Paint

ledzeppelin135

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
129
Ok, so i ended up gel coating the hull up to the part that is just out of the water. I decided I am going to paint the sides of the hull as well as the top cap and interior. I am looking at using Pettit Easypoxy in the bright red color and am planning on spraying it on the trailer with my spray gun with a 1.4mm tip. I have pretty well smoothed out the transom, splashwell and hull sides of the boat, but I am wondering how smooth this paint will come out. I am not planning on using a primer or undercoating, I am just sanding with 80-120 grit per the instructions. I am wondering if anyone can give me some tips on the best way to smooth out the hull sides and somewhat rid the small waves that are in the side of the boat due to sanding. Also, I am wondering what the best way to tape off the area not to be painted would be. I want to get the straightest contoured lines I can and am wondering how to do so.
 

boatnut74

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
1,835
Re: Paint

If you want to smooth out the sides of the hull, primer is a good filler. Another member on the board used Pettit Easypoxy and didn't prime per their instructions and his paint is now peeling off. I would never recommend painting without priming. If you prime and sand inbetween coats, you can elimanate alot of the "waves".
 

tosoutherncars

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Messages
116
Re: Paint

Hi Led,

When you say there are "waves" in the boat "due to sanding"; do you mean that the sandpaper didn't get into the low spots, so you can now detect the highs and lows that were already there? Or that you sanded wrong (for example, with your hand or a small block) and now there are highs and lows from doing that?

If you're sanding relatively flat surfaces, you should be using a long sanding board, to ensure that you *don't* create waves. As boatnut mentioned, primer (preferably high-build) can be used to build up the lows; if they are too deep to be filled just by primer, then I suppose you'd have to use a spot-filler-type product. Sorry, don't know enough about boats / fiberglass to suggest a particular product line; just make sure it's compatible with whatever you intend to use as your topcoat.

(Edit: I see that Pettit recommends Epoxy Fairing Compound or 7191 Easypoxy Mender for under-paint filler; and 6165 Yacht White Undercoater for primer.)
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: Paint

yeah......the waves need to be long boarded.....

120 grit is a really heavy grit to use under paint....are you sire they said 120?.....i would be somewhere around 320.

and yes.....use a primer.

as far as masking a straight line....
one trick of the trade......remember the old overhead projectors? just throw a peice of paper over half the screen......that will project a perfectly straight line on your boat.

if you cant find an over head projector.......get a ceiling pot light....a really bright one.....tape a piece of cardboard across the opening....and shine the light on the hull.....same premise.
 
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