Gel Coat Scratches

[spdpug98]

I am after a little bit of advice, due to me being my usual impatient self and just trying to get jobs done quickly I have scratched the gel coat on my car

Can anyone offer any advice as to how to get rid of them, I have tried the usual T Cut exercise, which has made a slight difference, but they are still there, any tips would be appreciated

ETA pictures:

[Mjpmark]

I have had a lot of trial and error over the past week with Gel coat.

My Ultima was in an awful state but due to budget i couldnt contact any pro detailers - i would have loved a trip to KDS.

So i had to persist with trial and error.

using my DA i realised that my paint specific cutting polishes wouldnt even touch the light swirls, so after going for the most aggresive pad mixed with megiuars diamond cut i did start to see slight difference, nothing drastic as i say teh gel coat is so so hard.

So i got some 1500 wet paper and 2000 wet sand paper, rubbed the large scratches out then DA polished it, and polished it, and well now it looks great.

After pic.

[spdpug98]

Awesome car, sorry for being a bit dim but what is a DA - I'm sure its obvious and I should know what it is

[TallPaul]

spdpug98 said:

Awesome car, sorry for being a bit dim but what is a DA - I'm sure its obvious and I should know what it is

Dual Action (polisher or sander), rotates in a fairly random manner, as opposed to a rotary which only spins in one plane.

[kds keltec]

Mjpmark said:

I have had a lot of trial and error over the past week with Gel coat.

My Ultima was in an awful state but due to budget i couldnt contact any pro detailers - i would have loved a trip to KDS.

So i had to persist with trial and error.

using my DA i realised that my paint specific cutting polishes wouldnt even touch the light swirls, so after going for the most aggresive pad mixed with megiuars diamond cut i did start to see slight difference, nothing drastic as i say teh gel coat is so so hard.

So i got some 1500 wet paper and 2000 wet sand paper, rubbed the large scratches out then DA polished it, and polished it, and well now it looks great.
After pic.

For some reason i know of you and your car , well seen your face on here i think and i remember your car very well , i have read the blog of your car somewhere , was you a PC before before starting up your own company ? .

I can really remember looking at build pictures of your car thinking i want one , and because of this spending some time shearching for one for sale etc .

Bit late now i would of done your car at a very very good price in return for a ride out in the lovely machine , i still would love to build / own one

I love tinkering with cars and making them better , and a kit car would be perfect for me , i guess why i own a TVR .

Anyway gel coat ,

i have machined polished a few small boats and a few gel coat cars also one guy who works for me machine polishing has machined many sunseeker super yachts in his time .

These are much tougher / harder than standard automotive paints , so need heavy cutting action to correct , you would be looking at using rotary with aggresive pad or wool pad and compunds up the higher end of the scale for cut .

This was the last gel coat car i done



Kelly