Repair & maintenance: colour matching

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colour matching

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Repair & maintenance
Forum Discription: Questions & tips on the subject
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4958
Printed Date: 17 Aug 25 at 8:59am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: colour matching

Posted By: Jamesd
Subject: colour matching
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 8:20am

Hey guys,

Bit of an issue, probably been brought up before but cant find it. How do you get a good colour match with gel-coat on an older, slightly faded boat? the manufacturers gel-coat seems to be slightly darker and it shows. i know im being picky, but ive seen proffesional boat builders get it right, so there must be a way.

Replies:

Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 8:38am

Can I ask what boat we are talking about?

If its a Laser, they do two different greys.

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Posted By: Jamesd
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 9:07am

rs400, its the older grey, dove.

Posted By: Rockhopper
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 10:37am

if you ring rs and give them the sail number of your 400 they have the coulour to match as it would seem that they have about four or five different coulours of grey.

hope this helps.

andy

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Retired now after 35 seasons in a row and time for a rest.
2004 national champ Laser5000
2007,2010,National Champ Rs Vareo

Posted By: Jamesd
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 12:10pm

have the correct gel coat, its just not quite there and is quite noticable

Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 12:45pm

Unfortunately its a bit difficult to correct for the fading of the gel due to UV. In time it will gradually blend in, or you could try adding some darker or lighter pigment to try and get a better match but its a bit hit and miss.

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 2:45pm

T cutting the hull may help a little to bring the colour back...hard work, though.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: Stevie_GTI
Date Posted: 09 Dec 08 at 6:24pm

every time you do a colour match, you should sand the area you want to match wit 2000 grit paper and polish that area of the hull. this will give you a nice clean and bright fresh colour to match with. If the colour you have from RS does not match (there is a good chance it wont, due to different batches of the same colour gelcoat being a slightly different colour anyway), then you will need to adjust the colour slightly with pigments. The only way to do it is practise, and unless you have done lots of it before it will probably take you ages.

For every repair we do we usually allow 1 hour for a colour match, we are pro's and we have every pigment you could possibly need....take from that what you will