Epoxy Paint

[SS MAYFLOAT]

I will be planning to paint my Bliner maybe early this spring. I was thinking about using Olympic Epoxylon. It is a paint that is designed for fiberglass pools. I have painted numerous pools with this paint and it has held up as per their warrenty. They warrenty it up to 5 years. There was only two places the size of a CD that had came loose, but to find out it was due to sweat off of the painters forehead. But for a 35X72 foot pool thats not bad. The pool I painted 8 years ago is still holding up fine, but it also had 3 coats applied. These pools have the water left in them year around and only drained in the spring for cleaning purposes. They use a mild solution of muratic acid to clean off any calcium/lime deposits.<br />So do you think using their white epoxy with a tinting agent be good on a Boat? Just curious, it seems like it would actually be better than that of marine epoxy because it is designed to be imersed in water? Is there any chemists that can shed some light here? Thanx

 

[DJ]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Mayfloat,<br /><br />Very interesting idea. Never thought much about it. Down here there are alot of swimming pools, or as I call them "money pits" being repaired.<br /><br />See if you can get some and try it in an area you can't see.<br /><br />Let us know!

 

[michaelsen]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Mayfloat, what is the price difference?<br /><br />Regards<br />Michael www.mitechtrading.com

 

[Hooty]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Hooty to the SS Mayfloat,<br />Howdy Mayfloat,<br />Epoxies, by their very will bond to dang near anything, boats and swimming pools included. What I've noticed about epoxy paints is their viscosity. They are so thick, that when sprayed, they don't want to "flow out" smooth and you end up with an "orange peel" effect. However, if your gonna paint it white, the "orange peel" won't show up as bad as with dark colors. As a rule, the darker the color, the more blimishes will show up. There are a whole load of paint systems out there that hold up as good as epoxies and are a whole lot eaiser to apply.<br />Keep us posted, g'luck & c/6<br /><br />hooty

 

[DJ]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Hooty,<br /><br />I thought those little dimples were called "luster cups"!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Did some checking at a few websites on prices. The pool paint is about 50 to 65 a gallon, it is twice as much at marine paint. However one brand of pool paint has a warrenty of 8 years for just one coat. The main draw back is the area of coverage, it seems that most of the pool paint will only cover about 150 square feet per gallon. I have figured out it will take about 4 gallons to double coat. I will probably wait until my buddies paint a pool this spring. They get huge discounts on it since they buy in 5 gal and 55 gal containers. That should make it about 35 a gallon. As far as application, I'll get 4 cheap sprayguns, thin epoxy with quality acetone/MEK mixture to eliminate the orange peal. I'll have 4 people helping, a mixer, a cleaner, and an 2 spraying. This is the process we use on the pools, and works well. It allows for a continuious application. Both sprayers start in the front and work back to the stern where the fresh paint meets fresh rather than have fresh merging with paint that has been on the boat curing while you make your way around the boat. I know in the pools where you end up overlapping fresh to cured, you can always pick out that spot. I may just paint the bottom this year, see how it does, and then wait till spring of 2003 to do the topside. Right now it has some really nasty looking antifoul stuff that to me is ugly plus it is real rough like 80 grit sandpaper. I know this can't be good on my performance.<br />For those that use epoxy paint on fiberglass, here is a tip that I picked up from working with the stuff. If you first take a wet towell with acetone and wash down the surface that you are going to paint (don't let it stay wet for long or it can raise some existing paint or make your fiberglass to soft!) then take another clean towell and then dry off the area you just prepped. This seems to soften the existing surface, and works as a final prep before painting. It allows your new paint to melt/bond with the old for better adhesion. YOU MUST WEAR APPROIATE BREATHING GEAR. The fumes from this stuff is extremely dangerous as well as explosive. This is especially when you do a final wash with acetone and during the spraying. Thanks guys

 

[DJ]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Mayfloat,<br /><br />Those prices aren't that bad. I've paid that much for two part marine paint. If you can get a deal-go for it.<br /><br />Good luck!

 

[michaelsen]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Are Polyurethane Paint and epoxy paint the same?<br />I have seen the paint from pettit described as both on different web sites.<br /><br />Regards<br />Michael

 

[Terry H]

Re: Epoxy Paint

I painted a fiberglass spa and a fiberglass hull the same day with the same epoxy paint I bought from my local auto paint supplier 6 years ago...they both look as good today as they did the day they were painted...just a Thought

 

[Hawkeye1]

Re: Epoxy Paint

I used Pettit polypoxy on my boat bottom and it has held up for 3 years now. Have left it in the water 2 weeks at a time several times. Contrairy to the post above the paint is very thin but dries very hard and sturdy. Check it out, they claim it is a good work boat paint. It will run 28$ for 1/2 gal.

 

[Gold Bear]

Re: Epoxy Paint

SS Mayfloat,<br /><br />I work at a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. We paint ships every day using epoxy paint. Epoxy is used for underwater coatings (usually with anti-fouling on top of that), inside fuel tanks, ballast water tanks etc.<br /><br />Urethane (and Alkyd-enamel)coatings are used in cosmetic areas.<br /><br />Epoxy coatings are the most durable of all.<br /><br />Many of the coatings we use are manufactured by Ameron or International (though there are many other marine coatings).<br /><br />Regards to all, Gold Bear <br />

 

[Gold Bear]

Re: Epoxy Paint

PS<br /><br />Do not paint epoxy over enamel - it will lift. It is OK to paint enamel over epoxy.<br /><br />The most important thing with any paint job is the preparation of the surface to be painted. (Here at the shipyard - most often - the surface is sand-blasted. You must give the paint something to hold on to. If you paint over a previous / old coat that has a smooth / shiny surface it is important to sand that first coat to give the next coat something to grab hold of.<br /><br />Regards, Gold Bear<br /><br />

 

[manowar]

Re: Epoxy Paint

are u going to run the boat in salt water I dont guess your paint would be bothered in fresh at all

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Hi gents<br /><br />Has anyone heard of, or used "Endura" ?

 

[Neil]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Gents,<br /><br />Really interested in this discussion as I posted something similar on the 15th. It was suggested that I could fill rubdown and spray with Automotive paint. I have a 19ft Gulfcraft. I don't want it to be patchy so I wouold be painting all the "white" parts of the hull.<br /><br />As the areas of repair are scratches, should I be contunue with automotive. It seems a simpler, quicker and cheaper option than epoxy based paints.<br /><br />A stupid question too, any top tips for paining with the boat on the tariler as there are bits of the trailer that mask areas of the hull. I was thinking of jacking to move the hull but I want to minimise the risk of damage.<br /><br />NG

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Thanks for the input guys, I've been researching what the major differences are in the epoxies. What I have found is that most of the resins/compounds are practically the same, but what sets them apart is the solids. The content of solids does not mean that it is better due to the following reasons. The Solid molecules can actually range in size. The bigger the solids molecules when bunched together leave larger knooks and crannies, And of course the smaller the molecules the smaller the knooks and crannies around them. Concrete would give good example as per aggregate size.<br />One analyist at the local paint manufacture in town here told me a simple weighing of the container will help deciding which has better solid content. The one that weighs the most will most likely be the more dense in its structure. This makes for a smoother surface to prevent anything attaching to the surface. You use wax to shine your boat, but what the wax does is fill the knooks and crannies in the surface to make a glass like surface. <br />So to go one step further, I'm trying to find out if electrostatic method of painting will also help in epoxy paint? For those that don't know what electrostatic spraying is, It is when you apply a charge to the surface, and the oppsite charge to the spray gun. Then when the paint is sprayed, the molecules in the paint is then alligned equally and packed tighter together which aids in a harder coat of paint. But on fiberglass I'm not sure if there would be a way to do this unless you can spray a conductive sealer/primer on befor the electrostatic spray. Maybe try on something small sometime and see what happens.<br /><br />If you could boat on frozen water, I wouldn't need a trailer to get to the lake now. **** SNOW!

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Epoxy Paint

NGRIFF1<br /><br />Its been my experience that epoxy paints 'set up' quicker. Automotive acrylic enamels take weeks to cure with hardener, and years to cure without. Some say after high speed, you can see the metalic 'slide' on the hull with uncured acrylic. With white, I guess you wouldn't. Epoxy paints are also more chemical resistant.(handy if you use harsh cleaning chemicals at a later date).One last thing, epoxy paints and two part primers stick like "bear sh!t to a blanket" Acrylic enamels are less forgiving.....<br /><br />

 

[DJ]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Schematic,<br /><br />Unless you use "Permatex Gasket Remover" right?<br /><br />Going to get some today.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Strippers? The best I found is the ones that take their clothes off, but to remove paint, aircraft paint remover will take off epoxy.

 

[petryshyn]

Re: Epoxy Paint

Hey djohns19:<br />before you spray that stuff on, scrape off as much old gasket as you can. Works best if you get through atleast half the old gasket.<br /><br />Be interesting if SSMAYFLOAT's aircraft stripper will take gaskets off as good or better!!!!!!!<br />