Gel coat Question

[skatermike24]

Trying to fix a small chip in my glass, mixed a small amount of gel up about 4 days ago and applied to area, I looked at it last night to find out it has not set up yet, its hard but not ready for sanding, anyway I'm thinking maybe its because of the humidity we've had here the past week. I'm thinking about removing it and starting over, question is, should I cover the gel coat after I apply it, will this increase curing time?

[lorax]

I'm pretty sure you need to protect gelcoat from the air in order for it to cure. I think you can use wax paper or preferably PVA
http://www.fibreglast.com/products.p...area=10#cat151

[Wile E. Coyote]

You do indeed need to protect it from the air, did you add the wax (sometimes called surfacing agent) to the gel coat mix? In addition sometimes mixing too small a quantity will prevent the proper chemical reactions to take place. If you are fairly confident you mixed enough but didnt add wax try covering it with wax paper as previously suggested..... good luck

[skatermike24]

Yes did add hardener and wax! I'll try the Saran Wrap and or wax paper, its hard but not hard enough to sand!

[Racemore]

If you have exterior gelcoat it dosen't have wax,if it is interior gelcoat it has wax.It only takes 40cc's per gallon of wax solution if the gel has no wax added. If you wipe what you have with laquer thinner good it will take off the film and kick the surface for sanding.

[Liqui-Fly]

Humidity will kill the chemistry of a polyester gel coat or resin. The amount of hardner won't matter as much as some think...it's just a catalyst..adding none at all well that's different. The formation of polyesters is formed through condensation.... basically the chemistry gives off water. If their is already water present (humidity) it will drive the equilibrium in an undesirable direction. I'd dig it out and try again. If you are going to cover the repair then skip the wax.

David

[Racemore]

If thats the problem an infered or heat lamp will kick it in 10 minutes. Example,I can coat the bottom of a bathtub with gelcoat without wax,it won't harden on the surface but I can put enough water in it to cover the gelcoat and it will dry the surface.

I was fixing my boat,just laid up glass on the deck when it started raining like hell and I couldn't do any thing but cover it with a tarp.it rained steady for 5 hours so before I left to go home I looked under the tarp and as expected it sucked the moisture out of the air and was almost white with water.The next morning i rolled it into the sun with it still tacky and in less than an hour it was clear,dry and ready to sand.Just gota deal with it.

[Liqui-Fly]

Northern boys......don't point petroleum fueled heaters at your work when you do polyesters in the cold because the combution gives off water also.

David