Ceramic coatings on gelcoat?

M

Maxreed241

New member
Joined
Jun 29, 2017
Messages
340
Reaction score
0
It's getting to be that time of year again. Getting all the boats out of storage. I have a friend/customer with a 42' Fountain and I'm going to ask him if he'd like a ceramic coating this year.

Has anyone used ceramic coatings on gelcoat? If so, which one do you like the most? And what is the process of applying, pads/machine, panel wipe, etc?

Side note, what are the benefits of a ceramic coating versus a sealant or wax on gelcoat? That way I have an understanding in case the customer wants more information about the coating.

Thanks

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Maxreed241 said:
It's getting to be that time of year again. Getting all the boats out of storage. I have a friend/customer with a 42' Fountain and I'm going to ask him if he'd like a ceramic coating this year.

Has anyone used ceramic coatings on gelcoat? If so, which one do you like the most? And what is the process of applying, pads/machine, panel wipe, etc?

Side note, what are the benefits of a ceramic coating versus a sealant or wax on gelcoat? That way I have an understanding in case the customer wants more information about the coating.

Thanks

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
Click to expand...

Don't know much about gelcoat than the basics. But I have seen Gyeon has released a ceramic coating for gelcoat called Q2R GelCoat. Could be interesting to try out. Seems a bit pricey but it's 100ml so no big difference to the car ceramic coatings.

As for prep I think that the most important is to get the oxidized gelcoat off and get a finish you like. More in the product description I think.

GYEON Q2R GelCoat

I don't know how long waxes and sealants last on boats. But a ceramic coating and it would last a whole season would be much worth it for the well cared boats.

/ Tony
 
I've taught this in our boat detailing class for the last 3 years in a row. Had a couple from California that attended the class this year with a black 42 Fountain. After taking the class they are going to do the correction work to their boat and then apply a ceramic coating.



Pictures & Comments 2019 Boat Detailing Class at Autogeek with Mike Phillips

Pictures: 2018 Boat Detailing Class at Autogeek with Mike Phillips

Pictures: 2017 Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class - 25' Bluewater Center Console - Wetsand, Cut & Buff

Pictures and comments: Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class - February 6th, 2016

Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class Pictures - April 18th, 2015


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_080.jpg


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_081.jpg


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_076.jpg


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_118.jpg




Best approach in my experience.


I think if someone were to look online for any other documentation for boat detailing classes for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 - I'm kind of remembering you won't find any. And certainly you won't find any documenting how to put ceramic coatings on older boats with extreme oxidation after machine wetsanding, compounding, polishing and chemically stripping. It is a new "thing" in the boat industry and to date we're the only game in town or in the USA and possibly the world.


For what it's worth...


:)
 
Maxreed241 said:
And what is the process of applying, pads/machine, panel wipe, etc?
Click to expand...


I could type up the process I show in my classes but if you read through the thread for the class for 2018 I shared what we did and there's OVER 200 pictures.


Also - not for you but for everyone that will read this thread into the future, the date for our very hands-on boat classes, (see the pictures in the 2018 thread), is the same time every year and we only teach it once a year, (so far)


For 2020 it will be,

Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class - February 8th & 9th, 2020

$950.00 for the 2 day class and $100.00 store credit if you sign-up early.


And I always bring in the real-deal for the class to train on, that is HORRIBLE condition boats so you can learn the most about everything.



:)
 
SWETM said:
Don't know much about gelcoat than the basics. But I have seen Gyeon has released a ceramic coating for gelcoat called Q2R GelCoat. Could be interesting to try out. Seems a bit pricey but it's 100ml so no big difference to the car ceramic coatings.

As for prep I think that the most important is to get the oxidized gelcoat off and get a finish you like. More in the product description I think.

GYEON Q2R GelCoat

I don't know how long waxes and sealants last on boats. But a ceramic coating and it would last a whole season would be much worth it for the well cared boats.

/ Tony
Click to expand...
I have seen this on autogeek. I just may have to bite the bullet and do a test spot and get the feel for it. Definitely have to prep first though.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Mike Phillips said:
I've taught this in our boat detailing class for the last 3 years in a row. Had a couple from California that attended the class this year with a black 42 Fountain. After taking the class they are going to do the correction work to their boat and then apply a ceramic coating.



Pictures & Comments 2019 Boat Detailing Class at Autogeek with Mike Phillips

Pictures: 2018 Boat Detailing Class at Autogeek with Mike Phillips

Pictures: 2017 Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class - 25' Bluewater Center Console - Wetsand, Cut & Buff

Pictures and comments: Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class - February 6th, 2016

Marine 31 Boat Detailing Class Pictures - April 18th, 2015


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_080.jpg


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_081.jpg


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_076.jpg


Marine_31_Boat_Detailing_Class_118.jpg




Best approach in my experience.


I think if someone were to look online for any other documentation for boat detailing classes for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 - I'm kind of remembering you won't find any. And certainly you won't find any documenting how to put ceramic coatings on older boats with extreme oxidation after machine wetsanding, compounding, polishing and chemically stripping. It is a new "thing" in the boat industry and to date we're the only game in town or in the USA and possibly the world.


For what it's worth...


:)
Click to expand...
Thanks Mike! I think I will just end up trying it out for myself before I apply a coating on a customer's boat. I've read that some ceramic coatings turn gelcoat yellow but I don't know if that's from bad prep or the conditions the boat was exposed to. Who knows? Have you had any experience using the Gyeon gelcoat coating?

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Maxreed241 said:
Thanks Mike! I think I will just end up trying it out for myself before I apply a coating on a customer's boat. I've read that some ceramic coatings turn gelcoat yellow but I don't know if that's from bad prep or the conditions the boat was exposed to. Who knows? Have you had any experience using the Gyeon gelcoat coating?

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
Click to expand...
My bad just saw your other post.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
WristyManchego said:
And how about retail automotive ceramic coatings on gelcoat Mike?
Click to expand...
I was also wondering this. I have some leftover McKee's 37 paint coating. Maybe I could try it out???

Sent from my Galaxy Note 9 using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
WristyManchego said:
And how about retail automotive ceramic coatings on gelcoat Mike?
Click to expand...


Maxreed241 said:
I was also wondering this. I have some leftover McKee's 37 paint coating. Maybe I could try it out???
Click to expand...


I don't have any real-world testing to say they don't work or do work but here's the deal, and anyone reading this that owns a boat especially a boat used in salt water will know what I'm talking about.


The marine environment and especially the salt water marine environment is very hard on boats. Gel-coats, unlike car paint have a porocity, that is the are porous. So "sealing" them is different then sealing car paint and more important - getting what you use to seal the surface to hold up over time is the difficult aspect for anything you use to seal the gel-coat.

When I say the word "seal", this means using anything that will seal the surface, this could include,

  • Cleaner/wax (has cleaners or abrasives)
  • Pure wax (no cleaners or abrasives)
  • Cleaner/Synthetic sealant (has cleaners or abrasives)
  • Pure Synthetic sealant (no cleaners or abrasives)
  • Ceramic coatings


All of the above will seal the surface. They are surface sealers.


So getting a ceramic coating to bond to the gel-coat and also last a long time is the challenge. GYEON introduced their new Marine Gel-Coat Ceramic Coating at SEMA last year, (last November), and we used it in our boat detailing class this last February. Application and removal was excellent. Appearance was excellent. Now the question is - how well will it hold up? Only time will tell.


As far as car ceramic coating go - I have talked to one "real" chemist, with a brand of coatings with one of the best reputations in the market and he told me getting a ceramic coating to hold up over time in the marine environment is tough. And at this time, I don't think they have introduced a coating for gel-coats for marine application and the reason why is they don't want to introduce this product until it truly will hold up. Customer expectations are TOUGH and usually unrealistic so they won't introduce a product until it meets their standards and expectations.


Because I'm not a chemist I don't know that ceramic coating made for a non-porous surface will perform just as well on a porous surface and that is basically the question you two are asking me. It wouldn't hurt to try or do a test if you have a boat and it's in the water.


:)
 
If you where to try a ceramic coating for cars on your boat. I would consider to do the last polishing step with something like Carpro Essence. Essence is a bit different than other primer polishes and I think that Polish Angel Invicible Primer has that in it too. That is they are filling some to get as a leveled paint as possible. So my thought was if you polish with Essence and can fill the porous gelcoat even a little. You could be getting a better results and maybe even the need of useing less of the coating. As I would think a gelcoat would need more of product when useing a coating for cars. Just a thought though. And also if useing something like Carpro CQUK 3.0 I would put the max 3 layer I think it is you can put on. So you get the thickest coating layer as possible. Ohh also if trying the Essence out I would use Carpro Glosspad or another very fine finishing pad to get the pad to fill with Essence as much as possible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top