Re: marine paint or bust
Just remember one thing! No matter what paint you decide to go with, the only real aspect that will totally ruin your paint job, regardless of if you buy a 150$ quart of paint or a 50$ quart, and that is PREP! With either paint or Gelcoat.
Your prep has to be excellent to gain a fully lustrous and quality paint job. Youll need to search a bit about paint prep and methods of application. Spraying with an air brush can give VERY good results if the paint is used correctly. Make sure if you spray you follow guidelines on thinning the paint if needed to ensure even distribution and to prevent puddling and runs etc.
A roll and tip method has turned out some stunning results as well for a few I boats members. You should search also the phrase "roll and tip" to see these boats as i cannot remember exactly where the threads are at the moment.
Either way like i said, prep is king and you should really focus on that aspect only until you have made certain that the entire area to be painted is sanded, filled, sanded again as needed up to at least 1500 grit starting at 220 and advancing to 1500. Wet sand past 600 grit for the smoothest results. Clean with acetone before your base coat of primer, and make sure youy use it! At least 2 coats of primer sanded between coats to 1500 grit, then you can apply your first coat of color. Again be sure to sand to 1500 grit and clean VERY well. You can use a claybar to make sure you get every imperfection out of the surface before you apply color. Apply at least 2-3 coats of your color and then if you use automotive paint apply a clear coat to cap the color off, but do not sand before you apply the clear. Sand between coats of color as well for the best results altho this is sometimes not needed with stuff like Easypoxy etc. Quality paint lays down rather well.
This is by no means the absolute and most concrete method ever, but i spend a lot of time on prep work for all my paint jobs, and while i may not be the best at wood working LOL, i always seem to get a damn fine paint job on every project!
Gelcoat is pretty much the same and requires the same amount of prep to get the best bond and texture. Follow the same guidelines for the best results.
Good luck with yours which ever way you decide to take it tho! Post pics!
Ill be starting my paint work likely this week so ill be updating my thread as well.
Take care!
RC
Rajun
I want to thank you for the insight. the above and below post to my questions have cleared up my questions unlike any of the paint providers i e-mail without a single response as to why i should select there paint for my project.
Outstanding answers to all of you.
I have decided on supermarinepaint, i ordered the etching primer last night, and will begin the prep process this weekend, i spent all last weekend scraping the yellow yuck of, then i sanded with 100 grit till the original gel coat was totally exposed, except for a couple choice areas ie bunker and gae cluster steering wheel area, i had yet to remove those items or move the boat on the trailer for access.
Now you indicated, i need to sand back up to 1500 grit, prior to using the etching primer??? Ive always thought going to 220 before primer was enough, this is incorrect?
Now once i have the boat back up to 1500 grit, i spray the etching primer upon completely cleaning the boat to including washing with aggresive soap and water then drying, and wiping with acetone, making sure to wipe dry as i go, then tack raggin every inch, and then spray the etching primer with light coats repeated as it flashes till it is a uniform covering. then spot putty and sand again from 220 to 1500 grit, then the cleaning process again?
Now at this point i would use acetone again once washed with soap and water??
now once washed wiped dried, and tack ragged im ready for the base coat, spraying light coats allowing to flash as i move around the boat respraying till a uniform coat is applied, then i would be applying a clear coat with metalflake 3coats, now i wouls allow it to dry, at which point i would be masking to apply a stripe in a different color of metal flake, once completed remove the masking and apply 2 coats of clear coat over the total boat.
Again Thanks for all you're time in my endevour
Sincerely
Dave
P.S. This is my one and only attempt at painting it was 1997, i built this car from the ground up in 4 months Stripped uncovered terrible sins, body work, painted upolstered all mechanical, the paint still looks like the day i sprayed it, but the car almost never see's the light of day, ive put about 300 miles on it in 14 years, Hot August Nights only
