gelcoat restorer

[woody]

Does anyone know of a good gelcoat restorer ?
I've tried several with poor results. :confused:

[Flat Out]

It all depends how bad it is. Usually a good quality rubbing compound like 3M of Farecla will work. or you may have to wet sand first.

[Techno]

I buffed out my gelcoat and 2 weeks later it was back like it was.
I tried zaino on a spot and it glossed up without rubbing.
It lasted until I washed the boat with an industrial cleaner and the spot was still evident, not chalky. It's been 5 or more months and you can still see the spot where I tried it. I think its the best way to go after the little test I gave.
http://zainobros.com/index.shtml
After you do the boat use it on your cars.

My brother is the one that bought the stuff so I bent his arm to do a spot test. If I remember- the pre stuff, swirl remover, wax stuff and gloss enhancer. He had the clay bar but it wasn't needed.
Its a pricy setup but you can do everything in sight so the price is easier to take, I guess it easily lasts over 1/2 a year on a car for the winter crap.

Sand it down, polish with 3M or like, wax on, wax off grasshopper! :)

1000 or even 800 sandpaper!

Regarding sanding gel coat and my opinion on clear coat.

When speaking about clear coating, I am speaking of using clear gel coat, once it is applied, sand and polish any scratches away!

If your gel is old, thin, deeply cracked, partailly repaired then just sanding down the bad areas may not do it.
Then clear coat, I think, might be the best alternative.
With the clear coat, which you can still do yourself, you just want to clean and scratch up the surface good, 220 grit is what I have used. I would also think about doing the whole boat, especially if you have white areas.

Some say clear will yellow faster, I don't know that. I know if you have clear coated a section and not the section next to it AND they both contain white, they will yellow at different paces.

If your unsure, do a small test section with some 800 or 1000, hit it with polish, you'll know which route to go in just a few minutes.

Deep cracks or scratches should disappear and get thier old brilliance back with clear coat. The real key is the depth you need to go down to remove the problem.

Same thing with gel applies though, make sure it is fresh, it gets old FAST and does not like heat.
Boy did I have a tough time learning that one!

There may be some other alternatives, hope it helps.