How to Sand & Polish Repaired Areas of Gelcoat
Our Rayplex Gelcoat Polishing Kits will allow you to sand and polish repaired areas of Gelcoat. This kit is designed to sand and polish Gelcoat that has been repaired using our Rayplex Gelcoat Repair Kit.
So, let’s get started.
What you need:
- Rayplex Polishing Kit.
- Small Wooden Block to wrap the paper against, giving you a flat surface to sand by leveling the repaired Gelcoat.
- Small bucket with water.
- Masking tape.
Instructions:
- First, we are assuming that the Gelcoat has been applied and has hardened in the area to be repaired.
- The Sanding and Polishing Kit contains 4 different grits of Wet or Dry sandpaper and Fine Ray Buff compound.
- Dip the block in the water every 20 seconds. The water washes away the sanded material and improves the sanding removal rate of the paper.
- First take some masking tape and run two strips beside the damaged gel area.
- Dip the block wrapped with the course paper and sand the damaged area.
- As gel is sanded away and as soon as you start sanding the tape, stop and assess the removal rate. Now sand very gently to get the gel almost level with the old area.
- Peel the tape away and now move up to the next grit and sand the area using plenty of water. The sanded area should start to blend in with the old area. Repeat the process using 400 and 600 grit paper. Using lot of water when sanding with 600.
- Wipe the area with a rag. Now take a look for any high spots. Re-sanding may be required.
- Start with the Ray Buff course compound. Take a little and put it on a rag and rub the area vigorously. You can use a buffer or pad on a drill if you have one. Probably two or three rubs will be required to get a low-grade shine. Next apply some Ray Buff #200 Fine compound and rub the area. The shine should really start to glisten.
You’re done. That's the process and you’ll probably be impressed at your results. It’s a bit of an art to do really fine work, you will get better with each repair. Plus save yourself a lot of money.
