Any experience with ceramic coatings on gelcoat

[xintersecty]

Has anybody have any experience using a ceramic coating on the gelcoat instead of waxing or nufinish?  Would you please share you experience on cost, application, and ect. 

 

[Thermalseeker]

FWIW, I hosted a composite repair shop for 17 years. We specialized in high performance racing gliders. You probably don't want to hear this, but the very best thing you can do for gel coat is a periodic block sanding with 800 and 1200 wet, then buff with an end on buffer. Lots of glider owners with gel coat finish prefer Wx Block. I like a good Carnuba wax, but it needs to be buffed with an end on buffer to melt it and get penetration. Gel coat becomes brittle with age and UV exposure. It also tends to yellow with age. The surface will begin to crack and craze. It's nearly invisible at first, but grows with age, UV exposure and flexing. This crazing, along with yellowing, starts from the surface and works inward. So, the thing to do is to block sand all exposed surfaces about every 3 years. This removes the micro-fine crazing before it turns into nickel-thick cracks. After about the 3rd block sanding you will be ready for a topcoat of urethane. If you wait until the crazing is wide and deep it becomes a MUCH bigger problem. 

[xintersecty]

Thankyou Thermal Seeker.  Once I get my glider out of annual, I will be doing the buffing.  I want to get something on top to protect the glider.  From what I understand, you can still wax the surface then add the ceramic coating on top.  The gel coat might already be ready for the urethane.  

BTW I know there was a repair shop in Michigan Grandhaven.  I remember picking up a glider there that got resurfaced there, twice!  Was that your shop?

brian    

[Thermalseeker]

No, we're in Tennessee, just north of Chattanooga. What you want to be careful of is not putting something on the surface that might haunt you later if you need a repair. I see guys coating their airplanes (and canopies) with Pledge or other products that have silicone in them. This is a HUGE mistake! Silicone is almost impossible to remove once it's been applied. Silicone causes paint and filler to reject and bubble up. It's a real nightmare for the repair guy. Putting something like that on your canopy is a real roll of the dice. If the product has any ammonia in it you run a very real risk of frosting your canopy, from which there is no return other than replacing it. $$$$

[xintersecty]

On 1/16/2023 at 5:29 PM, Thermalseeker said:

I see guys coating their airplanes (and canopies) with Pledge or other products that have silicone in them. This is a HUGE mistake! Silicone is almost impossible to remove once it's been applied.

Great advice!  Always check the ingredients before use.  I just ordered the marine glidecoat ceramic coating. I will call them and see if they use SiO2 (Silicone) in their products.   In a couple of years I am planning to get my plane "resurfaced" as the gelcoat is really showing age.  If you can post your shop information, I would like to have it so I can start planning for the cost. 

[Thermalseeker]

Sorry! We closed our shop about 10 years ago after my partner retired and moved to Florida. I operate a gourmet mushroom farm now. Most of the good repair shops stay backed up. You might want to start talking to them now and get on the schedule if you're planning to have work done in couple of years. Some, like Alpha Zulu in Kingman, AZ, (one of the best in the country IMO) won't take refinish jobs. They take too much time and a lot of shop space, especially on a glider like a Ximango that is fairly involved to remove the wings.