{"id":495,"date":"2012-07-23T13:42:54","date_gmt":"2012-07-23T17:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/?p=495"},"modified":"2023-11-21T14:36:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T19:36:37","slug":"metal-flake-gelcoat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bottompaintstore.com\/blog\/gelcoat\/metal-flake-gelcoat\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Metal Flake in Gel Coat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gel coat<\/span><\/a> is a resin that is pigmented with color. The consistency of gel coat is very thick and is best applied with a spray gun<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> Metal flake<\/span> is commonly used in clear gel coat<\/span><\/a> for that \u201cbass boat\u201d look. \u00a0Although it appears that the metal flakes are mixed into the base coat, they are usually mixed into the clear gel coat.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This can be applied over the colored gel coat and the metal flake is usually coated with clear gelcoat<\/span><\/a> for added UV protection and to smooth the surface. The larger the metalflake, the more coats of clear\u00a0gel coat\u00a0it will often take to cover.<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually it is recommended to use around 16 oz of metal flake <\/span>per gallon of gel coat and personal preference plays a role as there us no magic ratio for adding flake. The typical bass boat will use 2-3 lbs of metal flake in the gel coat. Mix the gel coat inside a pail <\/span>thoroughly with a paint stirrer to disperse the metal flakes. Stir it thoroughly and frequently during application to prevent the metal flakes from settling to the bottom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Metal flake gelcoat<\/a> is best applied using a gel coat spray gun<\/span><\/a> <\/span>to achieve an even coating and be sure to use an appropriate nozzle tip<\/span><\/a> based on flake size.<\/p>\n

You will need to disassemble the spray gun to clean<\/span><\/a><\/span> it well as the flakes can lodge into small areas.<\/p>\n

Related Articles: How to Apply Gel Coat<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n