Help.....please. Gelcoat not fully cured
 

Hello all. I'm in the process of gelcoating my bilge. I'm on my second coat of waxed gel. I sanded the first coat and went through in a bunch of places so I whaled in a second coat last Sunday. I went to fair it out last night and I don't think it cured proper as it's still tacky and loading up my paper. (The first go around sanded pretty easily )

I don't know if it was too humid when I shot it last Sunday or if I had a brain fart and forgot to add the wax in the last batch (pretty certain I added the wax but it was hectic when I was shooting it and I could have missed it )

Should I wipe it with acetone?

Will it cure with some time?

Can I hit it with another layer of waxed gel I it stays tacky and be ok?

I mixed the **** out of it before I shot it so i know it was blended with the mekp well.

Thanks guys!

Can you put it out in the sun for a little bit? I've done that when I've had stuff with a slow cure and it usually takes care of it. If you can't put it outside, you can do it artificially with a halogen light(s).

You can try to wipe with acetone and pull up the uncured layer. Then lay down another coat of gel and mix it a little hotter with the mekp. Wipe everything down with an acetone rag before trying that in case you did put wax in the layer you are trying to cover.

Hello c.

I pulled it outside this morning. It's only tacky right at the very surface. I could sand through it but it gummed up the 180 quickly.

It's not very sunny today ( passing clouds ) but it seems to be helping some.

Sounds like you forgot the wax if it is tacky in all areas. Just mix up more gelcoat with wax and fully catalyze it. Just spray onto the existing gel and you will get a full cure. Make sure that you completely mix the wax and catalyst into the gel then keep mixing some more.

seems to be alot of problems with ppl and tack gelcoat..i have a chitty old ryobi drill that i ues ro mix it with,,i tool a old 1.5'' wood bit and dulled it and use it,,it mix's real rast so i never have any problems..

Coat it with green seal pva. Set in sun flyer wards if ou can. Then hose it down.