Painting Aluminum Boat

Rick K · #1 October 11th, 2003, 07:35 PM

Hi,

I have a 1961 Starcraft Runabout that's in really good shape, except for the topside. The paint is faded, and looks absolutely brutal.

Can I hit the topside with my sandblaster to remove all the old paint? Being aluminum, I know I'd have to light, but will the surface be damaged, or too "roughed up"?

Also, I see that Interlux recommends either Interthane Plus 2 part epoxy, or Brightside. Can anyone provide any insight into either of these paints? What's the best for Aluminum? I like the Brightside, as there is more of a choice of colors.

How does the brushing liquid work with these paints? Would it be better to spray it on?

Thanks

Rick K

Solittle · #2 October 12th, 2003, 05:04 PM

Rick - Let me introduce you to the Search function at the top of the page. Go there & enter "Painting Aluminum Boat" as a search arguement. It has been asked & answered.

Rick K · #3 October 12th, 2003, 05:48 PM

SoLittle,

Thanks. I had tried the search engine, but didn't use that exact phrase. Now that there's a ton of them for me to go thru, I'm sure I'll find what I'm looking for.

I was looking for opinions on those paint products in particular.

Thanks again,

Rick K

DJ · #4 October 12th, 2003, 09:28 PM

Rick,

This may help. Take a look at these threads.

http://mypeoplepc.com/members/djohns19/djohns19/

http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ul...;f=26;t=000270

In a nutshell:

1. Sand the boat (wet) with 120 grit paper.

2. Repair any dents/scrapes with MarineTex filler.

3. Sand (wet) entire boat with 220 grit. Wash any bare metal areas with 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. When dry, paint with zinc chromate primer.

4. Prime the entire hull with Interlux Metal Prep primer.

5. Finish with the topcoat of choice. The one part epoxies from Interlux or Petitt are nice and give a great/durable finish.

Good luck.

ratherbefishin · #5 October 13th, 2003, 07:33 AM

No matter what you recoat it with, the bulk of the time and labour will be spent on surface preparation, sanding is the most common method employed.Unless the surface has been adequitely stripped , it doesn't much matter what paint you use, failure is almost a given.

I don't see much use made of chemical removal- the new generation paint strippers greatly reduces the workload, and ensures a good surface ready for recoating.

Napier[ www.napierenvironmental.com ]originally formulated eco-friendly non toxic coatings removers for the marine and aircraft industry, and are becoming more widely known and recognised.

crazy charlie · #6 October 13th, 2003, 08:51 AM

Rick i have sandblasted alum bottom and hull before and it is the way to go.Make sure you clean it well after sandblasting.Either of the paints you mention are great and you can roll and tip if you dont want to spray.Roller it on and have someone follow you up immediately with a brush to smooth out.Done right it will look like you sprayed it.Charlie

Rick K · #7 October 13th, 2003, 09:38 AM

THANKS for all the replies. I am bleary-eyed from reading post after post on this subject. But, information overload is better than no info at all.

I know it's just a goofy little runabout, but I'm one of these perfectionest kind of guys. Might as well have it look as new as I can.

Thanks again,

Rick K