gelcoat mixing / engine room paint

[quartersplash]

I am refiting my catamaran here in Bahia De Caraquez, Ecuador and am trying to figure out how to do a few things.
A couple of project questions.
1. What do you mix with gel coat to be able to use it for touchup? I hear from a cruiser here that you need to mix wax with it? If so how much to keep it from being tacky when it dries.
2. In my engine compartments I want to repaint. It looks like it is some kind of resin paint? It is very hard and looks like it wouldn't ever peel. What could it be?
Thanks

[bhenry]

I'm not sure about the wax for touch up, but I have used it when brushing on over glass and resin.
Your engine compartments could be coated with gelcoat. Mine are and it's tough stuff. If this is the case you may not need to paint, but just clean.

Bill

[Celestialsailor]

It's not really wax...It is a surfacing agent that rises to the surface sealing it off temporarily from air. I believe it is styrene. When doing gel-coat repair. you have to use a greater percentage of hardener than with regular resin. Hope this helps.

[Jim Cate]

G'day,
The "paint" in your engine room... if it is on a fibreglas surface, it is likely a product called (in Australia at least) "Flocoat". I believe that it is simply pigmented low viscosity polyester resin. If you should want to paint it, treat it like a frp surface and it should be fine.

Cheers,

Jim