Fiberglass repair/prep

[beanhead]

My still-in-gelcoat fiberglass hood has a few good-sized scratches/gouges in it. Not cracked and not super deep. What's the best way to fix these for painting? I'm not a body/paint guy by any stretch but I'd like to prep and paint this hood myself to save some $$. I figure it's a good thing to learn on..thanks!

 

[slimt]

sand it out a bit.. and apply a Finishing putty and block smooth..

 

[gkent]

I'd go with gelcoat since that's what the gouges, etc are in. By using gelcoat it ensures the expansion and contraction will be the same and the repairs won't show up later. Mix up a small quantity and brush or squeegee it into the damage. Sand smooth when it dries.

 

[beanhead]

sand it out a bit.. and apply a Finishing putty and block smooth..

Sounds do-able, even for me! Thanks

 

[slimt]

Sounds do-able, even for me! Thanks

I wouldnt do anything coarse.. maybe 220 or 320 just mack sure you sand in the grooves blow out really good.. a first tight skim to push in then a little thicker application.. block out with 220 or 320.. keep in mind.. with gel coat it does heat up if sanded with a sander.. and it will pin hole.. so you may have to prime the whole hood.. just got to try to make the least amount of work possible..

 

[beanhead]

I'd go with gelcoat since that's what the gouges, etc are in. By using gelcoat it ensures the expansion and contraction will be the same and the repairs won't show up later. Mix up a small quantity and brush or squeegee it into the damage. Sand smooth when it dries.

Thanks, using gel coat makes sense too...I think my challenge will be sanding without screwing up the surrounding area.

 

[beanhead]

I wouldnt do anything coarse.. maybe 220 or 320 just mack sure you sand in the grooves blow out really good.. a first tight skim to push in then a little thicker application.. block out with 220 or 320.. keep in mind.. with gel coat it does heat up if sanded with a sander.. and it will pin hole.. so you may have to prime the whole hood.. just got to try to make the least amount of work possible..

Oh good thanks for the recs on which grits to use. I'll be doing it all by hand, trying not to get into the existing stuff too much.

 

[gkent]

You can scrape the gelcoat with a razorblade after it sets so you don't have to sand too much