Almost ready for paint.. Need advice

[fishnfool101380]

I will be painting with Rustoleum marine top side paint and Valspar hardener over gelcoat. Paint will be sprayed on.

I am looking for advice.

1. What grit sandpaper before primer (wet or dry sand) ?

2. What grit sandpaper after primer (wet or dry sand) ?

3.What grit sandpaper after 1st coat of paint (wet or dry sand) ?

4. What grit sandpaper after 2nd coat of paint (wet or dry sand) ?

5.What grit sandpaper after 3rd coat / final coat of paint (wet or dry sand) ?

6. Paint / hardener mixing ratio?

7. mineral spirits or acetone to thin, or a mixture of the two and how many ounces per quart?

After proper cure time I will be buffing the paint job

 

[Woodonglass]

This should be of interest... Paint Your Boat with Tractor Paint...Say What!!!

 

[harleyman1975]

220 the gelcoat then prime, 320 sand the primer, I sand dry with a D/A sander. Your thinner choice will be directly affected by temperature. warmer it is the slower you want your reducer to evap out. colder it is the faster you want it to evap out. I would do 3 coats wet on wet myself no sanding between coats. wait two weeks and then if needed wet sand an polish. best of luck.

 

[fishnfool101380]

Woodonglass, If I may pick your brain for a sec. Why the scotchbrite pad in lieu of sandpaper. Seems a bit harsh to me.

 

[Woodonglass]

Harsh??? It's less harsh than sandpaper!!! You only need to knock down any "Nubs" that might be left behind and gently scuff the surface for the next color coat. Yo can use 320 grit if you want. The hardener in the paint makes it flash off fairly quickly so doing wet on wet coats is really not practical. You need to let it cure for 4 hours and then wet sand and wipe down and then do the next coat. As for the reducer I find that a 50/50 mix of Acetone works really well when the temps are in the High 70's to mid 80's. If they're higher than that I use 25% Acetone or Xylol and 75% Mineral Spirits. That's just this Old Dumb Okies opinion and how I've done it. You're free to do what you deem best for your application.

 

[sphelps]

Yep like Woody said the scotch bright pad is all you need in between coats unless you get bad orange peel ... Then you would need to use sand paper to clean up the o/p ...

 

[gm280]

fishnfool101380, I have no idea where you live and that can be an issue painting. A four hour between coats is a long time if you have a lot of pollen and bugs flying around this time of the year. So do your best to protect the boat between coats with either painting in a covered area like a garage or shop or put up some walls with poly plastic and PVC poles. Otherwise if you have the pollen troubles like we are having in middle Georgia presently, and the bugs that go with this time of the spring, you will have a lot of things to Scotch Bright off between coats. JMHO!

 

[Woodonglass]

THIS^^^ B VERY,VERY TRUE!!!! I Plasticized my garaged!!!http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...lamingo-splashed-w-pics?p=5222094#post5222094

 

[jbcurt00]

About ready for paint on what boat?

 

[fishnfool101380]

Thank you all, I am absorbing all this info.. Very much appreciated.. I live in Southern California, I will be painting in high 70's - low 80's temperature.

Woodonglass, thank you for chiming in here your experience is much needed and appreciated.

The boat I am painting is a 1978 Wellcraft Nova 250 XL