Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

[jonnysteals]

I recently picked up a 1979 20 foot grady white cuddy cabin. I am refinishing the boat and can not decide on a paint. I need an afordable paint that will last for at least five years. I planned on using rustoleum professional oil based paint with hardener and thinning it 15 percent. My father in law came out to the shop and nearly had a heart attack at my suggestion to use rustoleum paint on my boat. He basically told me to stop being a cheap *** and use interlux perfection two part paint.

My questions is will the rustoleum hold up? I want to paint the interior and exterior(above waterline) on my boat. I was going to add a sand mixture for the floor coating. I bought two gallons of rustoleum and all the rollers and tape(etc and it came to 104 bucks.

I just dont want to regret my decision because it is a ton of work to redo if my rustoleum doesnt hold up. If the rustoleum is not tha piant for me how many quarts of the interlux perfection do i need for the exterior? How many quarts of primer will I need. I am guessing that the interlux will run me around 300 bucks for the exterior only where as the rustoleum only will run me a hundred for exterior and interior painting?


If the rustoleum and interlux perfection are not recommended what paint do you guys recomend for low budget project? Sorry for the thousand questions its the more I search the more opinions I get and the more i doubt my rustoleum paint.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I recently picked up a 1979 20 foot grady white cuddy cabin. I am refinishing the boat and can not decide on a paint. I need an afordable paint that will last for at least five years.

I just dont want to regret my decision because it is a ton of work to redo if my rustoleum doesnt hold up. If the rustoleum is not tha piant for me how many quarts of the interlux perfection do i need for the exterior? How many quarts of primer will I need. I am guessing that the interlux will run me around 300 bucks for the exterior only where as the rustoleum only will run me a hundred for exterior and interior painting?


If the rustoleum and interlux perfection are not recommended what paint do you guys recomend for low budget project? Sorry for the thousand questions its the more I search the more opinions I get and the more i doubt my rustoleum paint.

For Non-skid I recommend Grip-Tex ( comes in a few grits ).

The rest of your questions.. you have this..

Quality-Time-Cost ( Pick any two and you have your answer ) . Not to kid about this.. choose wisely ..

Its a Grady .. why not keep it Gel.. Has the Gelcoat failed for some reason ?

YD.

 

[Tahorover]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

Imron 333 is a great low cost two part polyurethane. It is in 3Ms industrial line.
http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/common/pdfs/b/product/dic/DIC/Imron3-5HG.pdf
http://www.mikeandjerrys.com/diImron.asp

I paid $80/gallon custom tinted from my local 3M industrial paint dealer.

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

Imron 333 is a great low cost two part polyurethane. It is in 3Ms industrial line.
http://pc.dupont.com/dpc/en/US/html/visitor/common/pdfs/b/product/dic/DIC/Imron3-5HG.pdf
http://www.mikeandjerrys.com/diImron.asp

I paid $80/gallon custom tinted from my local 3M industrial paint dealer.

Can this be rolled on? It seems very comaprable to the interlux two part paint. This paint is durable and will last for years correct?

For Non-skid I recommend Grip-Tex ( comes in a few grits ).

The rest of your questions.. you have this..

Quality-Time-Cost ( Pick any two and you have your answer ) . Not to kid about this.. choose wisely ..

Its a Grady .. why not keep it Gel.. Has the Gelcoat failed for some reason ?

YD.

The previous owner painted it a light blue. I have sanded it down and have been finishing the body work for about 15 hours now. I have been very maticulous with the body work which is why I feel bad about using rustoleum. I found the Interlux brightside one part paint. Its $100 a gallon for the bright white which I need. This seems like a better paint that should last for years to come. I plan on applying it with a roller as well if that maked any difference. Is this a good paint?

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

In all Honesty ... 15 hours on a 20 foot is kinda slim..

Aside from that .. there are only the top LP paints for roll and tip. AwlGrip LP .. or the other one .. Sterling ..

I dont know if you can brush Sterling LP ... But you Can with AG LP .. NOT Awlcraft 2000 ( This must be sprayed as there is no brushing reducer for it ).

I know your hardship and your concern . And I Know Why you ask your questions.

Again.. aside from going top of the line pro .. You can still ( and please ) ask how to apply your paint.

YD.

Ps. Need to know what system you want to go with on the paint ..

 

[solar7647]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I recently picked up a 1979 20 foot grady white cuddy cabin. I am refinishing the boat and can not decide on a paint. I need an afordable paint that will last for at least five years. I planned on using rustoleum professional oil based paint with hardener and thinning it 15 percent. My father in law came out to the shop and nearly had a heart attack at my suggestion to use rustoleum paint on my boat. He basically told me to stop being a cheap *** and use interlux perfection two part paint.

My questions is will the rustoleum hold up? I want to paint the interior and exterior(above waterline) on my boat. I was going to add a sand mixture for the floor coating. I bought two gallons of rustoleum and all the rollers and tape(etc and it came to 104 bucks.

I just dont want to regret my decision because it is a ton of work to redo if my rustoleum doesnt hold up. If the rustoleum is not tha piant for me how many quarts of the interlux perfection do i need for the exterior? How many quarts of primer will I need. I am guessing that the interlux will run me around 300 bucks for the exterior only where as the rustoleum only will run me a hundred for exterior and interior painting?


If the rustoleum and interlux perfection are not recommended what paint do you guys recomend for low budget project? Sorry for the thousand questions its the more I search the more opinions I get and the more i doubt my rustoleum paint.

Rustolium makes a marine top side paint. I really like it, it worked great for me I did my 22ft cuddy with it. It's all about prep. If you don't prep right nothing will hold up. A tip, sand gel coat, wash with paint remover or ISO sand again clean again then primer paint and so on. This is because gel coat has a wax that if not removed the paint will peel in no time.

The only place I found the marine rustolium was on amazon.com and was $15 a quart. I attached a couple shots of mine when I painted it.

Also did some non slip areas and I know it's frowned on around hear but I used DIY truck bed liner from Autozone, and I am very happy with it. I did all my paint for less them $300 and that includes prep stuff and the paint gun from Harbor Freight.

I have gone through one season and the past winter .....boat stored out side....and paint still looks great!

Before

After

Non slip areas

 

[sschefer]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I'm a fan of Interlux. Roll and tip can be done with just about any paint. It's a process that's been around for years but mostly forgotten except in the Marine world. Just try and find a Badger hair brush at you local paint store, (West Marine has them).

Interlux Perfection would probably be the better choice for you. Brightside is more of a topside paint designed for above the waterline applications.

Like the Yacht Dr. states, there are only a few really good Marine finishes out there. He's mentioned some of the best and I'd mark Interlux just one notch down from them. I'd put Rustoleum about 8 notches down based on my own experiences.

It seems that the better the product the more complex the application procedure. Interlux was just about as difficult as I felt comfortable with. I didn't want to risk wasting a lot of expensive paint. Interlux isn't inexpensive by any means but I felt confident I could apply it correctly and have a good long lasting finish. I succeeded with mine.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

Rustolium makes a marine top side paint. I really like it, it worked great for me I did my 22ft cuddy with it. It's all about prep. If you don't prep right nothing will hold up. A tip, sand gel coat, wash with paint remover or ISO sand again clean again then primer paint and so on. This is because gel coat has a wax that if not removed the paint will peel in no time.

The only place I found the marine rustolium was on amazon.com and was $15 a quart. I attached a couple shots of mine when I painted it.

Also did some non slip areas and I know it's frowned on around hear but I used DIY truck bed liner from Autozone, and I am very happy with it. I did all my paint for less them $300 and that includes prep stuff and the paint gun from Harbor Freight.

I have gone through one season and the past winter .....boat stored out side....and paint still looks great!

Before

After

Non slip areas

Nice update.

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

In all Honesty ... 15 hours on a 20 foot is kinda slim..

Aside from that .. there are only the top LP paints for roll and tip. AwlGrip LP .. or the other one .. Sterling ..

I dont know if you can brush Sterling LP ... But you Can with AG LP .. NOT Awlcraft 2000 ( This must be sprayed as there is no brushing reducer for it ).

I know your hardship and your concern . And I Know Why you ask your questions.

Again.. aside from going top of the line pro .. You can still ( and please ) ask how to apply your paint.

YD.

Ps. Need to know what system you want to go with on the paint ..

I did 15 hours this past weekend and its not done yet. Will probably have right around 30 hours by the time I am able to put some color to it. With the perfection do you have to use their pre-kote primer? I would like to use some primer I have left from painting my cars. Its a high fill sandable primer. Will this work.

Rustolium makes a marine top side paint. I really like it, it worked great for me I did my 22ft cuddy with it. It's all about prep. If you don't prep right nothing will hold up. A tip, sand gel coat, wash with paint remover or ISO sand again clean again then primer paint and so on. This is because gel coat has a wax that if not removed the paint will peel in no time.

The only place I found the marine rustolium was on amazon.com and was $15 a quart. I attached a couple shots of mine when I painted it.

Also did some non slip areas and I know it's frowned on around hear but I used DIY truck bed liner from Autozone, and I am very happy with it. I did all my paint for less them $300 and that includes prep stuff and the paint gun from Harbor Freight.

I have gone through one season and the past winter .....boat stored out side....and paint still looks great!

Before

After

Non slip areas

That came out nice. I have called every local store that selles rustoleum top-side paint and they dont carry white or they are out of stock. I did pick up a quart of black to pratice my tecnique on a fiberglass box. Don't want to try it on my boat just yet.

I'm a fan of Interlux. Roll and tip can be done with just about any paint. It's a process that's been around for years but mostly forgotten except in the Marine world. Just try and find a Badger hair brush at you local paint store, (West Marine has them).

Interlux Perfection would probably be the better choice for you. Brightside is more of a topside paint designed for above the waterline applications.

Like the Yacht Dr. states, there are only a few really good Marine finishes out there. He's mentioned some of the best and I'd mark Interlux just one notch down from them. I'd put Rustoleum about 8 notches down based on my own experiences.

It seems that the better the product the more complex the application procedure. Interlux was just about as difficult as I felt comfortable with. I didn't want to risk wasting a lot of expensive paint. Interlux isn't inexpensive by any means but I felt confident I could apply it correctly and have a good long lasting finish. I succeeded with mine.

It looks like I am going to get the perfection coating for the exterior. I am unsure of what I will use on the interior as of right now. My questions is for experienced painters. Do I have to use the interlux pre-cote primer or will a standard autobody primer work? How many quarts of perfection do you think I will need(2-3) for a 20 foot cuddy cabin only doing the exterior hull above the waterline to the rub rail. I know I need two coats but you think 2 quarts will be enough or should I go with three to be safe?

Thanks for all the help guys. I have never painted a boat but I have painted around five cars in my life. This marine paint is all new to me.

 

[sschefer]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

With all paint products you should use what they recommend. With perfection you need to use their 2 part primer for the best results. Your existing paint must also be two part epoxy or it all has to come off. If your existing paint is two part and after sanding it is still providing a resonably good cover then you don't need really need the primer since the existing already has the substrate bond and fill that you're trying to achieve with the primer.

 

[Art Bernard]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

Lowes sells the rustoleum marine paint (at lest they do here in florida) and they sell the grit additive as well. I have used it to good effect and it rolls on nice and self levels, and holds up well to the harsh florida sun. As stated in above posts, the prep work is paramount, don't skimp on it.

Art

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

With all paint products you should use what they recommend. With perfection you need to use their 2 part primer for the best results. Your existing paint must also be two part epoxy or it all has to come off. If your existing paint is two part and after sanding it is still providing a resonably good cover then you don't need really need the primer since the existing already has the substrate bond and fill that you're trying to achieve with the primer.

I sanded off all the paint the previous owner had. How do I know what my original paint/gelcaot is and if it is compatable.

Lowes sells the rustoleum marine paint (at lest they do here in florida) and they sell the grit additive as well. I have used it to good effect and it rolls on nice and self levels, and holds up well to the harsh florida sun. As stated in above posts, the prep work is paramount, don't skimp on it.

Art

Would you use Roltoleum marine paint again. I keep reading online that if you leave your boat is the mater for more than a week this paint isnt for you. My boat has bottom paint on it below the waterline. Does this mean that if I cant leave my boat in the slip if I use rustoleum?

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I have basically giving up on the rustoleum. My father in law harassed me enough that I am going to go with the Interlux perfection. He is my plan of attack.

1) Finish sanding hull with up to 300 grit
2) apply interlux primekote mixed with interlux 2333N brushing agent(25%mix)
3) sand the primekote and fix and small inperfections in the hull (300 grit)
4) apply second layer of prime-kote
5) sand with 320 grit
6) apply first coat in interlux perfection with four inch foam roller and a badger hair brush
7) after curing apply a second layer of perfection after sanding with 300
8) after curing apply a third layer of perfection after sanding with 300


My estimated materials I need
2 quarts of primekote $55.00
3 quarts of interlux perfection in snow white $155.00
1 container of interlux 2333N thinner/brushing agent for primekote only $18.87
several high quality foam rollers $50
3 inch badger hair brush $20

Does this info sound correct. I really want to not mess this up

 

[solar7647]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I sanded off all the paint the previous owner had. How do I know what my original paint/gelcaot is and if it is compatable.



Would you use Roltoleum marine paint again. I keep reading online that if you leave your boat is the mater for more than a week this paint isnt for you. My boat has bottom paint on it below the waterline. Does this mean that if I cant leave my boat in the slip if I use rustoleum?

I would use it again in a heart beat, the bottom paint on my boat is Rustolium bottom paint and it holds up fine.

The rustolium top side paint says right on the can, for above the waterline, so I suppose if you paint the bottom with it it may not hold up in a slip. I know I spent a ton of time research marine paint when I did mine and I saw bad reviews for all of them and good reviews of all of them. I came to the conclusion that the reviews were a product of how much and how good the prep work was done before painting. I said it once and I will say it again prep, prep, prep!

 

[veilside180sx]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

According to the MSDS, Rustoleum Professional and Marine Topside are identical. Every chemical matches anyway, in the exact same amount. The only difference I really can find is the color choice.

No Topside paint is meant to be used for more than a week constantly immersed. (at least that I've found)

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I would use it again in a heart beat, the bottom paint on my boat is Rustolium bottom paint and it holds up fine.

The rustolium top side paint says right on the can, for above the waterline, so I suppose if you paint the bottom with it it may not hold up in a slip. I know I spent a ton of time research marine paint when I did mine and I saw bad reviews for all of them and good reviews of all of them. I came to the conclusion that the reviews were a product of how much and how good the prep work was done before painting. I said it once and I will say it again prep, prep, prep!

I think I am confusing my terminology. I only want to paint above the waterline. Below the waterline I have that anti-fouling tar like black bottom paint. My question is can I leave my boat in the water over the summer with the anti-fouling tar like bottom paint and the rustoleum/interlux topside paint on it?

Did you roll on your rustoleum? Did you use and brush or roller to smooth it out after the paint was applied?

According to the MSDS, Rustoleum Professional and Marine Topside are identical. Every chemical matches anyway, in the exact same amount. The only difference I really can find is the color choice.

No Topside paint is meant to be used for more than a week constantly immersed. (at least that I've found)

This is very interesting. I really want to use the rustoleum because I already have all the materials but dont want to redo it in a few years. What primer do you use for the Rustoleum professional paint? do You use the marine coating primer or is there an Professional primer that is the same as the marine coatings primer?

Heres the marine coating primer. It is only available in quarts. Any other primer the same available in gallons?? http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=8

 

[Art Bernard]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I used a roller for majority of it and a brush in the tight spots, it smothes itself out fine. I've never had a regret about using it and the last boat I used it on was my old 20' center console fishing boat ( the one in the avatar pic) so it saw some hard use.

Art

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

I used a roller for majority of it and a brush in the tight spots, it smothes itself out fine. I've never had a regret about using it and the last boat I used it on was my old 20' center console fishing boat ( the one in the avatar pic) so it saw some hard use.

Art

One more question. Did you thin the rustoleum any or use it directly out of the can? What primer did you use. Sorry for the thousand questions. Trying to learn before I start painting.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

My father in law came out to the shop and nearly had a heart attack at my suggestion to use rustoleum paint on my boat. He basically told me to stop being a cheap *** and use interlux perfection two part paint.

One more question. Did you thin the rustoleum any or use it directly out of the can? What primer did you use. Sorry for the thousand questions. Trying to learn before I start painting.

Ayuh,.. Tell the ole man to sit down, 'n Learn something...

I use professional plain ole Rustoleum industry enamels for above, 'n below the waterline, as well as topsides....
Use the primer recommended for the Paint...
Rustoleum red, or gray....

If the proper Prep work is done, it Stick til 'ell freezes over, or ya Gouge the heck out of it...
Find yerself some of that "Majic" enamel hardener to add to it, 'n you'll be Happy, as "Dad" is buyin' the cocktails....

For some Interestin' readin' on doin' up a Rustoleum finish,...
Try this,...
'n This 1 too...

 

[jonnysteals]

Re: Painting a boat on a budget....Need help

Ayuh,.. Tell the ole man to sit down, 'n Learn something...

I use professional plain ole Rustoleum industry enamels for above, 'n below the waterline, as well as topsides....
Use the primer recommended for the Paint...
Rustoleum red, or gray....

If the proper Prep work is done, it Stick til 'ell freezes over, or ya Gouge the heck out of it...
Find yerself some of that "Majic" enamel hardener to add to it, 'n you'll be Happy, as "Dad" is buyin' the cocktails....

For some Interestin' readin' on doin' up a Rustoleum finish,...
Try this,...
'n This 1 too...

I have read a few threads of your about applying a rustoleum paintjob. I am going to start mine but I have a read a few threads with different opinions.

I am using rusoleum professional oil based paint. My primer is the marine grade fiberglass primer. I plan on thinning the paint only(not primer) with 15% acetone and using the "magic" hardener I got from tractor supply.

I plan on applying two coats of primer with sanding with 300 in between coats. I will fill any imperfections in between coats as well. I will apply a coat and wait a day to sand and apply the next coat. My Question is for paiting the boat with rustoleum. I planned on applying three coats waiting a day between coats and sanding in between. Is this correct or do I apply two heaver coats.

I read the car forums and they suggest thinning to 40-50 percent and applying 5 coats which seems crazy to me. What do you recomend. I will be using a tack cloth between every coat.

I also have questions regaurding whether to use a seperate roller to go over the rustoleum and remove air bubles or use a badger hair brush like interlux perfection recomends. Sorry for the hundred questions.