The affect of characteristics of destinations to appeal to Assignment

The affect of characteristics of destinations to appeal to tourists.(London Scotland) - Assignment Example Furthermore, the report will also discuss the possibility for enhancing the selection as tourists’ destinations. Tourist destinations with multiple characteristics are vital for individual attraction. The characteristics help to develop a mental image in the mind of tourists through manifold sources of information. The mental image determines the selection of destination for tourists in order to spend holiday or leisure time. London is regarded as one of the leading tourism destinations. London receives considerable leisure tourists every year mostly because of its heritage characteristics. It has exclusive attractions and natural legacy with iconic buildings acknowledged all over the world. There are presently four designated heritage sites in London namely Palace of Westminster, Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich and Royal Botanic Garden. These four sites have exceptional universal worth and are acknowledged to be of global significance. These characteristics of London are regarded as vital part of London’s identity and character (Greater London Authority, 2012). The tourism of London is geared toward bestowing numerous features of the city. It is a venue of important occasions in world history, comprising ancient castles, museums and other landmarks. Furthermore, entertainment is also regarded as a key attraction in London. Drama, film and music are admired forms of art in London. Apart from that, the other key feature of London is shopping. The city is characterised by shopping experience, having numerous destinations such as Tate Modern, London Eye, National Gallery and Albert Museum among others. In comparison with London, Scotland is regarded as a developing tourist destination. Compared to London, the appeals of Scotland is largely attributed into four groups namely heritage, destination towns, events and business. Concerning the nature, Scotland has theatrical landscapes along with rich and vibrant history imbibed within its culture. Scotland

Us Dollar Movements In 2008 Essay Example for Free

Us Dollar Movements In 2008 Essay The U. S dollar is the most widely used currency in the world in terms of trade and foreign exchange reserves. The US dollar is susceptible to many factors e. g. political, economic as well as financial market forces and therefore fluctuates overtime (Intercontinental Exchange Inc, 2009). The assessment of the movements in the US dollar is tracked by the US Dollar index USDX which is basically a chart showing the value of the US Dollar against the major world currencies. These major currencies are the EUN (EUR), Japanese Yen (JPY), Sterling pound (GBP), Canadian dollar (CAD), Swedish Kroner (SEK) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). The dollar index is calculated as a geometric progression weighted average of the six currencies rates against the US Dollar value relative to 1973 (base year) when the index was launched. Therefore this means that the current rate of the US Dollar index shows the average dollar value compared to 1973 which is the base year (Intercontinental Exchange Inc, 2009). Factors affecting US dollar Index over the past one year The performance of the US dollar against the basket of other major currencies (which form the biggest chunk of US trading partners) as measured by the Dollar Index is affected by many factors key among them economic, political and even financial market news. Therefore the trend in the dollar index can be an indication of the state of the economy and financial market. Economic factors The state of the US economy and the major countries around the world affects the movement of the dollar against world major currencies. An example is an economic indicator like home sales. In April this year, the home sales done released indicated that the home sales were higher than predicted. This news boosted the dollar against major currencies hence moving the dollar index previous recorded levels as witnessed in the figure 1 below (DeCarbonnel, 2009). In late 2008, the subprime mortgage crisis resulted in lack of liquidity in the financial markets which led to the credit which as we know today. The dollar index increased during this period as a result of declining factors in the financial market. The other factor that has affected the dollar index over the past year is the widening US deficit resulting from the continued borrowing by way of selling US treasuries. The US government uses the funds to fund war in Iraq and Afghanistan among other pressing issues. The US deficit has substantially grown over the recent past to an extent that the countries debt ratings were at risk. Currently the US debt rating is Aaa according to Moody’s. The fear of credit rating downgrade reduced the value of the dollar against major currencies (TheLFB-Forex, 2009). Financial factors The ballooning current account deficit was a result of buying US securities by foreign investors but now with the dollar threatening the domestic currencies of these nations they have been forced to sell off the US held assets and this will definitely affect the price of the dollar. The deficit also has the effect of weakening the dollar value and thus affects the movement of the dollar index (Randall, 2009). The selling off of treasuries will also affect the dollar in that the government will be forced to print the equivalent dollar amount if they lack a buyer in order to honor the pledge made in the treasuries. The other factor that has affected the dollar index is the continued acceptance of gold in place of the dollar. The increase in the price of gold leads to a decline in the value of the dollar. Inflation as a result of pumping a lot of money into the economy may lead to high demand for commodities e. g. gold as explained earlier on, the higher the price of gold the lower the value of the dollar as shown in figure 2 (marketoracle, 2009). The other factor that may have played a bigger part in the trend witnessed of the US dollar is that of lack of confidence wit the US dollar as the major foreign reserve currency. In fact some countries like China and Brazil are contemplating establishing a currency that is more stable. Lack of confidence is shown by the wayward performance of the dollar index. Political factors The domestic problem in the US i. e. economical and social programs announced by the new president, stimulus package, bailout of banks and also companies, programs such as Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), war in Iraq and Afghanistan are just some of the factors that have pressurized the value of the US dollar. All these programs need resources which are basically raised by selling treasuries (marketoracle, 2009). Conclusion The movement witnessed in the dollar index over the past one year has not only been attributed to the above mentioned factors but also due to the market fundamentals which keep on changing from time to time although to a large extent, the dollar index has been affected by the credit crisis in the financial market which has led to the slowing down of the world economy.Figure 1. (marketoracle, 2009) Figure 2. (marketoracle, 2009) References DeCarbonnel, E. (2009, January 2nd). Ten Major Threats facing the US Dollar in 2009. Retrieved May 26th, 2009, from market skeptics: http://www. marketskeptics. com Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (2009, May 25th). US Dollar Index Futures. Retrieved May 26th, 2009, from Intercontinental Exchange Inc: https://www. theice. com/productguide/ProductDetails. stripes? specId=194 marketoracle. (2009, May 24th). Stock Market Trend Confusion and US Dollar crackdown. Retrieved May 25th, 2009, from marketoracle: http://www. marketoracle. co. uk/Article10869. html Randall, F. W. (2009, May 21st). Gains from the Greenbacks pain. Retrieved May 26th, 2009, from Barrons: http://online. barrons. com/article/SB124285469500340755. html TheLFB-Forex. (2009, May 09th). Dollar Index Review: Post Stress Test. Retrieved May 25th, 2009, from TheLFB-Forex. com: http://www. TheLFB-Forex. com

James Joyces Araby - Loss of Innocence in Araby Essays -- Joyce Dubli

Loss of Innocence in Araby In her story, "Araby," James Joyce concentrates on character rather than on plot to reveal the ironies inherent in self-deception. On one level "Araby" is a story of initiation, of a boy’s quest for the ideal. The quest ends in failure but results in an inner awareness and a first step into manhood. On another level the story consists of a grown man's remembered experience, for the story is told in retrospect by a man who looks back to a particular moment of intense meaning and insight. As such, the boy's experience is not restricted to youth's encounter with first love. Rather, it is a portrayal of a continuing problem all through life: the incompatibility of the ideal, of the dream as one wishes it to be, with the bleakness of reality. This double focus-the boy who first experiences, and the man who has not forgotten-provides for the dramatic rendering of a story of first love told by a narrator who, with his wider, adult vision, can employ the sophisticated use of irony and symbolic imagery necessary to reveal the story's meaning. The boy's character is indirectly suggested in the opening scenes of the story. He has grown up in the backwash of a dying city. Symbolic images show him to be an individu... ...ossibility. That sense of loss is intensified, for its dimension grows as we realize that the desire to, live the dream will continue through adulthood. At no other point in the story is characterization as brilliant as at the end. Joyce draws his protagonist with strokes designed to let us recognize in "the creature driven and derided by vanity" both a boy who is initiated into knowledge through a loss of innocence and a man who fully realizes the incompatibility between the beautiful and innocent world of the imagination and the very real world of fact. In "Araby," Joyce uses character to embody the theme of his story.

Should Members Of Congress Earn More Money Or Less? :: essays research papers

Well, it really depends on one thing; I'm talking about their reason for becoming a congressman. If I were to become a congressman, my reason would be to help Californians express their opinions better. However this is my reason. Different people have millions of other reasons. I think there are three major reasons for becoming a congressman: represent his/her state, power, or money. I don't believe that most people get into Congress for the money. I believe most people that become congressmen want their state to be heard, and they want to improve it. However not everybody is so good some people are in it purely for power, usually power means money. I do not believe their salaries should be lowered, because if they feel they don't get what they deserve, they might not do their best in the office, they might abuse their privileges, etc. If they don't get paid enough they become more susceptible to taking bribes; this is the first sign of corruption. This might explain the paying less part, however it doesn't say much about raising their salary. I've considered the idea of raising their salary, however after a careful examination of facts, I didn't think raising it would improve much. As I have mentioned before, people (the Congressmen) don't do it for the money. Basically money isn't their primary concern. What would happen if you say doubled their salaries? People are not perfect, nobody is... if you pay them a lot more, chances are they might become greedy; when the only thing a person cares about is money, nothing ever gets accomplished. Greed is a terrible "sickness," even though you have a lot of something, in this case money, you want more, and more, and more, this craving never stops. The last thing you'd want is a greedy congressman. It is very likely that a greedy congressman would take bribes, and use his office to make even more profits, any way possible. A greedy congressman would probably forget his responsibilities, and duties as a congressman; this would only make it worse for that particular state.

Education †teacher Essay

Education Education, I’d have to say it’s the one thing that many students complain about everyday but inside secretly enjoy like the song â€Å"Call Me Maybe†. Even though I might not be fond of getting up at six everyday to go learn, I know many parents around the world would kill for their child to have the opportunities I have in the society I live in. I receive a world-class education, with many opportunities to further my learning at a college or university. It isn’t only the knowledge I get from these institutions that is amazing but the teachers and fellow students that are also outstanding. These instructors are very well educated and know how to teach every class with the right style of teaching, and I believe this is the most important part in the education process. Nelson Mandela once said, â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. † Here in the United States we are lucky enough to potentially be one of the biggest changes in the world. Compared to other countries where children are arguably set up for failure, here, in America, teachers are made to hold our hands and show us the road to success. From infancy most kids are taught the importance of education, but I don’t think people in America fully understand how fortunate they are to have the privilege of nice, well-funded schools. When I went to India with my father he would tell me how they would spend countless number of hours just copying notes off of the board because they would only have one copy of a textbook and that was for the teacher at his old school in India. Students in the United States are very lucky to be able to take home a textbook home everyday if needed. High schoolers complain about how their backpacks are too heavy because of the amount of books, and how it is a hassle. Students should actually be thankful for this because other kids around the world pray everyday that they would be able to own a textbook to take home with them. Many schools around the world, including my father’s old school, do not have attendance. Many students from Palatine High School would hear this and become very jealous, and they would never show up if they didn’t have to. I believe this is actually a great rule because this exemplifies how the United States puts you on a road to success. This rule forces students to get some type of education, and education is key in moving forward in life. It isn’t only how great the knowledge we are learning is, but also how great the teachers, and fellow students are. It is incredible how nice teachers are in the United States. Teachers at Palatine High School are always willing to stay after school, come before school, meet during lunch, or do whatever they possibly can do to help you learn the material. On Tuesday my Psychology teacher came in at 7 AM just to help me and one other student prepare for a test. For only two kids my teacher came in over an hour earlier than she had to. Now that’s amazing. This is not only a few teachers, but all teachers are like this and it amazes me everyday how much our Palatine High School staff actually cares about its students. Comparing this to some other countries where teachers can hit and abuse students, it’s essentially comparing black to white. Next is the type of classroom setting and they way teaching is done, and how this helps students learn. In all of my classes if a life lesson can be taught a teacher will never think twice before taking time out of the lesson plan to help us, all the students in the long run. An example of this would be in my English class where tangent conversations about the topic at hand turn out to take the whole class period. It is amazing how my teacher facilitates these conversations to not only pertain to the topic we are learning but also life lessons. Every day and every year at school I am exposed to multiple different teaching styles and I have noticed that certain types of classes are taught the best with certain teaching styles. Personally some classes are naturally harder for me while some are naturally easier. This maybe due to the curriculum we are learning, but this is also due to how the teacher teaches. There are generally four types of teaching styles. There is formal authority, demonstrator, facilitator, and delegator. First is the formal authority teaching style. â€Å"This style is generally teacher-centered, where the teacher feels responsible for providing and controlling the flow of the content and the student is expected to receive the content† (â€Å"Teaching Styles Categories†). I believe this type of teaching works best with science and math classes because in science and math classes we learn brand new material which we don’t have much past experience with so it is necessary for the teacher to translate the information or else we would never really get to what is important. For me in physics class the formal authority teaching style works great by having the teacher give us notes to take on what is the important information on each concept which is vital to know. Next is the demonstrator. â€Å"The demonstrator teaching style run teacher-centred classes with an emphasis on demonstration and modeling. This type of teacher acts as a role model by demonstrating skills and processes. Then as a coach/guide in helping students develop and apply these skills and knowledge† (â€Å"Teaching Styles Categories†). I believe this type of teaching would work best in a world language. In a world language it is important to know the fundamental origins of what you are learning, and how what you are learning actually works. In a world language by seeing multiple examples of something complicated, you are able to analyze it and understand every part to it, which in the end helps you become at an expert at it. An example of this would be from Spanish last year where I did not understand how to use the subjunctive form, but with help from my teacher and him showing every part to it I was able learn the concept of the subjunctive form and ace the quiz. After this is the facilitator model teaching style. â€Å"Teachers who use the facilitator model tend to focus on activities. This teaching style emphasizes student-centered learning and there is much more responsibility placed on the students to take the initiative for meeting the demands of various learning tasks† (â€Å"Teaching Styles Categories†). I think this works best in an English class. I say this because in English we have learned a lot of what we need to know from past English classes. So to reach the next level in English students need to be able to pick out key concepts by themselves and argue why that concept is important. I have seen a lot of this in my English class, and I have noticed that the class has grown with this skill because our teacher does a great job facilitating class conversations se we get to what we need to know with as little interruption from the discussion. Lastly there is the delegator teaching style. â€Å"Teachers who teach with a delegator teaching style tend to focus on activities. This teaching style emphasizes student-centered learning and there is much more responsibility placed on the students to take the initiative for meeting the demands of various learning tasks† (â€Å"Teaching Styles Categories†). I believe this teaching style lends itself to the social studies because you are able to understand a lot of the key terms after seeing them in real life examples. In my psychology class you can sit through class and still get by, but to fully understand the concepts a student must apply himself during experiments and videos to be able to see the key terms in real life examples. These teaching styles are never limited to just one in a classroom and can be combined to further a student’s education and to help a student learn and retain information better. Even though we have all these nice privileges and opportunities at schools in the United States, I believe this feeds a flaw. This flaw is the lack of wanting an education in students. I think since many students don’t actually know how lucky they are to have the opportunities they do here in the United States, their respect and importance for education in their lives is decreased. This is due to the fact that the American education system has formed society to believe that education for everyone is the norm, when in reality this is far from the truth. When education should be growing in importance to future generations it is only decreasing in importance. This is shown by comparing how much money the United States spends on education funding to student performance. The United States is the country that spends the fifth most per a student on average, spending about 12,550. 24 dollars per student (â€Å"Class size, teacher’s pay and spending: which countries spend the most and pay the least in education? †). However, the United States only places 17th in the developed world for education (â€Å"Best Education In The World†). Comparing the United States’ policy of education to other countries, maybe there are some changes to be made. A country the United States could use as a role model would be Finland, the number one ranked country for education (â€Å"Best Education In The World†). Finland’s excellence is due to a succession of reforms starting in the 1970s (â€Å"What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform†). These reforms were based off of five strategies which were getting resources for those who need them most, high standards and supports for special needs, qualified teachers, evaluation of education, and balancing decentralization and centralization (â€Å"What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform†). First off by getting resources to the people who need them will allow all the people in the United States to get an education, which will surely increase the Untied States’ average. Many people cannot get a higher education because they cannot afford it, but by giving them the resources to get a higher education the US will be able to higher their educational level. Unlike the United States in Finland Ninety-eight percent of the cost of education at all levels is covered by government rather than by private sources (â€Å"What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform†). Next, by increasing the standards and supports for special needs will enable students to increase their knowledge and give them the chance to show it. Another thing the United States needs to do is get more qualified teachers. Even though this is not really a problem in district 211, I believe this a big factor holding back students from their full potential. I believe that this is a crucial step in the nation taking a step forward because unqualified teachers are unable to help a students learn the material needed to bring the Untied States to the next level of educational success. The next thing is the United States has to do is evaluate education, everything from the purpose to how it is tested. Many small changes such as taking away honors classes and â€Å"regular† classes will force students to work harder in a normal class. This also will not discourage any students who were trying to get into an honors class and did not make it. The common curriculum will allow everyone to get a higher learning and not only a few kids who did well on one test to put them in a higher class. This will also help create a friendly yet competitive environment for school. This success of this reform has already been shown, â€Å"At the beginning of the 1970s, Finland launched reforms to equalize educational opportunity by first eliminating the practice of separating students into very different tracks based on their test scores, and then by eliminating the examinations themselves† (â€Å"What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform†). Another thing that will help take the next step in education is taking away many standardized tests such as the ISAT, PSAT, ACT, and etc. Instead of trying to focus on bringing students up to a low national level, by decentralizing and giving power to more highly trained local teachers would allow the US to bring the whole national average up. In Finland, â€Å"Over the past 40 years, Finland has shifted from a highly centralized system emphasizing external testing to a more localized system in which highly trained teachers design curriculum around the very lean national standards† (â€Å"What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform†). This will allow teachers to teach the way they believe the students will learn better and this makes the job easier for both the teacher and the students. All of these tactics have worked for Finland as we see the change from 1970 once it broke free of the Soviet Union to where it has come now. Even though the change in the American education system will not be immediate, I believe it is possible to bring change and to higher the level of education in the United States. In the end I believe the American Education system is one of the greatest things the nation has to offer its people. Even though it has its flaws the United States’ education system is doing something right because the US is the country with the number one GDP. The American education system is something that is very unique, and something students in the United States should use to their full potential. Works Cited Hammond, Linda D. â€Å"What We Can Learn from Finland’s Successful School Reform. † Nea. org. NEA, Oct. -Nov. 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. Rogers, Simon. â€Å"Class Size, Teacher’s Pay and Spending: Which Countries Spend the Most and Pay the Least in Education? † The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 28 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. Stein, Jennifer. â€Å"Teaching Styles Categories. † Teaching Styles Categories. 13 Apr. 2001. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. Zhao, Emmeline. â€Å"Best Education In The World: Finland, South Korea Top Country Rankings, U. S. Rated Average. † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 14 Jan. 2013.

ACT Full Fees Registration Whats the Total Cost of the ACT

ACT Full Fees Registration What's the Total Cost of the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Just like many parts of the college application process, taking the ACT (and even using your ACT scores) means an assortment of fees. Here, I'll break down every possible ACT registration cost and score fee. The good news is that a lot of these fees are unnecessary and avoidable. Read to the end for tips and strategies on saving as much as possible on the ACT. Registration Costs for the ACT (2018-2019) Registration charges are unfortunately mandatory if you are planning on taking the ACT. Registration-related fees, or add-ons that can bump up your costs, aren't required of test-takers. These extra services could be useful in special circumstances, even though you'll end up shelling out a few extra bucks. Here's a chart outlining mandatory registration fees: Fee Cost Description Registration- No Writing section $50.50 Includes reports for you, your high school, and up to 4 college choices Registration- With Writing section $67 Includes reports for you, your high school, and up to 4 college choices And here's a chart outlining optional add-on fees: Add-on Fees Cost Description Telephone Re-registration $15 Only available if you’ve previously registered for a test. Late Registration $30 Fee for registering after the regular deadline. Standby Testing $53 Fee for being placed on a waitlist for a particular test center/date. Refunded if you’re denied admission on test day. Test Date Change $30 Keep your location, change your test date. If you change your test date after the registration deadline, you'll also be charged the late registration fee. Test Center Change $30 Keep your test date, change location. International Fees $51 Mandatory fee for students taking the ACT outside the US or Canada. Score Report Analysis Costs for the ACT (2018-2019) After you take the ACT, you'll want to receive, analyze, and send out your scores. This chart outlines all possible post-test services and their costs. Service Cost Description Viewing scores score report online $0 You can check your score report online at no cost, but you still need to send official score reports to schools. Score report (first four reports) $0 Enter up to four school score report requests at no cost. You can enter this info when you register or when you test. Score report (fifth and sixth colleges) $13 each Enter up to two additional school score report requests when you register or when you test for an additional cost (but no additional speed). Score report (each additional report) $12 After the reports you order when you register or on test day, you’re charged this fee per additional score report. Priority score reporting $16.50 Priority report requests are usually processed and sent within 2 days. This fee is per score report. Test Information Release (TIR) $20 Receive a copy of your test questions, a list of your answers, and an answer key. You’ll also receive your essay prompt, scoring rubric, and scores. How to Minimize ACT Registration Reporting Costs As you can see, ACT registration and reporting costs can add up if you're pressed for time, if you want detailed score reports, or if you're applying to many schools. You can avoid a lot of these fees if you plan ahead. Planning ahead can save you hundreds of dollars; your piggy bank will thank you. Take the Test Early If you're scrambling to get official score reports to schools before their application deadlines, you might not have a choice but to pay $16.50 for a priority score report. This might happen if you take the ACT last minute, or if you procrastinate in sending official score reports. Although this is unavoidable in certain circumstances, you'll save yourself money (and unnecessary stress) if you take your test earlier rather than later. It takes about two to three weeks for your multiple choice scores to be posted, and another two weeks for your essay score to be posted. You should budget an additional two weeks at minimum for colleges to actually receive your score reports. In order to avoid rush fees, try to schedule your last ACT no later than seven weeks before your scores need to be in. Register Early If you miss the normal deadline and have to register late, you'll end up increasing your total registration costs by more than 50%. Registering months in advance won't only save you money- it will also ensure you get the test date you want before al the seats are booked. Having a hard test deadline in mind can also jumpstart your motivation to study; you'll be better able to budget your time. Take Advantage of Free Score Reports You can send up to four score reports for free if you specify the schools you'd like to send your scores to early enough. List the four schools as early as registration, and as late as the Monday nine days after the published test date. This will save you up to $48. Learn more about the pros and cons of sending the four free ACT score reports here. Apply for a Fee Waiver If You're Eligible Low-income families may find these ACT costs to be especially daunting. In an effort to mitigate this financial burden, the ACT offers fee waivers to certain students. You may qualify if you meet all of the eligibility requirements: You're currently enrolled in high school in grade or 12 You're a US citizen, or testing in the US, US territories, or Puerto Rico You meet one or more of these requirements: You're enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Your family income falls within guidelines for free or reduced price lunches; Your family receives public assistance You're enrolled in a federal, state, or local program for low income students (e.g. Upward Bound) You live in subsidized housing, foster care, or are homeless You are a ward of the state or an orphan If you are eligible, you can receive up to two fee waivers total. Each waiver covers registration costs, but does not cover any additional score reports or add-on fees.You have to apply for a fee waiver through your school counselor; since this can take time, make sure to apply for a fee waiver well in advance of the test dates you'd like to register for. Bonus: Looking for the very best guides to every ACT section? Check out our top guides for every single section of the ACT. Choose the score level you're aiming for: 36 Score Guides: ACT English | ACT Math | ACT Reading | ACT Science | ACT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring a 26 or above on a section, and you want to get the highest ACT score possible. 24 Score Guides: ACT English | ACT Math | ACT Reading | ACT Science | ACT Science Choose these guides if you're scoring below a 24 on a section, and you want to boost your score to at least a 24 level. These are the very best guides available on boosting your ACT score, section by section. They're written by Harvard grads and perfect ACT scorers. Don't disappoint yourself - read these guides and improve your score today. What's Next? Because the SAT seems pretty similar to the ACT,you might be evaluating whether you should take the SAT, the ACT, or both. Learn more about how to decide which test (or tests) to take here. Of course, you want to make sure you get the best scores possible on your ACT. Check out our guide to getting the perfect score here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Learn How to Properly Apply Gel Coat

Learn How to Properly Apply Gel Coat Applying gel coat correctly is of utmost importance to making aesthetically pleasing and long-lasting end products. If gel coat is not applied properly it ultimately can increase the cost of the product made, as often is the case, cutting corners in this process will not prove to be worth it. How Do Improperly Applied Gel Coats Increase Cost? It depends on a number of parts that get rejected and the work required to fix them. The amount of work and material saved by investing in a proper gel coat application process will pay off in the end. Proper gel coat application includes: Material preparationEquipment calibrationUse of trained spray operatorsAppropriate spray methods Gel coats should be sprayed and not brushed. The equipment used for spraying must be selected carefully and maintained well. Catalyst levels are important to the curing of the gel coat and dependent upon shop conditions. Most gel coats’ ideal catalyst level is 1.8 percent at 77Â °F (25Â °C), however, specific shop conditions may require this number to vary between 1.2 and 3 percent. Environmental factors that may require an adjustment in catalyst levels are: TemperatureHumidityMaterial ageCatalyst brand or type A catalyst level below 1.2 percent or above 3 percent should not be used because the cure of the gel coated can be affected permanently. Product data sheets can give specific catalyst recommendations. There are many catalysts for use in resins and gel coats. Proper catalyst selection is vital. In gel coats, only MEKP-based catalysts should be used. The three active ingredients in a MEKP-based catalyst are: Hydrogen peroxideMEKP monomerMEKP dimmer Each component helps the curing of unsaturated polyesters. The following is each chemical’s specific role: Hydrogen peroxide: starts gelation phase, though does little for a cureMEKP monomer: plays roles in initial cure and overall cureMEKP dimer: active during file cure stage of polymerization, high MEKP dimer typically causes porosity (air entrapping) in gel coats Achieving the correct thickness of a gel coat is imperative as well. A gel coat should be sprayed in three passes for a total wet film thickness of 18 /- 2 mils thickness. Too thin a coating can result in undercure of the gel coat. Too thick a coat can crack when flexed. Spraying gel coat onto vertical surfaces will not cause sag because of its’ thixotropic characteristics. Gel coats will also not entrap air when applied according to instructions. Lamination With all other factors normal, gel coats are ready for laminating within 45 to 60 minutes after catalyzation. The time is dependent upon: TemperatureHumidityCatalyst typeCatalyst concentrationAir movement A slowing of gel and cure occurs with low temperatures, low catalyst concentrations, and high humidity. To test whether a gel coat is ready for lamination touch the film at the lowest part of the mold. It is ready if no material transfers. Always monitor equipment and application procedures to ensure proper application and cure of the gel coat. Material Preparation Gel coat materials come as complete products and not other materials other than catalysts should be added. For product consistency, gel coats should be mixed for 10 minutes before use. Agitation should be enough to allow the product to move all the way to the container walls while preventing as much turbulence as possible. It is imperative not to over-mix. This can decrease thixotropy, which increases sag. Overmixing may also result in styrene loss that can add to porosity. Air bubbling for mixing is not advised. It is ineffective and adds for potential water or oil contamination.