Advice on prepping and painting interior wood

steve yates said:
If the sapelle is what I think looks like melamine on the panels under the sink, (which is what the bulkheads are) then sorry but no way is that staying, I think it's hideous :)
And I don't see any of it in your pics of tranona, which look great.
Definitely painting the locker doors, yes, and will either do them to match the trim which we'll oil or varnish, or we'll paint the trim to contrast. Undecided on that.
Click to expand...
Tranona said:
Does not show well, but the tops of the main bulkhead and the coachroof sides are sapele. Highly prized at one time, but no reason to keep it if you don't like it!
Click to expand...
Quite trendy again these days too - but however you finish it, definitely has an unavoidably very 'mid-century' look. Must say, I rather like it! ;)
 
I have to say that with all the modern light interiors in current offerings by the large manufacturers, I have had several owners comment on how nice and warm the wood interior feels of my Fulmar. My objective is to try and get the condition of Concerto to as close as possible to when new with some modern upgrades. I do prefer a wood interior.
 
There are loads of photos of the interior of Longbows on the web. Many have been updated by owners like this one here

boatshed.com/westerly_longbow-boat-243165.html

not that I am a fan of cork, but it does show the effect of using a lighter finish for the lockers under the deck. The lifting flap against the right hand side of the galley is not only very practical, but if faced in a light formica would reduce the impact of the veneer you don't like.

Basic rules are all light colours look cold, contrasts of varnish and light colours work - either light panels and dark highlights or the other way round, effect of large expanses of darker wood such as bulkheads can be broken up with pictures, or for example to the left of the galley with shelves or mug racks. Soft furnishing can make a big difference - the red in this one smacks you in the face.
 
So the lifting flap and the table in that link are perfect examples of what I am thinking of as melamine, and I'm particularly interested in how to prime it before painting as I intend for there to be no trace of that stuff by the time we are done :)
 
You are confusing me now. That end panel on your boat I don't think is laminate but lacquered sapele faced ply - you can of course get laminate that looks like that. If you don't like the veneer, just rub it down and paint it as was suggested right at the beginning. The suggestion of a lifting flap was to both provide a practical extension to the galley working area - a very common mod which you could finish in a laminate of your choice. The sapele would no longer be visible when the flap is down. Formica is easy to do. In my photos you can see the sliding cover over the cooker and the inside of the folded table. I bought that laminate from a local kitchen worktop maker and cut it to size, glued on with contact adhesive.
 
steve yates said:
So the lifting flap and the table in that link are perfect examples of what I am thinking of as melamine, and I'm particularly interested in how to prime it before painting as I intend for there to be no trace of that stuff by the time we are done :)
Click to expand...
My method above would work for this...


dankilb said:
I might go for an epoxy high build primer after a basic clean/key sanding, with a few coats and a sand down in between to flat it off. Use more paint or filler on low spots, if you’re fussy (like me!).
Click to expand...

Specifically, I’d recommend Jotun Penguard HB (which had all sorts of used onboard). The HB stands for high build and will help cover/flatten the grain and any sanding marks. You will need to wear a mask, but that’s about the only disadvantage I can see of using an ‘non-interior’ paint such as this.

A domestic primer like Zinnser simply won’t wear as well as epoxy. It will chip or mark when you brush past and hit it with a lifeline clip, or some such. And knowing the W31s quite well, that is a ‘high traffic’ area.
 
Concerto said:
[...]

Steve I assume you are a WOA member, if so then on Wednesday evening I giving a WOA Zoom presentation of refurbishing woodwork and fitting new foam backed vinyl headlining. There will be a PowerPoint presentation with lots of photos and advice on how to get an original finish in your boat. This will be added to the Westerly Wiki and for non members of the Westerly Owners Association I will add a link at the end of the week on this forum so you can all see it.
Click to expand...
I look forward to that.
 
dankilb said:
Every time this topic comes up, I wait with baited breath for a first hand account of someone who’s done interior paint properly!

By that I mean high gloss, gelcoat-style, durable, ideally waterproof (for shower/heads).

In the absence of that (apart from the Sandolin/Danboline/etc. crowd - no offence intended!), I’m pondering whether something like topside paint would work? (International Perfection Pro, for instance).

We’ve got a lovely teak veneer interior, mostly in good shape, but a few panels are unsalvageable and I also want to refinish some pea-soup coloured gelcoat on the moulded grp bits.
Click to expand...
I’ve done it professionally. On bare wood, yacht primer, then two coats of PreKote and two coats of toplac. All done by brush, keep the area as clean and dust free as possible and don’t over work the paint, the brush marks will fill in if you relax and let the viscosity of the paint do its job. Take your time, use tack cloths and the Hoover to keep as much dust away as possible and follow the data sheets specs on temperature and overcoating time!
 
dankilb said:
My method above would work for this...




Specifically, I’d recommend Jotun Penguard HB (which had all sorts of used onboard). The HB stands for high build and will help cover/flatten the grain and any sanding marks. You will need to wear a mask, but that’s about the only disadvantage I can see of using an ‘non-interior’ paint such as this.

A domestic primer like Zinnser simply won’t wear as well as epoxy. It will chip or mark when you brush past and hit it with a lifeline clip, or some such. And knowing the W31s quite well, that is a ‘high traffic’ area.
Click to expand...

Penguard HB is for boat hulls, not for interior woodwork.
 
James W said:
I’ve done it professionally. On bare wood, yacht primer, then two coats of PreKote and two coats of toplac. All done by brush, keep the area as clean and dust free as possible and don’t over work the paint, the brush marks will fill in if you relax and let the viscosity of the paint do its job. Take your time, use tack cloths and the Hoover to keep as much dust away as possible and follow the data sheets specs on temperature and overcoating time!
Click to expand...
Now that does sound more like it, to me.

I appreciate that it would be a lot more effort than some owners or applications would require, but in areas that are very visible or (on our boat, for instance...) were ‘perfect’ factory gelcoat, but have undergone repairs or modifications, this sounds like it would restore the factory look - with time and effort of course.

Sounds like I might need to brush up on my brush skills, as opposed to rolling.
 
James W said:
Have you ever used it? I’ve used it extensively and I

The data sheet.
Click to expand...
I was obviously being (jokingly) facetious...

I’ve got about half a pallet of it (for, yes, a boat hull), but I’ve now used a couple of gallons on other projects while I wait for lockdown/weather. Mostly interior ply.

I can’t see why you wouldn’t use it, for the high-build qualities. It sticks like the proverbial, dries quick, and sands/flats off so easily. You need to wear a mask if you’ve got your face in it in a locker/confined space, but that’s the only downside I can see.

Yes, I’m sure there’s an ‘interior’ equivalent. But it’s not likely to be much more expensive and it’s unlikely to have other uses.

But it’s fine, I’ll stick with me ‘off spec’ applications. I’m happy with my hard wearing, water and oil resistant interior. It is a boat and not a house, after all!
 
dankilb said:
but that’s the only downside I can see
Click to expand...
Hmm, okay thought of another - it’ll eat that lacquer underneath, won’t it?! Had unfinished ply in mind.

But if that lacquer is in a state (it doesn’t look that bad on the sapele in the photo), it could come off anyway.
 
Rappey said:
I wanted some white areas in my 100% wood interior but also had an adversion to white paint as it yellows and cracks on joints.
I bought some white sticky backed vinyl and used that in the end. Still have the original varnish underneath and now have a great zero maintenance finish
Click to expand...
If you want white flat areas that keep clean and give a paint like finish look at hygiene board. I was sceptical about it initially until I saw the finished article. We did out aft heads with it. It's a total transformation and looks very professional. We also did some panels in the galley and the galley ceiling. Our are white but it comes in different colours as well. An 8ft x4ft sheet is only about £35. We cut it with tin snips and an air nibbler. Allow space for expansion at the edges.
If you want to go paint finish then we used two pack car paint. We used it with a matting agent to give the flat look. We did this on our saloon seat fronts where the veneer was damaged. Its very hard wearing and looks great. We chose a colour that matches the hygiene board perfectly.
Our old boat is very woody. Changing some of the worn veneered surfaces for white it quite effective. It shows off the better bits of teak to great effect and gives a brighter interior
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top