Hi guys, have bin playing round with my infusions for a while now, tried the spray tack method and as expected it had a negative impact of surface finish. I wasnt too worried as I plan to clear coat the parts anyway.

Nevertheless I plan to try the gelcoat method. What are my advantages of using the GC50 epoxy compatible polyester gelcoat apart from it being cheaper than epoxy gelcoat? UV stability I understand, polishable etc...

Is it worth using a gelcoat if i plan to clear coat the part?

If I try, I am not really looking forward to spraying it in. Can a nice surface be achieved by just brushing the gel on? Or will the brush marks be visible in the surface, in which case it kind of defeats the purpose.

Cheers

Hi Baja,

I never hear of people clearcoating a clear gelcoat (or even a color gelcoat). Its quite the same purpose: make the part smooth and protect the laminate from different things. I feel like you would lose your time going that route.

I never tried to brush the GC50 but I think it may be a bit tricky to have an even thickness. And you can easily go blurry with that gelcoat if you apply it too thick.

Hope it helps.

 



 


    A $1000 electronic device will always protect a 10 cents fuse

Hi Baja,

I agree with Joe. If you're planning on clear-coating then don't double up the work by applying a clear gelcoat first, they're designed to do the same thing. If your main problem is that the spray-tack you're using is messing up the surface then you'll be pleased to hear that today we've taken delivery of many cases of Zyvax SprayZ Epoxy Spray Adhesive. It's epoxy based and leaves no visible trace (well, an almost undetectable trace that would dissapear with a polish or certainly a clearcoat). It completely cross-links with the rest of the epoxy system - no contamination, no residue, no impairment to the laminate. I think this would be the way to go if you're clearcoating afterwards.

All the best, Matt

Matt Statham
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales

Thanks guys! Joe that is what I thought, would be too difficult to get an even coat, non blurry etc..

And Matt, that is EXACTLY what I have been waiting for, good on ya, It sounds highly promising and I will be placing an order shortly.

Cheers