Gel coat restoration using Penetrol

[John & Sandy M]

I ran across the use of the paint additive Penetrol (Flood Co.) used to restore oxidized the fiberglass gel coat and decided to give it a try on my boat since it's never been waxed in the last 18 or so years. I did this rather than using our Scamp for a test subject since the gellcoat on the Scamp isn't too bad and waxing was fine for everything but the rood... I'm going to try the Penetrol on it. If the stuff works on my little boat it should work on the fiberglass campers. Penetrol is available from places like True Value hardware and Home Depot for about $10/quart.

I cleaned the boat thoroughly with a combination of bleach and detergent (we live in coastal SE North Carolina and everything molds here). Applied a coating of Penetrol and allowed it to dry (absorb into the fiberglass?) for 5 min. Wiped off the excess with an old bath towel... this part is work since the excess is like wiping off partially dry varnish. I allowed the treated surface to dry/cure for 24 hours and applied a coat of wax. The results were quite good and the surface of the boat looks almost as good as new.

Application helpful tips:
>>>try the application on a less obvious place on the trailer (like the roof) to see how it works and what the application is actually like.
>>>use staining pads (terrycloth covered sponge pads) for application.
>>>pour the Penetrol into a coffee can (I didn't and it's tough to pour from a quart container without making a mess.
>>>apply a fairly heavy/even coat over small (maybe 3' X 3') sections at a time since the "wipe off" step is work.
>>>apply a coat of wax after about 24 hours or so.

[Deb in MN]

Since I read of several products mentioned on this forum for reburshing the fiberglass, I did a bit of googling about them--- I read about Sharkhide, Penetrol and VertGlas.

I decided to buy VertGlass for the "hull" of our Scamp. I read about Penetrol and how good it it for metal, AND for adding it to paint, so I bought some and I tested it out on a portion of my frame already! I'm IMPRESSED. Where I put it on, as they said to- with a steel wool pad- the rust is dealt with and the water beads up wonderfully. I plan on using Penetrol on the whole frame before painting it.

Apparently they make some Penetrol for the Aluminum, too- I'll have to find that for my aluminum windows. The Sharkhide also sounds wonderful otherwise for aluminum.

I read about using Penetrol on the fiberglass- and THE only reason I decided to get the Vertglass is because you don't have to buff that! Or wax over it- their final coat is the final step. I mailordered VertGlass from Overtons, the boat catalog.

I was impressed with the pictures from using Penetrol on Fiberglass, too. I read about the Penetrol on this site: http://www.floodaustralia.net/produc...etrol_rust.htm

Okay- I googled "Penetrol for Fiberglass" just now, to read more- and there seems to be some people out there who say there is a problem with Penetrol over the long haul??? check it out: http://www.boated.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=4 and here are more opinions on fiberglass products: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=59730

[John & Sandy M]

Since I read of several products mentioned on this forum for reburshing the fiberglass, I did a bit of googling about them--- I read about Sharkhide, Penetrol and VertGlas.

I read about using Penetrol on the fiberglass- and THE only reason I decided to get the Vertglass is because you don't have to buff that! Or wax over it- their final coat is the final step. I mailordered VertGlass from Overtons, the boat catalog.

I was impressed with the pictures from using Penetrol on Fiberglass, too. I read about the Penetrol on this site: http://www.floodaustralia.net/produc...etrol_rust.htm

Okay- I googled "Penetrol for Fiberglass" just now, to read more- and there seems to be some people out there who say there is a problem with Penetrol over the long haul??? check it out: http://www.boated.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=4 and here are more opinions on fiberglass products: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=59730

One of the reasons I tested Penetrol on my boat is that it is exposed to conditions far worse than our Scamp... sun/rain/salt water/strong detergents...is to see how the stuff holds up over a period of time. It doesn't appear to be a coating but is absorbed into the oxidized fiberglass. I did a test patch on the bow of the boat several months ago and so-far, so-good. You can see the patch just to the right of the bow light in the "before" pic. (for some reason this patch came out better than the rest of the application????)