New Paint Dilemma

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tillergirl

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Is it me - getting older, eyesight poorer etc - or is it getting more difficult to get a good finish with paints today? For the 18th year, I have just finished painting TG with Blakes and avoiding brush marks this year seems to have been enormously difficult. Conditions were perfect; it all just seemed to be very hard work and frankly the finish close to is disappointing. I'll give it its due, it seems pretty solid but the gloss is not uniform by any means. This seems to have got more difficult since it became a urethane based paint. It is really designed for spray application perhaps?

I am resolved to use Epiphanes next year and see what happens.
 
I’ve been adding Owatrol Oil to both paint and varnish now for a couple of years and have found it works really well. The paint stays wet longer so you can work out any drips or sags and miraculously it seems to dissipate the majority of brush marks! You can add it to virtually any oil based paint and varnish and in my experience doesn’t seem to adversely affect the toughness of the final finish. Owartrol Oil
 
I share your frustration TG. I have used Toplac and, after many coats of undercoat and 50/50 recruited a girl to tip off with a jen brush, my rolling on of the final coat.

We are both fairly experienced at the method and worked really quickly and smoothly but, like you, I was disappointed. What should have been a mirror finish turned out to be a bit of an opaqueish gloss. The paint seemed to go off VERY quickly and keeping a wet edge was very difficult. I used Owatrol too. After seven tins at £21.00 a pop I gave up.

/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Never mind.
 
I got on with Blakes enamel best, 7 years ago, then 3 years ago switched to epifanes, mainly becasue of what I read on here, I found it a real devil and ended up with an awful job. I've just done my cabin sides again, dark blue and suffer in the sunlight dreadfully, used international pre-kote and brightside, finish is ok, transom came up very well too, I did find it very hard to keep the wet edge moving.

Its not easy....
 
I am glad it doesn't seem to be all my fault! I am following anteak in the never-mind mode. Having been at the funeral of a close neighbour and my wife's best friend yesterday, a perfect finish doesn't seem so important any more.

What bugs me is that I used to find it a pleasure to put on the enamel. Now thanks to improvements in paint technology I begin to dread it!

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Thanks for all the comments
 
I Must say that I gave up all these fancy yacht paints years ago.
I now use Permoglaze, (about £6.00 per ltr) from Kent Blaxhill, the undercoat is wonderful it gives a silky smooth chalky white finish especially when sanded with 240 grade.
The gloss is great and stays brilliant white all through te season. I used it on my house widows 4 years ago and they are still as good as new. This business of yacht paint is definatly not a matter of the more you pay the better it is.

http://www.kentblaxill.co.uk/paint.asp

Tillergirl I think you know my boat "Owendo" have alook next time you are up the strood channel.

I also submit to the theory that if you can see the run marks you are too close. Lets not forget that the point of paint is to protect the wood!
 
I know - and it only has to last 6 months. I shall check Owendo out. I think you've hit the bit that annoys me. You pays that extra and then the finish is poor!
 
iv'e been using oil based paints and adding Owatrol Oil with it, it really works well you can also mix it with varnish,,, making your boat presentable is really a hard work you should be extra careful or else its gonna messed up
 
I had hell with Toplac last year, turned out to be a bad batch, they said, but a different bactch was just as bad, went with epifanes, wont go back to international for anything.
 
Lets not forget that the point of paint is to protect the wood!

True but actually it's the primer that is there to protect the wood, the undercoat is to smooth and the top coat is to look pretty, but you knew that anyway! Many of the top coats will have additives to stop fungal growth and UV damage ect;

I have used Dulux Weathershield on my old wood boat and I add a little Owatrol to it as well, doesn't suit everybody but I get a very good finish with it. For me I like the fact that it is more flexible than the marine C##.... err paints! which is a must on a wood boat IMHO

Tom
 
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I had hell with Toplac last year, turned out to be a bad batch, they said, but a different bactch was just as bad, went with epifanes, wont go back to international for anything.

[/ QUOTE ]

I feel a bit like that now. I was told that Toplac was the Dogs. I don't mind hard work if you get the results but hard work and lousy results is a bummer. Not very impressed.
 
I had a calm look today. The finish is awful. My only saving grace is that few will get close enough to see the shame. I officially give up on Blakes here and now. I am convinced it is now designed for spray application. So Epifanes next year or perhaps Dulux........
 
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