Spectrum Gel coat repair kit

Sowester

Question... I need to do a few minor touch ups to my 2005 Captiva 232. Gel coat colors are as follows: top deck is "Sand White", Rinker color 4016, and hull is "Black Onyx", Rinker color 4021.  No problem for the Sand White, as it is available in a Spectrum Gel coat repair kit for around $35.00.  The Black Onyx is the problem... it is only available in a gallon for ~$250.00 (of which I would probably only use a few tablespoons, and end up throwing the rest of the gallon in the garbage), and does not come in a repair kit format.  Any ideas where else I might get some kind of repair kit in a smaller quantity for the Black Onyx color?  PS... i wish the gel coat looked as nice as in the pic now  ;(

TonyG13

If it is a small area, maybe try something from the same era like Crownline ONYX 92-13? For only $30 versus $250 might be worth it since the new stuff won't perfectly match the old gelcoat anyway (due to aging)...

Liberty44140

Did you look at iboats? I bought my spectrum kit from iboats as they had a good selection

rkinross

I have had problems with Spectrum customer service in the past.  You would think by this time they would offer a color matching system similar to Home Depot or Lowes that could scan the color and reproduce a patch paste formula for any boat.

Sowester

Thanks for the ideas!  Point well taken about not getting a great match due to aging... the exact one probably wouldn't match well anyhow at 14 years from the factory.  How about using a tiny amount of a high gloss enamel paint?  Just put a toothpick drop on a small ding, or rub some into a shallow scratch that is a bit too deep to remove by buffing or wet sanding. That would be much easier to match up at a Home depot or Lowes using colour chips.  Yes, no, comments?

TonyG13

rkinross said:

You would think by this time they would offer a color matching system similar to Home Depot or Lowes that could scan the color and reproduce a patch paste formula for any boat.

I was just looking through the Spectrum Color website/catalog and they now appear to do custom color matches. The sample size for matching has to be at least the size of a quarter and you need to order one gallon. A good option if you've got a big project and an aged/faded project.

Liberty44140

Just a heads up that these kits do have expiration dates. I bought a kit for my 342 years ago and I used it two springs in a row. The kit I bought last fall for my Cruisers said it had a 6 month shelf life. I contacted Spectrum in October when I got the kit and they said it will still be good this spring but not much after that. I used it last October, all good, got it back out last weekend and I could tell it was fine but had thickened up just a little. Used it and there were some very small chunks in it. It worked fine, hardened to a perfect color match and the chunks sanded smooth so no problem. But just a warning that these kits don’t last years like (I think) they used to.... I do vacuum pack mine for storage to try to keep the solvents from drying out and prolong shelf life. 

aero3113

You can buy a kit and mix your own color to match. Or add some black to your sand white to match. I’m not sure what coloring will work and stay permanent though.

Liberty44140

Oh don’t get me wrong, I love these kits. Matched my Rinker 99.99% perfectly and same for the cruisers. Shelf life is just something to keep in mind. Buy it when you need it and know that you’ve got 6 months to use it or lose it. Next time I need to do any gelcoat touch up I’ll absolutely buy this kit again and again. We are actually pretty lucky to be able to get these. 

Liberty44140

Sorry aero I revived an old thread to comment on the expiration. May have confused the subjects 

Willhound

And also keep inside if you live in an area that freezes in winter.

Liberty44140

Yep good point, it says to store above 60 F in a dry place