Boat painting

Mickboy21

Going to give painting my boat ago myself , its fiberglass 15ft , anyone any advice ? I'm looking to know can I use the same paint for the bottom of the boat above the water line and the cabin ? What kind of pain do I need its fiber glass im going to paint it by hand with rollers and brush, the sides are not smooth the mould gives the imitation that it's made from wood , thanks guys 😄,

fergal.b

As long as the boat is not going to be left in the water for a long time you should be ok, preparation is everything so give it a sanding with 80 grit paper using an orbital sander making sure you keep it flat so the edges don't dig in then wash it down and let it dry. You will need to primer the boat first I like INTERNATIONAL PRE-KOTE primer and TOPLAC for the finish but there are other makers out there, it might take 2-3 coats of primer to build up a smooth finish then use 240 grit to flatten it out before the top coat, applying the top coat I use a fine roller followed a dry brush or foam brush to flatten out any lines " its called Roll & tipping" and will give you a good finish you can get a perfect mirror finish if you want but it's a lot of work going through different grades of paper going from 500 grit 800,1000,2000,3000 and then rubbing compound and waxing.

Best of luck with it.






.

Great advice from Fergal. In addition I’d recommend putting half the total effort into the cleaning and preparation before using a single brand for primer and topcoat and above all else, make sure you take your time and don’t try to rush any steps.

Donie75

Also, if there's a Vinny Byrnes Autobody Repair Supplies shop nearby, get a box of tack cloths. They are only around €7 and you use them to wipe down the hull to remove dust. Or a clean lint-free cloth wetted with some thinners is also an option.

nokiatom

as Donie75 said get some tack rags. gently rub them over the undercoat just before you apply the topcoat. if the boat is outside try not painting on a windy day. in summertime dont paint in the evenings as the midgets are attracted to the smell of paint and the will ruin your work

Mickboy21

fergal.b wrote: »

As long as the boat is not going to be left in the water for a long time you should be ok, preparation is everything so give it a sanding with 80 grit paper using an orbital sander making sure you keep it flat so the edges don't dig in then wash it down and let it dry. You will need to primer the boat first I like INTERNATIONAL PRE-KOTE primer and TOPLAC for the finish but there are other makers out there, it might take 2-3 coats of primer to build up a smooth finish then use 240 grit to flatten it out before the top coat, applying the top coat I use a fine roller followed a dry brush or foam brush to flatten out any lines " its called Roll & tipping" and will give you a good finish you can get a perfect mirror finish if you want but it's a lot of work going through different grades of paper going from 500 grit 800,1000,2000,3000 and then rubbing compound and waxing.

Best of luck with it.






.

Thanks fergal that's great help , so should I be aiming to get all the old paint off when sanding before primer? And I can cover the whole boat in toplac ? And do I need to sand inbewtween all finishing coats ? Thanks again really appreciate it going to start sending tommorow evening

Mickboy21

JayZeus wrote: »

Great advice from Fergal. In addition I’d recommend putting half the total effort into the cleaning and preparation before using a single brand for primer and topcoat and above all else, make sure you take your time and don’t try to rush any steps.

Perfect so same brand paint and primer , cheers jayzeus

Mickboy21

Donie75 wrote: »

Also, if there's a Vinny Byrnes Autobody Repair Supplies shop nearby, get a box of tack cloths. They are only around €7 and you use them to wipe down the hull to remove dust. Or a clean lint-free cloth wetted with some thinners is also an option.

Never heard of vinnie's down here in wicklow but there ashgrove interparts and autocare here so I'll give them a call tommorow

fergal.b

Mickboy21 wrote: »

Thanks fergal that's great help , so should I be aiming to get all the old paint off when sanding before primer? And I can cover the whole boat in toplac ? And do I need to sand inbewtween all finishing coats ? Thanks again really appreciate it going to start sending tommorow evening

Yep best to remove all the old paint and start with a clean canvas.

As long as it not going to be left in the water too long it will be fine to paint top and bottom.

I like to sand between coats with wet 240 paper to give the next coat a key to hold on to, this is one of my builds with toplac on the bottom.

Mickboy21

nokiatom wrote: »

as Donie75 said get some tack rags. gently rub them over the undercoat just before you apply the topcoat. if the boat is outside try not painting on a windy day. in summertime dont paint in the evenings as the midgets are attracted to the smell of paint and the will ruin your work

Yeah I was thinking of putting up a temporary shelter in the yard to do it cause you never know what gonna come out of the sky in Ireland haha

Mickboy21

fergal.b wrote: »

Yep best to remove all the old paint and start with a clean canvas.

As long as it not going to be left in the water too long it will be fine to paint top and bottom.

I like to sand between coats with wet 240 paper to give the next coat a key to hold on to, this is one of my builds with toplac on the bottom.

That's some job fergal , rolls Royce of the water fair play and thanks again cant wait to give it ago

fergal.b

Remember to protect yourself some of the paints and fiberglass dust can be very harmful to your lungs and very irritating on the skin.