Painting Cove line

davidmh

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On my GRP boat the gunwhale is a raised moulded part of the hull. Along the Gunwhale is a moulded groove for the cove line. The cove line is 25 mm wide and the cross section is circular. Where the cove line meet the gunwhale surface the edge is not sharp but a small radius. What is the best way to to paint Gunwhale ( dark Blue) and the cove line (white). Which would you do first. How would you mask it up do get the best looking joint line. I thought it might be best to paint the coveline in first covering the joint radius, then mask up to radius over the white paint and do the green.

Any thoughts from the painting experts on the forum would be most welcome.

Seasons greetings to all

Davdi MH
 
When I did mine I used blue painters' masking tape along the line where the radius joins the 'flat' ship-side. This allowed me to adjust the line until I was satisfied with the result by looking from the ends. In my case the cove line should have used gilding but that would have been too expensive for me. So, I used what I had: a first coat in Cadmium Yellow (Medium) to serve as a base coat and then this was followed by a coat of Antique Gold. In both cases I used Acrylics in 'Artist Grade'. So far the result has survived well for six years in the central Mediterranean weather.
 
Don't try to paint it - use self-adhesive vinyl tape.

PVB must be instantly banned from the Forum!!!! Ye gods and little fishes. Vinyl? VINYL?? :p:p

Gunwhale first. Allow to harden a couple of days. Then mask up.

P1040211 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

Gold line is dead easy and dead cheap - Humbrol enamel or similar from B & Q - it sticks. First coat isn't great, second coat is not bad, third coat is like the above. All three coats can be put on in a day, no half a day, with 14 degrees or so of temp. Then:

P1040218 by Roger Gaspar, on Flickr

Vote for PVB to be banned instantly NOW. vinyl - how naff. Ye gods.... :ambivalence::ambivalence::ambivalence:
 
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Ah, you're from the "olden times" brigade, right? Times have changed....

You will note, David, peeps who use Vi, Vi... Vin … I can't bring myself to write it again, well once more perhaps, peeps who use vinyl never have any pictures of their vinyl cove line to show it! QED, init.:):)

I withdraw my desire to ban pvb. I apologise. :o Ill judged of me, particularly in the season of good joy. It is essential that he can learn and the forum will be useful. :encouragement:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Cove Line
 
The blue scotch tape masks brilliantly. I have never had paint or varnish seep under it in 9 years of annual work on my wooden boat. Not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Try to remove is asap as while it will last for 7 days, it comes off easier if you take it off after three and don’t let it rain on it.
 
This is my concave cove line painted in Acrylics as mentioned in my post #3:

aVixpIx.jpg
 
Thanks for all your replies especially from those who provided photos of painted covelines. PVB (or should that be PVC ) may like vinyl stripes but I do not so I will paint mine with the advice from others.
David MH
 
PVB (or should that be PVC ) may like vinyl stripes but I do not so I will paint mine with the advice from others.

As you were asking for advice, I assumed you were an amateur, in which case using a vinyl stripe would give you by far the best end result. However, as it now seems you're an expert, we look forward to seeing photos of your hand-painted stripe.
 
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