06/18/2026
People always get automotive paint confused with the process of spraying gelcoat, they think it sprays on like car paint and you're done.
When doing a gelcoat repair/spray the work is only half way done, the beauty really comes when it's all sanded smooth and buffed to that beautiful shine.
To answer a few ?s for guys trying to tackle their own repairs a common issue is they say there gelcoat is still tacky.
The reason your gelcoat is still tacky is even though you applied activator to your gelcoat it does not air cure, it needs a wax additive or a barrier over the top to cure out fully.
If you have enough gelcoat on your part you can acetone bath the gel taking off the top coat and the under coat will be dry.
I recommend patchaid over all others.
PVA works but you have to wash it off and the gel isn't as hard.
Applying patchaid as the top coat you will not have any tackiness and can go straight to sanding, no washing no acetone bath.
The clear I use is a new clear by HK called 1507 it's very thin and kicks off very quickly before 1507 I was using 1513 which is also a great clear the 1507 is just a little thinner, no need for styrene or patchaid mixture.
Another ? We get is how are you getting that show room finish and my honest opinion is ppl are skipping steps, we start with 220 to knock the heavy orange peel down not fully taking it out, then 400,600,800 always with a block to keep flat and straight then we go to a orbital DA with a soft backing pad with 1000 and 1200 making buffing a breeze.
I do like Stark Blaze but my favorite is actually Meguiars 1 step for boat and RVs it buffs out scratches and leaves a beautiful shine with a wool pad, we finish off with a foam pad and either Flagship UV wax from Meguiars or ultra Lock + by Jescar.
