Gel coat is a resin that is pigmented with color. The consistency of gel coat is very thick and is best applied with a spray gun. Metal flake is commonly used in clear gel coat for that “bass boat” look.  Although it appears that the metal flakes are mixed into the base coat, they are usually mixed into the clear gel coat.

This can be applied over the colored gel coat and the metal flake is usually coated with clear gelcoat for added UV protection and to smooth the surface. The larger the metalflake, the more coats of clear gel coat it will often take to cover.

Usually it is recommended to use around 16 oz of metal flake 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 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.

Metal flake gelcoat is best applied using a gel coat spray gun to achieve an even coating and be sure to use an appropriate nozzle tip based on flake size.

You will need to disassemble the spray gun to clean it well as the flakes can lodge into small areas.

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