tread master application question

[Rogsails]

Hello all,

My friends in a remote location getting the boat sanded and having gel cuat applied and looking to get a similar product to tread master applied to the deck. Now he’s having the work done for him and the contractor
Says the tread won’t stick to gel coat so no need to spray gel coat where the tread will go on is already been sanded down.

As it’s a remote area epoxy is much too expensive so a polyester based adhesive is being used any reason it may not adhere to gel coat ?

[ItDepends]

You are always best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. For Treadmaster, I have used epoxy, and it works well. But it sounds like you are using something “similar”, which means NOT Treadmaster. What does the maker of the product suggest?

Sprayed on gel coat ends up with a thin layer of wax on the surface. It necessary to remove this to get anything to stick and is best to remove this with solvents. Sanding can just smear it around.

There are polyester adhesives, however they are different than polyester laminating resin which I am guessing is actually what you are thinking of using. Generally a bad idea. It is not formulated for this and isn’t very good at it. It cures hard and brittle, and doesn’t always stick very well.

[Rogsails]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

You are always best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. For Treadmaster, I have used epoxy, and it works well. But it sounds like you are using something “similar”, which means NOT Treadmaster. What does the maker of the product suggest?

Sprayed on gel coat ends up with a thin layer of wax on the surface. It necessary to remove this to get anything to stick and is best to remove this with solvents. Sanding can just smear it around.

There are polyester adhesives, however they are different than polyester laminating resin which I am guessing is actually what you are thinking of using. Generally a bad idea. It is not formulated for this and isn’t very good at it. It cures hard and brittle, and doesn’t always stick very well.

Ok apparently they are thinking about using Mounded fibre glass mold pattern, this is just what the contractor is offering to install. He says gelcoat isn’t good to have underneath but my friend wants to to provide more protection to the deck.

Thanks for the reply

[Rumrace]

Gel coat wax is to keep oxygen away from the polyester during curing. Just about any soap will melt it off. There is no gel coat wax in a new part it’s release wax and usually sprayed with a cleaner in the pull.

[Rumrace]

Frankly the only way to paint gel coat is to scuff it and prime it. I would use an anti oxide primer probably near impossible to find remote. Gel coats is engineered so only toe nail polish from beautiful women and spider poop stick to it. Kinda it’s whole purpose in the chain of polyester. Polymers in general don’t stick to surfaces half as easy as they stick to themselves.
If there is wax then soapy suds scrub, scuff the glass. Clear coat has very similar adhesives as primers do. So mix clear with a touch of any pale colour. While it’s curing still tacky light coat of colour. I have no clue how to paint without my drop guns and airbrush. I’d run at the sight of a roller.
Just about anything other than epoxy which will stick to gel coat can be removed with Goo Gone.
Most failed paint jobs are from mixing things up. I might just shoot clear coat on the boat until it can be bought to a yard with decent materials. Two good coats of clear coat would probably be in trouble in 1,000 hrs or so. Salt and sun