As long as the gelcoat around the deep scratch is in good condition you will be able to use gelcoat putty requires mixing mekp.
How to remove surface scratches from gelcoat.
When looking at a scratch in the gelcoat you need to determine whether it is a surface scratch or a deep scratch the reason being is that surface scratches can easily be buffed with a rubbing compound as opposed to deep scratches which take a couple more steps.
A deeper scratch or one that that you can easily wedge a fingernail into might require the expertise of a fiberglass refinisher.
Should i just buff with the boat wax that i ve been using.
Should i use any buffing compound.
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First assess the damage.
Scratches that don t penetrate down into the layers of fiberglass often can be wet sanded flat and buffed back to a shine with no need for gelcoat at.
When the gelcoat surrounding a scratch is in good condition the filler of choice is gelcoat paste which provides both filler and finish in a single application but not a single step.
If your fingernail does catch on the scratch it may.
In the case of the surface level scratch your mission should be to repair the gel coat.
Can i use a motorized car type buffer.
Next gouge out small narrow cracks and scratches that are too deep to remove with rubbing compound until they are wide enough to fill with gelcoat paste.
Run your fingers over the scratch while the surface of the car is clean.
In this episode john and crew find an easier and less costly way to fix scratches on gel coat.
I have some minor scratches in my gelcoat that i would like to try and remove.
This is not something i want to do all the time maybe just an annual maintenance thing.
Using a polishing compound like polyshine you should be able to buff this out and even out the area giving you the appearance of the original gel coat or close to it.
If you cannot feel the scratch it is a light scratch that will likely be fixed using the first method.
If you can feel the scratch and your fingernail does not catch easily on the scratch it is a deep clear coat scratch that must be fixed using the second method.
In the past when i wax the boat i can actually get some of them out by hand with just the wax.
Step 2 dip a rag into a jar of petroleum jelly and rub the scratch in a circular motion.
Surface scratches can be buffed out of gelcoat with polishing compound but deep scratches must be filled.
If the scratch is a shallow surface scratch you should be able to remove it yourself.
Once the surface is clean and dry mark off the repair area with masking tape.
Expect to repeat the application.
To keep this blog entry brief we ll deal with deal only with surface scratches.
