly used for gelcoat, but they can be harder to find locally. I have Amazon links below the video description that should help. Thanks for watching
💪💪💪
Thanks!!!👍
I have found that the Preval gets a lot of air bubbles in the finished product. Is that just me???
Sounds like that could be more than just one thing causing that and possibly not a sprayer itself and possibly the mix not being able to flow enough prior to it setting up. Happened a lot with industrial urethane paints when they were mixed wrong and had too much of the hardener or catalyst but we would occasionally add an activator depending on the weather that would make it dry in a fraction of the time and it would cause lots of issues for inexperienced guys. I'm not a fiberglass expert but maybe you made your mix too hot and the solvents were gassing out and drying into bubbles before it had time flow out.