Ding Repair

General Discussion
1

I’m having problems applying the final gloss coat to a ding repair. No matter what I do I can’t get a smooth coat. Also it doesn’t set up completely. I’ve used different batches of resins as well as catalysts. I wipe down the area with acetone before I apply the resin. I’ve done many ding repairs before and never had this problem. Any ideas? Thanks.

2

I have had more problems with gloss resin going bad on me then any other resin. I once bought a gal. of gloss and it was bad the first time I opened the can. Get yourself some new gloss resin.

3

You might be thinning it too much or possibly not adding enough catalyst. Other causes could be too much humidity, contaminated acetone ( for cleaning and thinning) or something in the rag you use to wipe it down, a spot of oil or grease for instance. All of those can cause what’s happening to you…and I have managed to do every one.

Sorry that wasn’t more precise. Sometimes setting it out in the sun will cause the stuff to cure and then it may need sanding and polishing, but that’s a whole lot better than it not hardening at all.

doc…

4

Tons of variables here as to why its not working as intended. Also, you may want to consider that certain dings might not gloss over just perfectly. The whole point of a ding repair is to get it as close to the original shape as possible, but it isnt necessarily possible every time.

Sometimes the gloss just wont look right - and there is a ton of variables for that as well. Just a possibility.

Aloha

Bryan

5 
Howzit Surfdog, If it's not a large ding area I can think of 1 trick. Get a can of quality spray Lacquer and give it a few coats letting it dry completly between coats. Sand with 320 after each coat and then rub it out with a light touch. If done right you'll never know the difference. Aloha, Kokua
6

Some gloss like Silmar takes a very long time to go off (30 min sometimes). You can mix it hotter, but then it gets brittle and prone to shatters if dinged. Per a tip from Kokua, I started adding more styrene to the gloss to get it real thin and have had great results. This does two things: (1) It’s so thin it levels really well and eliminates any brush marks. (2) You can start sanding with 320 or 400. I do all of my glossing as the last job before I finish for the day so I don’t stress about the kick time or drafts. Brush crosswise once, lengthwise twice, rack it, close the door and leave. I also only buy gloss in quarts. A little more expensive, but with the thinning a quart lasts a long time. A lot lighter can to shake too.

7

Hey guys,

Thanks for the all the responses and tips. I think the problem I was having had to do with thinning. I had batches of resin from two different local shapers and was getting the same results. The resin probably needed to be thinned. I went out and got some “Ding All” sanding resin and tried that last night and the results are good. Where would you go to find some styrene? Fiberglass supply co. ?

Thanks again.

8

Hey Surfdog, check fiberglasssupply.com. They have what you need.

9

Or NAPA, or a fair sized hardware store. Amazing what you can find in a good hardware store.

hope that’s of use

doc…