Super Jet best way to repair riding surface and resin dye question

[swapmeet]

I asked this in my build thread, but lets be honest... the thread is a frickin circus. So hopefully someone can help me here.


First question. The gel coat on the bottom of my RN is pretty much completely missing from the riding surface. Its just the bare.... whatever that material is, showing.
Should I try to respray it with gel coat? I don't think paint will do much....

I saw a thread where someone vacuum bagged a thin layer of carbon to the bottom of a ski and I think they rode it like that. Is that even a good idea? It sounds cool.... but I don't know what the practicality and longevity of it is. I.E. will it last.


Second question. I've reinforced the sides of my RN with Carbon, and now the bottom of the bilge looks like dirty eggnog next to gorgeous Carbon weave. I was thinking of laying down a thin coat of epoxy resin dyed black, just to help it blend. Its strictly a aesthetics thing, I know its not necessary. But I will do something, and I think paint will flake off in short order. So I want to do something that will last.

 

[RMBC Freeride]

OK, I'll bite...

The bottom of a SJ is paint, not Gelcoat. There is no gelcoat on an SMC part (the hull/bottom). So I definitely wouldn't recommend trying to gelcoat the bottom. Gelcoats are generally polyester-based and therefore not suitable for adhering to SMC, also rather hard to work with... So, fill in the deep scratches with thickened epoxy, primer and paint if you want it looking good again.

As for inside the hull, I did tinted epoxy in my old SJ and it looked great and held up well, aside from some hairline stress cracks. Its like putting an eggshell inside your hull (flexes more that you would imagine) and cracks the epoxy. If I ever have to do it again, I'm looking at trying a 2-part industrial epoxy paint that has more flexibility and toughness.

 

[swapmeet]

Thanks man. So they're painted white from the factory?

 

[RMBC Freeride]

Yep

 

[hornedogg79]

On my fx1 i filled the bad spots with thickened epoxy then laid a single layer of s-glass over the bottom. It has held up great and I beach that sucker every chance I get! sand, grass, mud...whatever. I beach it for no reason sometimes.

 

[Pablo]

It's work, but I sprayed gel coat on the bottom of my old RN. I had to cut it 1:1 with duratec clear and you have to work quickly, but it can be done. It adhered fine and held up well too. If I had to do it over I'd just fill in the gouges and paint.

 

[burton148]

Are you gonna be running stock tank with a b pipe? If so you arent going to see much of the bottom at all. So just glue some turf down in the places you see to make it look nicer.