does mineral spirits damage gel coat fiberglass?

[bcmorr]

I did just a bit of caulking above a small window, and got some excess well above the seam. It doesn't look too bad but i'd like to remove the excess if I can. I was wondering about dabbing some mineral spirits on a rag and wiping it off. Will this damage the gel coat fiberglass or discolor it? I have the ivory colored fiberglass.

[Paintinfool3]

no mineral spirits shouldn't hurt the gel coat ... you might put a little wax on the area afterwards as they might remove any wax you have on it

[bcmorr]

I have paint thinner on hand. Is that the same as mineral spirits?

[hoppers4]

Quote from Wikipedia
"A paint thinner is a solvent used to thin oil-based paints or clean up after their use. Commercially, solvents labeled "Paint Thinner" are usually mineral spirits having a flash point at about 40 °C (104 °F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter."

[hoppers4]

What kind of caulk did you use?

[bcmorr]

It's clear rv pro flex. It's just a small window up high and very hard to notice. Tend to get overly fussy; if i can make it look better great, if not oh well it'll be ok

[rick danger]

Yeah ,paint thinner is the same as mineral spirits. Maybe a little diluted depending on the brand. It wont bother gel-coat. Just wipe it off

[hoppers4]

When I got my rig a couple of months ago a bunch of the caulking was a real mess, especially around the three marker lights in the back. Mineral spirits fixed it up with the greatest of ease. Hurray for you for using the right caulking.