Gelcoat Rejuvinator Applications...any good?

[Bob H]

I've posted this question in the both the Scamp & Fiberglass Trailers groups on Yahoo but didn't get any response. I figure I might find some informed opinions in here.

I was asking for opinions on a Gelcoat Rejuvinator...namely "Presto!
Gelcoat Rejuvinator"...it's a polymer application. Anybody ever used
it? Is it any good?

This is the product website:
http://www.prestoprotech.com/Boat_Care.html

Reading its sales pitch on the product website, also on Ebay, where you can buy it in several listings, it seems like it's the easiest, slickest, greatest, most ultra-fab, wipe-on & stand-back-watch-it-work, miracle juice since Tang!

Reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live skit about "Shimmer", the Desert Topping AND Floor Wax.

...kinda too good to be true.

Does this stuff do what it claims? Is it like Rain-X, where after you use it, you have to keep using it or you get a bleary smear on your windshield?

Anyone have the straight skinny on this? Inquiring minds like to know.

[D Shubel]

It will clean your windows and your dog, too! Sorry, couldn't resist.


Somebody just posted today where you use the additive for oil paints and it rejuvinates the gel coat. Sorry, I've had the flu all day and cannot find the post. Sounded like a very feasible option and there were some first-hand experiences using it.

I tend to stay far, far away from hard sell items...they promise so much and deliver so little.

[D Shubel]

Found it! John & Sandy M had posted this earlier today in the How to renovate an old Scamp topic.

I have found that the powdered rust remover found at Lowes and Home Depot (this is the stuff you spread on rust stains in your driveway ect.) does a good job on the rust. Mix the stuff as a paste and apply to the stain. Allow it to sit until dry and rinse. A couple of treatment should take care of the stain.

I found a treatment for weathered fiberglass in the DIY section of Popular Mechanics (the Dec. 05 issue?) that was recommended. I havn't tried it but it may be worth a shot.


Fading Fiberglass
I have an old, crimson-colored fiberglass football stadium bench that is starting to fade. What can I use to protect it from further sunlight damage?
STEVE ELLIS Euless, TXI contacted The Flood Co. (flood .com) to answer your question because it makes a variety of paint additives and liquid surface-treatment products that protect wood, fiberglass and vinyl. The company recommended a two-step process. First, you should clean the bench with Dekswood Deck Cleaner and Brightener and then apply Penetrol Oil-Based Paint Additive.
I was surprised to learn that although Penetrol is used primarily to make oil-based (alkyd) paints easier to apply, it also can be used by itself to restore and improve the luster of fiberglass.
Flood recommends a yearly application of the products when needed to protect fiberglass in harsh environments.

Excellent advice thanks, John & Sandy. Of course all the disclaimers apply.

[Roger H]

Usually that stuff is snake oil and marketed in the best traditions of the old patent medicine shows. Chemistry is doing some amazing things though, and unfortunately you never know which is which until you have an opportunity to try it.

This stuff sure sounds good. Maybe I'll spring for a bottle and do my spring cleanup with it to see how it does.

Roger

[pjanits]

I think the old boler site in Canada talked about Penetrol a lot. There were enough positives to make me want to try it, but I never did.
If I remember right there was a lot of rubbing involved, not just wipe on wipe off.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?...olerama%2Fstart


I can't find any at the moment.

[MyronL]

My Burro's gel coat was so bad I figured this egg had to end up in the shop getting a full repaint. Considering the cost, being instinctively cheap, and hating to miss out on a better option, I wondered what to do.

Hmm. Fiberglass and gelcoats. Aren't all those recreational boats made of fiberglass and subject to intense weathering? (The cruel sea.) What do those people do?

I did a search for fiberglass boat rejuvination sites. There are lots of marine products out there, plenty of stuff for refreshing a faded, oxidized, slime coated boat. Mine sure was that.

I decided I would try a product called Vertglas and the Vertglas gelcoat restoration system. Bought their starter kit, which set me back ah, over fifty bucks. It ended up being well worth my money and so easy to do I still get weepy over it. Did half my Burro with the 3-part system and ran out of the final varnish before finishing. Ordered another container of Number 3. Then the weather turned too cold to work so job's not done. But if it gets over 55 degrees out there next week I'll be on it. If this helps, here's a link.

http://www.lovettmarine.com/files/vertglas.asp

<blockquote>First picture shows what I mean by slime.
Second picture shows half-a-roof-results.
Third picture shows original gel coat exposed from underneath removed Burro logo. Oh, and that is BEFORE applying the 3rd step.</blockquote>

[Brenda Novakovski]

Hi all,

Have to agree with Myron. VertGlas is the way to go for us and I would highly recommended this product.

This kit is available at Canadian Tire stores in the marine section. We paid about $100 CDN.

The Restorer/Sealer can be used on aluminum as well so I'm going to try it on the window frames this year.

I've attached a pic of our Green Grape. The bottom of the trailer is just before the final coats of the sealer. The top is the finished product.

Brenda

[Maggie O.]

The vertglas sounds good to me. I will try it.

[Jim Paskett]

I did apply the Penetrol Oil-Based Paint Additive to my '84 Scamp 13' and it did a nice job at a considerasble less cost than the products mentioned here. As someone mentioned, the Canadians were using this product as noted on their Bolarama site several years ago.

It is a liquid you wipe on, let it haze over and rub/buff off. It really made that old trailer shine. However I sold that trailer about six month later so I am not certain as to how long it held up. It appeaed that it was going to last for sometime.

I'd suggest you check that Bolar site and get more opinions from the folks who have used it far more than I did. Our local Walmart was running a special on an electric buffer with a couple of pads for about $25 (US) and that made the buffing somewhat easy.

Jim Paskett

[MyronL]

Jim...you used Penetrol "paint additive" but didn't add it to any paint? You can wipe it on like you were wiping on a wax? Was your gelcoat oxidized (changed chemically) and in need of color restoration or was the gelcoat in good condition but in need of a shine?

[Tina W]

Hi, I've just purchased a 1978 13' Boler. What is the "old Boler site in Canada" that you are referring to -- is it a website? I'm looking for as much guidance as possible on what originally came with this Boler/how it looked before starting any renovations.

Thanks.

Tina

[Chester Taje]

http://www.geocities.com/bolerama/


Bolor Site.

[Maggie O.]

Today was vertglas day at my house. I am very happy. I started early today and was able to do all three steps. It now has the brand new shine I've always wanted. If you have an old trailer and are considering a paint job just to get a shine back, try this stuff. $75.00 is not cheap but a lot less than a paint job. It does what it says it will.

[Donna D.]

Maggie, I'd love to see some before and after pics...did you take any?

[Maggie O.]

Hi Donna,
If you can imagine dull and chalky for the before, I'll try and get a good after photo. The first instruction in the vertglas manual is: take before pictures, you'll be glad you did. (I am not kidding). However the instructions went on to say scrub with product number one, wash with product number two, dry thoroughly, and then apply 6 to 8 (!) coats of product number3. Apply with applicator provided. Don't use anything else! (The applicator is 4 inches wide and the handle fell off after five minutes) Now I managed to do this in a day, and the results are worth it. But I did say the heck with before photos. Now I wish I had them.

[pjanits]

MaggieO,
You did 6 to 8 coats on one day?
I gotta hand it to you. I would be dead.

[Maggie O.]

I was only mostly dead. It was a long day, and I had help with the drying. Also it is not like wax. It is kind of like dragging a wet sponge over the surface. It takes 2 minutes to dry and you can recoat it. Probably the only mistake is recoating before it's dry. Pretty forgiving stuff and easy to use, not stinky,or chemically. It looks terrible until you get to the 5th coat or so, and once I got that far I was obsessed with getting rid of streaks. You can't let it get rained on for 24 hours. It should be over 55F. We had one nice day with rain coming the next morning. So finish or drag it on forever. We had to put it back itn the carport to cure but here's as good a photo as I could get:

[pjanits]

Looks really great!

[Maggie O.]

Thank you. I love it .

[Sharon Herman]

OK, hope this isn't too dumb of a question. If the trailer has been painted (don't know what type of paint was used) would this product be of any use?

Sharon