11 replies to this topic

[chamy]

My vx has been has had a cluster of paint blisters, some of which have flaked off, each no more than 2mm deep, on the rear quater. I am going to try to repair these myself, as it is nowhere near worth the 1k+ a body shop would charge. The area affected is about 20cm x 20cm, and in this area there are about 15 of the buggers. Can anyone offer any advice on materials to use? Primarily im unsure whether the 2mm crater they leave behind is deep enough to require a filler or whether just a primer will fill them?

Edited by chamy, 13 March 2012 - 07:01 PM.

[wantsum]

Have you tried getting a quote for a smart repair ? normally charge around £100 mark

[Kev S]

I got my front clam repaired and painted for £370 after a pheasant went through my fog light, he didn't survive I took the clam off and refitted myself though

[slindborg]

As ever with an osmosis repair. Grind out deeper, steam clean, dry, wipe with acetone, fill with high grade grp filler (not p38!!!!), epoxy resinous gel coat to seal then usual prep for paint.

[chamy]

As ever with an osmosis repair.

Grind out deeper, steam clean, dry, wipe with acetone, fill with high grade grp filler (not p38!!!!), epoxy resinous gel coat to seal then usual prep for paint.

Thanks for that, you seem to know your stuff.

Few q's if you dont mind
Would you suggest to use something like plastic padding as the grp filler? (Ive heard p38 is too brittle)
When you say the usual prep, does that include priming? Or would you put the base over the gel coat directly?

[slindborg]

I'd be avoiding almost everything from halfords lol. I used a glue/filler from east coast fibreglass supplies which was wonderful stuff. Iirc Ali used fibrefill which can be got from some halfords. You'd still need to prime and paint, you can't or shouldn't paint direct onto gel coat IMHO. I'm no pro, but did the leg work on how the boat builders treat osmosis etc.

[ItsLikeAnElise]

Never done anything with gel-coat before but you could use an epoxy primer such as Lechlar which contains dangerous isocyanates or Jotamastic 80 which is isocyanate free before HB and COB.

[turbobob]

As ever with an osmosis repair.

Grind out deeper, steam clean, dry, wipe with acetone, fill with high grade grp filler (not p38!!!!), epoxy resinous gel coat to seal then usual prep for paint.

Not osmosis

But the rest is largely correct. The drying is key. If you don't properly dry / bake the GRP then you are likely to suffer from blistering again in the future.

[turbobob]

Never done anything with gel-coat before but you could use an epoxy primer such as Lechlar which contains dangerous isocyanates or Jotamastic 80 which is isocyanate free before HB and COB.

Epoxy resin is fine as a gel coat. Readily and cheaply available.

[chamy]

How does this look? http://www.rutlands....odDet.cgi/WS101 It seems like it can be mixed as such that it can be used as the filler and gelcoat in one.

[slindborg]

As ever with an osmosis repair.

Grind out deeper, steam clean, dry, wipe with acetone, fill with high grade grp filler (not p38!!!!), epoxy resinous gel coat to seal then usual prep for paint.

Not osmosis

But the rest is largely correct. The drying is key. If you don't properly dry / bake the GRP then you are likely to suffer from blistering again in the future.

Some of it is osmosis, and it is the movement if water in the poorly made clams making it to the surface lol.


Wests stuff is great, pricey but you get what you pay for.

[turbobob]

Nah, that is outgassing not osmosis. If the water soaked into the clam through the paint .gel coat then it would be osmosis. Highly unlikely the water has not only penetrated the paint but the gel coat as well. Much more likely the moisture was in the clam before gel coat / paint. I think I have stumbled across their web site in the past. Some useful info on there.