Need an opinion

[Quinc]

Thanks everyone for the opinion. I'm gonna have a professional gel the tophalf and handle below the bondline myself with some type of polyurethane paint .

I figure you can't make it too nice down there if u wanna do more than sit and look at it huh .

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Did you get a price qoute? Last time I looked into professional gel coat it was going to cost more then the ski was worth.

 

[chaskaccp]

Did you get a price qoute? Last time I looked into professional gel coat it was going to cost more then the ski was worth.

My buddy does boat work and he got me a good price

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[tomski]

Kawi SXR's are Gelcoat over SMC.

That is incorrect, open mold process with gel coat.

 

[bird]

That is incorrect, open mold process with gel coat.

The hood is SMC and that does chip easy. The bottom is Fiberglass, but I remember reading it's a hybrid on the Kawasaki webpage? The top could be SMC?

 

[Storbeck]

The hood is SMC and that does chip easy. The bottom is Fiberglass, but I remember reading it's a hybrid on the Kawasaki webpage? The top could be SMC?

Either way, it's probably not the same thing as smc with gelcoat applied to it. I'm pretty sure gelcoat in a production environment is usually done by putting the gelcoat in the mold, then putting the hull material into the mold, so you're adhering the hull material to the gelcoat, not quite the same thing as adhering gelcoat to the hull material.

Kind of like how epoxy will stick to poly, but poly won't stick to epoxy.

I think(?)

I really don't understand why anybody would use gelcoat, it's thicker, heavier, more prone to cracking, stains easier than paint and doesn't hold up to UV, and there is the potential issue with adhesion. Maybe I've just never had GOOD gelcoat.

 

[bird]

I really don't understand why anybody would use gelcoat, it's thicker, heavier, more prone to cracking, stains easier than paint and doesn't hold up to UV, and there is the potential issue with adhesion. Maybe I've just never had GOOD gelcoat.

According to CorrectCraft, most people don't put enough GelCoat on their hulls.

 

[kevbo]

Gelcoat in the mould is , by itself, a lot cheaper than painting a part afterward. Thats why its used in low volume consumer products like boats. SMC is a process that uses expensive heated moulds and a press to make a part. This method requires parts to be painted afterwards but ends up being cheaper in the long run because of its speed. "Cheap" is the operative word because SMC parts are not as strong or lightweight but they are dimensionally very good. A cheap cold mould sprayed with polyester and fiberglass is normally used for lower volume parts. SMC material is a dough which cannot use long fibers, plus its full of heavy filler, parts are heavy for their strength. Its okay for racing skis but not so much for a freestyle boat.

 

[SUPERJET-113]

The hood is SMC and that does chip easy. The bottom is Fiberglass, but I remember reading it's a hybrid on the Kawasaki webpage? The top could be SMC?

SXR-800 has a SMC hood and liner, and the top and bottom deck are gel coat/fiberglass.

 

[SUPERJET-113]

Either way, it's probably not the same thing as smc with gelcoat applied to it. I'm pretty sure gelcoat in a production environment is usually done by putting the gelcoat in the mold, then putting the hull material into the mold, so you're adhering the hull material to the gelcoat, not quite the same thing as adhering gelcoat to the hull material.

Kind of like how epoxy will stick to poly, but poly won't stick to epoxy.

I think(?)

I really don't understand why anybody would use gelcoat, it's thicker, heavier, more prone to cracking, stains easier than paint and doesn't hold up to UV, and there is the potential issue with adhesion. Maybe I've just never had GOOD gelcoat.

Which manufacturer puts gel coat over SMC? SMC is always painted on all Kawasakis and Yamahas.

 

[Storbeck]

Which manufacturer puts gel coat over SMC? SMC is always painted on all Kawasakis and Yamahas.

I have no idea who does that, sounds like nobody. My point was even if it's done somehow in production it still doesn't mean that applying gelcoat after the fact would work.