painting my boat

[jools]

I'm going to repaint the hull of my yacht soon as the existing paint has lost it's shine.
Anyone got any advice on how to get a really good finish without using spray equipment etc. Advice on what grade wet'n'dry to use and how best to apply the paint would be much appreciated by someone who has already tried it.
Thanks, Jools.

 

[ccscott49]

If she is Glass, perfection two pack! any nasty bits filled, sanded with what it says on the tin. Undercoat if required and another flat. Then two people, one with a roller, putting the paint on up and down the next chap or chapess smoothing the paint with an almost dry brush along the hull to even out the surface, two coats on a good surface will probably be fine and the gloss is unbelievable, it will look like it was sprayed if done right, you can of course put more top coats on and use an undercoat etc, but it all comes down to time and money, if your outside, time! and weather! good luck. If wood we will talk again! The international people are really helpful about their products!

 

[gus]

Hand painting - no problem! The main lesson is to realise is that the finished quality is in direct proportion to the amount of care lavished on the preparation. Applying the top coat is about 5% of the job.
Wet & dry 240 whole hull. apply 2 part undercoat. Flatten lightly with 320. Paint it again. Flatten with 400. Paint with 2 part top coat, flatten with 400 lightly. Paint finish coat.
2 part paint is not long in setting so you must think out the job properly so that you are always painting onto a wet edge. Have tried rollers and pads in the past and found them worse than useless. Nothing beats a part worn Hamilton brush swiftly working the paint onto the surface, spreading it and smoothing it, all in a steady persistant rythmic motion. Okay it takes a bit of practise to develop the skill, but the finish is quality with a depth of colour that encourages admiration. Don't forget the golden rule - If a fly lands on your fresh paint DON'T TOUCH IT. It will fall of and leave its feet behind eventually, but if you touch it you'll create a mess.

 

[Guest]

Re: painting my boat wood

i am painting my hillyard. what do you reckon with wood. have you any experience with those jenny brush things.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: painting my boat wood

Wood is a wonderful material, unfortunately it moves with temperature and general "give". You cannot use two pack paints on wood boats, unless they are splined, ply or composite. You need yacht enamel, bl;akes, international etc. If you are taking all the paint off, you need a good primer undercoat system, with polyester filler for the bad bits. Any caulking that needs doing will have to be done with the filler thats in there now, linseed oil putty or polyurethane etc. when you have a smooth surface, you can apply the primer, then undercoats, flatting where neccessary, before applying the top coats, at least three, flatting between each coat until a high gloss is achieved. Needless to say the hull timber needs to be as dry as possible, or the paint will just be pushed off. You can use the same roller brush technique as two pack, to give a good finish, you are going to need a lot of time for this job and good weather! If its available a shed would pay for itself, or even a leanto or hut made up of plastic, watching the rain destroy your hard work is not something to contemplate, especially on the last coat!!! As somebody else said in this thread, preperation is everything, even if you make a balls up, you can always wait and sand it down to start again, weather permitting. the comment about the fly is great, dont touch them! Dont use car body filler, it isn't waterproof! it uses talcum powder as the filler, either mix your own with the right marine stuff, or buy marine filler.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by ccscott49 on Sat Feb 23 09:55:20 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Re: painting my boat wood

Painting a Hillyard requires loving care and attention _ before you even think about paint .. check the caulking .. I used to sail a Hillyard 18 tonner schooner _ and do the repair/renovation work ... it is a labour of love and certainly not of profit
But to be serious.. the preperation is ultimate.. and expensive... and required... there are no ifs/buts/or maybees..ever ..at all... for any reason whatsoever..
Check the caulking _ renew. Take the boat from the water and dry out for three months or so .. check the caulking again.. sand down etc and etc and etc. The more etc you do the better the result. Also contact the Hillyard Owners Assoc on WWW or the yard also on WWW. Hope this assists _________ Brian _ Ex Hillyard 44 / 18 Ton skipper

 

[steffen]

Hi Jools,
Have a goor look at www.yachtpaint.com. It has a wealth of info on the subject. Helped me a lot last year when i painted my 32ft GRP Windward.
Happy sailing