Yep, I'm use to spraying stuff, but if I do paint ours that is the way I'd do it,
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Spraying gelcoat
- Thread starter Hermit Scott
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Re: What About Gelcoat Only For the Non-Skid?
I did the non-skid on my 33' Sailboat with gelcoat thickened with WEST 404 filler. I got my colored (moondust) air dry (wax added) gelcoat from Jamestown Dist.
I skuffed up the surface of my old non-skid gelcoat with 80 grit sandpaper. Washed the surface then wiped down with acetone. Taped off the lines seperating the non-skid from the smooth areas.
Mixed the gelcoat with the filler 1 Pint at a time, then added the hardener 3 cc/ml (minimum, for really hot weather). Used a paint paddle to spread the mix then rolled using a plastic texture roller.
I bought seveal 9" rollers and cut them in half so I could have better control of the process. So I was using a 4 12" wide roller. Worked it in all directions to get an even stipple. Work fast because in hot weather you might get 15 minutes if you are lucky. pulled up the tape as soon (within 30 minutes) as the topping started to set in area I was working.
Let cure overnite then took a palm sander with 80 grit paper and flattened the 'points' a bit to make the surface a little more bare foot/bottom friendly.
The flat gelcoat finish makes a hard good looking non-skid surface at a reasonable price and amount of work.
I had seen this done on another fellows boat and it looked like a factory job. That's how I got the idea. This particular technique I developed thru trial and error.
Hard to work around cleats and handrails and such. These areas will have to be touched up with a brush to fill all the missed spots. Dabbing with a brush will give a similar effect as the texture roller. For a perfect finish you would have to remove all the hardware so your roller can run free. A lot of extra work and I am not sure it's worth it.
Be sure to tape off everything you don't want to ruin.
I did the non-skid on my 33' Sailboat with gelcoat thickened with WEST 404 filler. I got my colored (moondust) air dry (wax added) gelcoat from Jamestown Dist.
I skuffed up the surface of my old non-skid gelcoat with 80 grit sandpaper. Washed the surface then wiped down with acetone. Taped off the lines seperating the non-skid from the smooth areas.
Mixed the gelcoat with the filler 1 Pint at a time, then added the hardener 3 cc/ml (minimum, for really hot weather). Used a paint paddle to spread the mix then rolled using a plastic texture roller.
I bought seveal 9" rollers and cut them in half so I could have better control of the process. So I was using a 4 12" wide roller. Worked it in all directions to get an even stipple. Work fast because in hot weather you might get 15 minutes if you are lucky. pulled up the tape as soon (within 30 minutes) as the topping started to set in area I was working.
Let cure overnite then took a palm sander with 80 grit paper and flattened the 'points' a bit to make the surface a little more bare foot/bottom friendly.
The flat gelcoat finish makes a hard good looking non-skid surface at a reasonable price and amount of work.
I had seen this done on another fellows boat and it looked like a factory job. That's how I got the idea. This particular technique I developed thru trial and error.
Hard to work around cleats and handrails and such. These areas will have to be touched up with a brush to fill all the missed spots. Dabbing with a brush will give a similar effect as the texture roller. For a perfect finish you would have to remove all the hardware so your roller can run free. A lot of extra work and I am not sure it's worth it.
Be sure to tape off everything you don't want to ruin.
You can purchase paintable/rollable gel coat for this purpose. The technique is the deal. I would suggest using some test pieces to determine what your end result may look like.
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