Love, Necessity and Pride

[Bob_VT]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Oh the old racer in me is coming out........... a slightly textured finish could be faster then a smooth finish.

Physics time..... a golf ball has dimples to help it fly in the air faster and further. There are actually racing hulls that had dimples drilled into the gel coat under the entire hull.

Water that becomes disturbed and creates a layer of bubbles in which the hull rides on. About 10 years ago I sander the bottom of a tri-hull (my steury) and gained 3 MPH going from smooth to textured (yes 36 grit scratches) hull bottom. It introduces air under the hull.

I have a stepped hull hydroplane that works on a similar principle. The tiny step introduces air and water disturbance so the boat rides higher.

Would I try this on a restoration of a nice boat...... I doubt it but it was worth mentioning

Finish the boat so we can have pictures for the upcoming galley (here is the temporary collection point http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=568781&page=2)

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Midday Saturday, hotter than hades, but the Sun has stayed out...

Thanks guys for stopping by and all the thoughts and inputs...

I tried several different application methods and after all is said and done...

Test #3 seems to give the best results...If I can make it look consistently like this, and it still looks this way in 24 hours after it has had a chance to dry, I think it WINS!...it is fairly shiny, I don't think it will ever reach a full gloss, but end up being almost satin...and has an almost non-existent texture to it...once one of the panels is dry enough to wet sand, I am going to give it a go and see what happens, if it seems to improve the look, then that is what I will do, if not, then this method stays as is...

For the record...paint slapped on any which way, brush, roller, pour it on...let it sit for a few moments, then dab it with a plastic trash can liner all crumpled up...keep dong it till the texture becomes real fine, walk away...


It is way too HOT to do anything right now, but if the weather holds out this afternoon, I have a ton of wet sanding to do to...hopefully I can get a little sanding done everyday and have it ready for the application of color by next weekend...

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday

 

[Trooper82]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

I think u got it GT.....careful out in that heat buddy!

 

[sphelps]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

If you can get the paint looking like that with a trash bag you are definitely Da Man !!!
BTW Bob has a point with the texture . A lot of the surfers keep there boards sanded on the bottom . They say it helps gain speed.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Hi Gang,

No pic update...

Went to my nearest Lowes [16 miles, one way] and picked up some 4" foam rollers like the ones WoG recommended.

I was also looking for 120, 150, or even 180 grit wet sandpaper...no luck, coarsest available there, auto parts stores (2) and HD (2), was 320...so I picked up some 100 grit dry for $#!ts & giggles...

On the way home, I happen to notice a mom and pop hardware store open, about 10 blocks from my house, didn't even know they were there......stopped in and Ta-daa!, every grit of wet sandpaper from 100 grit all the way up to 2000...

The reason for all this sandpaper talk is the primer I need to sand before painting...it is a High Build Epoxy type and it is hard as a rock...plus it has quite the rough texture on it...:facepalm:

Yesterday, when I was finishing up, I started to sand some of it in preparation for the paint...went through two sheets of 180 grit wet to do about 15 square feet...man this stuff is like trying to sand PB...and it took almost an hour to those 15 sq.ft.

So that's when I decided to pick up some more 120-180 grit wet paper...gonna need it...

Which brings me to a little discovery I just made...

When I grabbed the 100 grit dry paper, I really didn't think it would be too useful, but I just went out in 100?+ heat to do a quick test...and guess what, it ate right through about 50% of the primer I need to sand off, on about 20 square feet of hull, in less than 15 minutes, all while using less than 1/2 a sheet and very light pressure......that should save me a significant amount of wet sanding time......Have I mentioned how much I really like this primer???

BTW, I am using my soft, home made styrofoam blocks as sandpaper backers...they work great, I can cut them to the size/shape I need, and when they wear out I just make a new one...the reason I am using these instead of my regular sanding blocks, is that they conform better to the shape of the hull and are much more controllable in the amount of pressure I can apply...

Maybe later, when it cools down to about a 100, I might get out there and give it another go...:facepalm:

Happy Sunday!

 

[Trooper82]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Awesome GT...I'll have to try some of that...doubt I am going to enjoy sanding so much...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Sanding, even under the best conditions...Sux!

 

[duke33]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Just read your thread. Looking good! Have you seen those drywall sanding blocks? They come in different grits. I don't know if they'd help or not..http://www.google.com/imgres?q=drywall+sanding+blocks&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=653&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=U_NXBFYHpqX1VM:&imgrefurl=http://www.all-wall.com/Categories/Abrasives-Sanding-Sponges/TrimTex-Dual-Angle-Blocks.html&docid=fmx14mg9qUnL-M&imgurl=http://www.all-wall.com/core/media/media.nl%253Fid%253D11822%2526c%253D590358%2526h%253D9e7b67bdbcc91a17ed28&w=500&h=500&ei=BdIeUMfhLabu0gG2x4DIDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=501&vpy=89&dur=5775&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=107&ty=154&sig=101850379054759448190&page=2&tbnh=145&tbnw=141&start=18&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:18,i:159

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Yeah, I seem to remember, back in the day, I said exactly the sam words....Sanding Sucks!!!!!

 

[sphelps]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

I think a sanding 101 video is in store staring the Sandman GT !
Yep sometimes those mom and pop stores will have many things the big stores don't ..

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Just read your thread. Looking good! Have you seen those drywall sanding blocks? They come in different grits. I don't know if they'd help or not..http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dryw...41&start=18&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:18,i:159

Hi duke33,

Welcome aboard and Thanks!

Yes, I know of those, but I have not tried them...maybe I will...although right now I am pretty good and stocked up on sanding supplies...:redface:

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

I think a sanding 101 video is in store staring the Sandman GT !
Yep sometimes those mom and pop stores will have many things the big stores don't ..

Thank you, thank you...autographs will be signed on a first come first served basis...

And yes, my go to mom & pop hardware store was the Ace Hardware just a couple blocks away, but due to the outstanding economy, they have started closing on Sundays and are even thinking about closing up shop...

 

[duke33]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

^ Ok, Thanks.

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

i feel your pain on sanding.....the sides of my hull were flat enough so i could use my DA for about 80% of the hull...the rest of the sides and bottom were done by hand, and pills

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Final Sunday sanding update...

Still hovering around 97-98?...but I had to go out and give my 100 grit dry sandpaper theory a little more of a test...

This is a close-up of what the primer texture looks like...

These are the current tools of the trade; 100 grit dry sandpaper, styrofoam sanding blocks, small wire brush and refreshing adult beverage...

I need a sanding block for the center trough, so I made one...(the curved red line)...

After about 20-25 minutes and a couple of passes with the 100 grit...

To be continued...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Part Two...

After the 20-25 minutes, I had half of the hull a good 80-90% done except for the strakes...

What a difference a little experimentation makes...


The small wire brush is used to keep the constantly clogging sandpaper clean...

Another somewhat useful tip for those of you about to embark on a wet sanding spree...

I have mentioned before, use a soapy water solution to lubricate the surface while wet sanding...however, since I have not been involved in doing what we call "Prep" at the body shop...I had forgotten another important aspect of wet sanding, and even though I casually mentioned it, I want to make a point of saying, use lots of water to flush the area being sanded...if you can keep a small waterfall going, it is even better...this will help do a couple of things...1-let you see how you are doing, 2-keep the area clean, 3- lubricate and cool the area to prevent scratching or marring of the surface while you sand...

Well, I am officially done for the day, hope everyone had a good productive Sunday, may your week fly by and Friday arrive before you know it, the dinner bell is ringing...

Good Day

 

[Trooper82]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

that is some nice primer...not loading your paper? I need to get some of that...

 

[GT1000000]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

that is some nice primer...not loading your paper? I need to get some of that...

It does load up, but if you dry sand, just keep brushing it off with the wire brush...

If wet sanding, then the soap and water keep that from happening...mostly......just keep checking it and if there is some build up, just scrub it off...

Yeah, I don't really know what this primer costs, but many years ago I used an automotive type product called "Sandy-Prime" or something like that, and it worked the same way...you get it on the surface nice and thick and heavy, let it cure completely and sand everything smooth...works phenomenally...I suppose the biggest difference between that and this primer, is that this stuff is rated for Marine use above waterline...that concerned me at first, until I found out that is for boats that live in the water...if the boat is trailered, and doesn't see more than 2-3 days of continuous immersion, it is A-OK...plus with the Imron paint on top, that adds another layer of water resistance...

 

[Decker83]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

Looks like you have things going your way. I know about the sanding. I bought a box of the 3"x17" long board paper. I will go about 3 feet down the hull and change the paper. Only way I could make any progress. When I get down to the gel coat sanding I will try the styrofoam blocks. Thats a great ideal.
Hope your tooth problem has cleared up. The new ideal on the paint looks great.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Love, Necessity and Pride

The primer & sanding look great! Keep up the good work...