Flow Coat vs. Paint

[ncp]

I need to pretty-up my console and storage box. The previous owner painted both with grey Zolatone paint (Zolatone | Professional Multi Color Paint and Decorative Finishes). It's grey but has white & black "splatter" mixed in (picture to follow when I'm near the boat). I need to replace and move some things on the console so I'm a bit annoyed that it's not some I can touch up easily (needs to be sprayed). I looked for a comparable product in a can for touch up but didn't find anything. I'm thinking that redo it all will give me a better look anyways.

I'm looking for a glossy grey factory look. If done right, I could paint (but would need guidance on paint type application too) or "Flow Coat" as everyone talks about here. Which will be more durable? Easier to do for someone that hasn't done either really before? Is there a primer somewhere on flow coating? (didn't find a thread) From my searching/reading of different thread, flow coat is just resin, wax, and pigment rolled or sprayed on?

Thanks!!!

[ribraff]

Flow coat is just Gelcoat with wax in styrene added to stop the surface drying tacky.
You can hand roll Gel coat, apply 4 or 5 coats and add wax in styrene on the last one and then flat back and polish, or you can spray the Gelcoat by adding styrene to thin out, you'll need a 2 mm needle and a very good compressor though!

[ncp]

So, does each layer have color? Epoxy or polyester resin? (RIB was made by Willard Marine, Anaheim, CA) So, just put on multiple layers, and start sanding it with finer and finer sand paper to get a glossy finish?

I've done plenty of surfboard repair. In surfboard repair, they sell "laminating resin" and "sanding resin". Sanding resin has the wax in it to finish and gloss the patch. Same idea?