Painting the topsides

[Miker]

So, has anyone done it? If so, how and what did you use. I searched all the forums and topics and found nothing so far.

I just picked myself up from the floor after a local painter quoted me $6k to repaint from the waterline to the toe rail.

Michael

[Dolphin]

G'Day Mike,
try this site it should have all the info you need.

http://www.norglass.com.au/how-to

Regards, Greg.

[Swift]

Hi Michael

I painted my previous boat with single pack polyurethane. It was easy work with a roller and the finish was great, I used to get so many positive comments. It lasted about four years before I had to paint it again.

I have experimented with two pack on the deck and coach house of Swift and found it far more difficult to apply compared to single pack as it sets up quicker and brush and roller marks do not flow out. As I discovered when I painted something with two pack in my garage these problems can be managed in the right environment but who has the luxury of working on a Top Hat under cover?

Obviously though, once it's on two pack lasts much longer, what is less obvious is the way it ages. Single pack looks great until the shiny surface barrier breaks down, then the paint seems to deteriorate rapidly by peeling and flaking, this requires a lot of sanding or stripping. By contrast two pack seems to age more like gel-coat, getting more dull and chalky over time but not loosing its adhesion. The other advantage is that it cures hard right through the paint layer so it can be cut and polished. Although once cut the shine will never be as high as the untouched paint but that's a small issue.

The topsides of Swift were spray painted in two pack before I owned her and it's now bubbling badly in places, it appears to be a wax contamination problem due to bad preparation so I am now also forced to consider painting options. Probably as I already have two pack on the hull I will wait for less humid weather, sand well and and use a roller with thinned down two pack. If I was painting over gel coat I would be tempted to use single pack and just make sure I rolled on a new coat every three years before the paint started to break down.

One more thing, if you paint in single pack and at a later date need to strip the paint (like on the deck) it's dead easy and cheap with the right water based paint stripper, however, so far I have not found anything that will strip two pack without also attacking the gel-coat.

Cheers
Keith

[Miker]

Thanks Greg, Keith,

Not in a position to do it myself as yet, but will keep these as references....

Cheers,

[karl010203]

Anyone seen the demo restoration that whitworths took around the countryside a while back... an old stink boat painted with roller and tipped with a brush single pot job... looked sensational.

Not sure if it was norglass or international paint, but looked like a spray job... I am considering doing my surfski in it to see if I can get the same result...

[Marinka]

yeah, that surf ski coudl do with something! I will be wanting to paint Lit'l Bird when she arrives in Mooloolaba so wil see how it goes if I actually do it. Cheers Pete