How white is "white" gel coat?

[TRAVELLER]

I have a Stratos 2250 and will be doing some cosmetic gel coat work this winter. I don't really think my hull is "white" like snow. It's more of an "off white." I've seen gel coat repair kits in white and buff white. How white is the white? How buff is the buff?

[coastboater]

Buy both and try some test mixes if either color by itself doesn't match. When you hit the right combo, go for it.

[cfwegman]

If you are looking for an invisible job, have a professional shop do it. There are a zillion shades of white. If all you want to do is cover ugly gouges with "pretty close" the kits will be fine. Coasters advice is good.

Charlie Wegman
Product Engineer
SMITH Marine Products
Greensboro, NC

[Garett]

When you are doing it the way coastboater said to do it, when you feel you are on the money, do a small sample with hardener to check the color match. Re-adjust if necessary.


Happy Saint Nick

[Birdman]

Go to either of the below WEB site and click on your boat manufacture:

http://www.spectrumcolor.com/catalog.htm

https://www.minicraft.com/retail/mckote.htm

Takes the guessing out!!

Birdman, Capt of

Scout Abaco 280 Click here!

*

[dangerousdan5150]

It is probaly oyster white,take it from me , I am in the canvas bidness, and my customers want an exact match between the material I use , and the gelcoat, sometimes that is not possible, but we do the best that we can do.

Problem is they keep changing the whites, and the off whites on us, with no notice, and we play havic with that!!

But as said before, get some color samples from the marine paint store, and try to get a CLOSE match!!!

Good luck!!!

[chip]

When I did some repairs on my boat I bought clear gelcoat and some tubes of pigment. To match an old whaler’s hull, I mixed white with just a tiny bit of brown and black. As DD5150 said, older hulls may not be the same shade as new ones. Good luck. chip.

[reellife]

Whatever you do second, first clean the area you want to match very carefully. I did a wonderful job of matching the gelcote on a radar arch but after the job was done and I cleaned the arch thoroughly it was much lighter than the color I so carfully matched. Especially if your boat is a few years old buff out the gelcoat with some good wax or mild buffing compound before trying to match.

Don