1964 Starcraft Jet Star Renovation

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I got my stripping method down so it goes pretty quick. First, apply, wait a few minutes & scrape, being careful around the rivets. That takes care of the paint layer. Then apply, wait & scrape again to get most of the primer off. Then apply a light coat & brush with the wire brush until it's clean, then wash it off with the hose. It actually goes pretty fast that way.

I did drip a little on the sides, but hosed it off right away & no troubles.

The red can stuff took 10 minutes to act, the stuff from the orange can takes about 5 minutes max.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I've stripped about all I'm going to strip from the hull and I can start sanding tomorrow.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I plan to follow Pettit's recommendations for EasyPoxy (I'll be using roll & roll):

On bare aluminum areas:
1)clean up the metal as much as possible & sand
2)use Pettit 6455 2-part metal primer
3)use Pettit 6149 EasyPoxy undercoater
4)apply EasyPoxy

On the areas I'm leaving painted:
1)scuff sand
2)wash
3)apply 6149 EasyPoxy undercoater
4)apply EasyPoxy

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Sanding sanding sanding today. I can't say enough good about the 3M half face respirator I got.

Last time I sanded, using a surgical mask (ineffective) I got sick for 3 days. It's a cheap investment worth its weight in gold.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I took another stab yesterday at getting that bow cap off, but again decided against forcing it for fear of breaking it. Next best solution - I took all the bolts out of the rub rail channel and popped it out so I could get a clean sanding & painting edge under it. This worked pretty well and I was able to sand by hand up to the edge of the inner topside trim for good feathering there too.

Here it looks like some kind of Frankenstein, but that topside is smooth as a baby's behind.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I'm going to call the sanding on the topside done.

In the meantime I cleaned up & painted the corroded areas on the motor. It looks better but by no means professional. I used the green ZC etching primer from NAPA and Moeller outboard paint in the spray cans. The Moeller paint was a close match, but not exactly, after the motor sitting out in the sun for all those years. I'm happy with it though. The areas that needed attention were the skeg, where the lower unit attached to the mid section and the lower area of the bracket.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

The mailman just dropped off my factory Johnson Service Manual and in the first two chapters, it answers all the questions I had about mounting the outboard, specs and measurements, and what controls etc. I need and hooking them up, all in one spot!

They are worth their weight in gold, and only cost a few more dollars than the multi-model Seloc books. Everyone should have one for their motor.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Off to an early start for the aluminum primer by a final wipe with a cloth and on to the Pettit 2-part primer, doing my best to follow their directions completely. No pre-wash was recommended. I taped off the borders and a couple other spots with the green Frog tape.

Here's the primer:

The data sheet said you can split-mix it so I mixed up half a quart, using an old laundry soap measuring cup that I previously marked the 1/2 quantities on. The Part B activator is weirdly packaged. Inside that little top can is a sealed plastic pouch with liquid in it, kind of awkward to handle, but OK if you're real careful. I'll attempt to save the rest in a sealed plastic bottle for later use. You have to cut off the corner of the pouch and pour while trying not to drop it. Went OK though. Half amounts took 13 oz. Part A and 3 oz. Part B by volume. I then thinned it as recommended for rolling with 15% denatured alcohol.

I was surprised at how fast it tacked up, that's where I've got the darker overlaps, even at the 65 degree temp. Otherise after I got the hang of it, things went pretty fast. At these temps I can apply the undercoater in 4 hours. The trickiest thing was trying to get all the tops of the rivet heads that I had sanded the paint from.

Here's what I ended up with:

The 1/2 quart I mixed up did what I needed with a couple ounces to spare, so a little goes a long way. If I can do the topside using the remainder of the qt., I'll have a can of this expensive stuff left over.:facepalm: But better that than to be caught in the middle and run out.

Here's what's going on next: 6149 White Undercoater.

The data sheet says to use it as an undercoater "whenever the surface to be painted is aged, cracked, checked, pitted, or in any way less than smooth". I think I qualify on some of those. I'll see how it looks after the first coat and probably will do a second coat before the Easypoxy aplication.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Despite the tree fuzzies flying around and the wind that came up, I went ahead and got the first coat of 6149 undercoating on. I first wiped down the old paint with lacquer thinner, being careful where the green ZC primer was, because it would remove that too if I rubbed too hard.

All went well for the first half (one side), and I was super-impressed at how easy it laid down and how well it covered evn the burgundy paint on the sides. Then, a bug of some sort harrassed me and I instinctively tried to swat it away and the roller went flying off my handle and landed in the grass.

I had several more and put a new one on and more troubles began. The first one wouldn't turn on the roller handle, so I took it off, cleaned the handle with thinner until it sparkled, put another new one on and got it all saturated with paint. This one turned but not very well. I couldn't figure out what was going on and struggled my way through the second half of the job.

I think I've finally realized what happened - last time I bought the foam rollers at HD, it looks like I mistakenly bought the "better" grade rather than the "best" grade. These "better" ones, besides not wanting to turn, seemed reluctant to really soak up the paint and I noticed that if I went over an area heavy with rivets, some little bits of foam were tearing off. Not good for a topcoat later.

Make sure you can get the best rollers you can.

I can fix things up when I sand before the next coat.

In this one you can see the uneven results from the crummy roller on the second side. The first side is much more uniform.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

The sunlight on the dry undercoater leads to a question.

I have some orange peel problems especially where the undercoater is a little thicker, leading to a lot more sanding than I was expecting to get the surface as smooth as it was before. The left half of the pic has been sanded with 220, none yet on the right half.

So what causes orange peel texture when rolling?

1) Paint applied too thick?

2) Paint dried too fast?

This stuff isn't too difficult to sand, but really wasn't expecting to do more than a smooth out. You can see how much I'm having to remove.

It turns out that the undercoater was drying too fast, therefore sticking to the roller and causing the orange peel appearance. The cheaper rollers only made the application problem worse.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

My intention was to follow Pettit's directions for Easypoxy exactly, but there has been a little change in plan. It's pretty close but with a little modification. So far here's what I've done to the hull:

1) stripped bottom and transom

2) sanded remaining paint and bare transom with 150 grit sandpaper

3) applied Pettit 6455 2-part ZC etching metal primer to bare metal areas according to directions

4) lightly smoothed over with green scotch pad

5) applied Pettit 6149 white undercoater over 6455 and old painted areas

6) as mentioned above, I had trouble with my roller and ended up sanding "most" of the 6149 off in some areas because of orange peel, using 150 then 220 for a nice smooth surface

7) here's where I had to deviate and had to touch up aluminum areas using spray Moeller ZC etching primer, where the sanding cut thru to bare metal. Then went over those areas lightly with a scotch pad being careful not to overdo it, just to smooth it up a bit

That's how it ended up looking like this:

I spent about half a day making my Red Green paint booth up against my man-cave shed, while the neighbors looked on curiously. Cost = $0, all materials were on hand.

The next 4 days have a forecast of warm, dry weather, so here goes. This morning, I washed it with very dilute dish detergent and water, rinsed and dried with a cloth. Tomorrow morning I'll mask it off with green tape, hit it with a tack cloth and start rolling on the Easypoxy.

I'm having trouble finding the Majic locally, so I decided against going with it.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

The first coat is on!

I ended up using Woodonglass's suggested formula, using Valspar Enamel hardener instead of the Majic catalyst:

1/2 qt. Easypoxy
2 oz. Pettit Brushing Thinner 120/T-10
1 oz. Valspar Enamel Hardener

I'm glad I thinned it because it went on like a dream, once I got the hang of it. First coat took 2-1/2 hours painting time and I had about 1/3 cup left over. For me the roll + roll method works great, I could never master a brush for tipping. Also, the sponge-on-the-stick disposable brushes are invaluable for getting where the roller can't go and small touch ups.

Also did the splashwell and a section of the exterior transom board where it will show from extending it up for the long shaft motor.

My masking was a little sloppy around some of the rivets. I can fix that up later.

Here it is. The color is Burgundy, but it is really more of a deep red. The color in these pictures isn't accurate, I'll try to get some better color-balanced shots later. Not bad for a first coat on the first attempt, I'm satisfied with how it turned out.

A little non-Pettit method on the splashwell, that will be a bit of an experiment. I had to fix a bunch of dents and holes in it using thin aluminum and JB Weld, then stripped it to bare aluminum. I sprayed it with etching auto paint primer (gray, don't remember the brand), probably putting it on too heavy. I did that quite a long time ago. Then applied the Easypoxy directly on that after smoothing with a Scotch pad. Basically, the layers on the transom board red strip are: Epoxy resin>Rustoleum primer>Rustoleum Marine topside>Pettit 6149 white undercoater>Easypoxy.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

For what it's worth, I tweaked the camera settings and this is a more accurate representation of the burgundy color (on my monitor, anyway). I like it but expected it to be darker. It's more like a blood red than a fire red. But it definitely ain't burgundy as I remember burgundy!

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

The second coat is on and I was able to cut down my painting time to 2 hours.

I made an amateur's mistake. I mixed my paint today in yesterday's container. That was OK until I went to refill my roller tray, and yesterday's skin had started to dissolve and globs of it poured out with the paint into the tray. Dumb mistake, I knew better but took a chance, rather than take the time to hunt up a new container. Luckily I was able to pick out the globs with no consequences to the painting, but wasted some time. Taking a shortcut so I could make the job longer. :facepalm:

Another thing I need to do is turn the boat around or somehow get some better light on the shed side. It was a lot harder to see what I was doing now that I was painting red on red, instead of on white. No electricity in the shed.

Here's a tip some of you have probably already figured out, but I found that keeping my dry roller as dry as possible helped the second roll a lot. Instead of switching rollers, I just laid out a newspaper on the shed floor and after every 1 or 2 sections, rolled the excess paint off onto dry pages.

I think it will be finished after one more coat, then I'll let it cure really well, flip it, put it on the trailer and paint the topside.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I put on the third coat this afternoon. The low light problem was solved by the afternoon sun being at a better angle and I hung an old white plastic shower curtain on the side of the shed to reflect some light back. It worked pretty well.

For some reason, this time the sheen looks a little more splotchy to me than it did after the second coat. I don't know if it will look OK when it's completely dry or if I screwed something up. I think I did add a little extra thinner, maybe les than an ounce, than was called for.

A couple more pictures:

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

This is a spot where you can see the roller imprint. The dots are from the pattern of the plastic paint tray where you roll the excess out. These often appear as I'm first rolling paint on, but as I work it around they disappear. I couldn't seem to get rid of them this time. That's why I thought maybe it was drying too fast.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Fourth and FINAL! coat is on.

I sanded the splotchy spots down with 220. Then went over all with a scotch pad, carefully mixed the paint up and went at it again. I could tell as soon as I started that it would be better by how it was going on. Two factors entered into the problems yesterday: too much thinner, and hotter/dryer weather than the day before, causing the paint to dry too fast, almost before I could finish getting it on.

This was the worst side:

This side wasn't quite so bad:

Next, I'll be tackling the topside.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Waiting out some rain, I stripped the paint off my capacity plate and was kind of amused by what it said that I hadn't been able to read before. These things were flimsy, just adhesive-backed thin metal plate, not much thicker than foil. The info looks like it was typed in with a typewriter, believe it or not.

Model: 15' Jet Star
Serial No.: 64-1629
Max. Motor: 45 h.p.

In the fourth area where it's hard to see in the picture, I can barely see it with a magnifier, it says: "15 yr. guarantee".

Anyone seen that on theirs before? Hard to imagine they had a very high production rate if they were typing these things out on a typewriter.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Today I got it flipped back over and got it onto its new galvanized trailer. I've been doing a little final sanding with 220 on the topside, next I'm going out to mask the hull, trim and interior so I can begin giving the bare aluminum spots a spray with the ZC primer. I'm really nervous about getting it on something I've already painted. From my own experience, I recommend not painting the inside before painting the hull. It makes a lot more masking work.

In the meantime, I've been putting more coats of paint on my transom board and doing the final prep on that.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I ran out of Moeller ZC primer, so I spot-applied Duplicolor ZC etching primer from NAPA. Same stuff.

So that step is done now, here are some pictures while I wait for it to dry before applying the undercoater.