Marine Paint Sugestions

[leisjohn]

I've just about completed my rebuild of my 94 Proline 210cc. It's getting close to painting time and I was wondering if anyone had heard of"Mega Gloss 1 Part Marine Topside Polyurethane Enamel". I want to do the paint job right but, not sure if it's worth the $500.00 for aw grip or if I can get by with less expensive. What is your opinion
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John L
Fort Pierce, FL

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

I'm currently using Petit EasyPoxy on my project am a HUGE fan of it. I swear you could apply this stuff with a pushbroom and it would still level out and look awesome.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

This is kind of a subjective topic, like "what oil works best".

Here's my 2 cents.

First, the paint you list sounds like a generic or off brand, haven't heard of it. Check the type, it's probably a one part acrylic urethane, roughly comparable in chemistry to West store brand paint or Rust-Oleum topsides paint. Rust-oleum is the cheapest paint I'd consider applying to any boat I owned. West marine is the next step up, followed by the cheaper Interlux stuff, then the high end stuff.

Second, 90% of the paint job work should be prep work. If your prep isn't good your paint job isn't going to be good. Prep, prep, prep.

Third, you get what you pay for with paint. If you really care about the boat and are willing to spend the time for proper prep, get a high end paint... they're much more durable than the cheap stuff, easier to make look good, and last much longer.

If you're not planning to spend a lot of time on prep, just get the cheap paint. Some people even use car paint with hardener.

You can get a shiny, nice looking result with good prep and not too expensive paint like Petit Easypoxy or System Three. It won't be as good a finish as the top end stuff or last as long, but it's lots cheaper.

Erik

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

I have done a bit of research on paint as I am sanding and preping mine currently. From what I found out... Below the waterline Use gelcoat. Any paint has a possibility of pealing. Above the waterline.. Gelcoat is the proper way but alot of work and scary to me since I have never worked with it. Paint will work well as long as the prep work is done properly. I am using Automotive urathane with epoxy primer under it. Some think car paint doesnt belong on a boat, but arent corvettes built of fiberglass and gelcoat? would you pull out a roller or brush to paint a corvette? I feel a high quality automotive paint properly prepped, filled, primed and sprayed is second only to regelcoating but that is only my opinion.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

If they came in the right colors, with some of the upper-end marine paints you could easily paint a corvette with a roller and brush and have it come out like glass.

 

[saacmk1]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Paint?

Hey Skibum, gelcoat is porous on a microscopic level. Whyddya think everyone paints boat bottoms? Geeze.

I just finished painting the hull of my Cascade 42 with Supermarine Revolution. We got it online at and can tell you results exceeded my expectations. They ballyhoo pretty good about it on the website but it does exactly what they claim and more. I am here to tell you it's worth every penny. Plus they have 100 colors. Who else has 100 colors? The finish is amazing, unbeleivably smooth, good hardness and very glossy. It only took two gallons of Revolution to do two coats! That stuff really goes a long way. Tech help was great. If there is a down side to it it is the slow curing. Could be the low temps at application time though. Right now I am sold just hope it looks as good at this time next year!

 

[leisjohn]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

I have heard a lot about easyPoxy and from what I've heard it scratches very easy. The supper marine paint sound like it may become a candidate but, I will wait and see what else people have to say. I appreciate all the advise from all the folks on the site.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Who else has 100 colors?

Ayuh,.... My local Napa store... They'll custom mix millions of colors,..
Well,.. Any color you can find the paint code for anyways...

I've painted Many, Many boats, both above,+ below the waterline with Martin Seymour's Prizem, I believe it's called...
It's their Fleet grade paint...
It's a 2pt. urethane paint,...
Tougher than Nails,.. Dries by the time you've painted your way around the boat...
It holds up for years, no matter whether it's a dock boat, or trailer boat...
My aluminum starcraft is holding up very well after 10 years, Other than where it beat the dock..
Last spring I painted a Hi-liner 222 that sat at the dock all last summer,...
it's still in pristine condition...

The 1 thing I caution when Painting,....Use the entire paint System from whichever manufacturer you choose...
Don't use a primer from 1 outfit, then top it with something from a different supplier...
You can really create a nasty finish by switching in the middle of a job...

 

[noworries79]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Not to steal the thread, but do you leave the paint as the surface layer (on the deck) or can you apply resin, etc. above the paint? Thank you

 

[DukesFin]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Not to steal the thread, but do you leave the paint as the surface layer (on the deck) or can you apply resin, etc. above the paint? Thank you

Why would you want apply resin over your paint? Repairs should be made prior to painting. If I've got to make some repairs after I've painted, I grind back down to the glass, make my repairs, then re-paint. I'd be worried about the bonding ability of whatever paint I use to the new resin/glass...

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Resin over the paint would reduce adhesion... even if it stuck in the first place, you'd end up with the resin/glass attached only as strongly as the paint is, which is quite a bit weaker than epoxy, dunno about poly.

If you want to protect the paint, clear coat it.

Bond-o... can you post some pics of your boats with the years since painted listed? I'm interested in the results and durability. Also summarize your prep work and cleaning if you would.

I'm planning on using Interlux perfection or awlgrip on my boat next spring, and I want it looking good but more importantly I want it durable. I'd consider gelcoat if it wasn't so danged much work (I really admire Oops! job on his boat that way).

Erik

 

[Bondo]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Bond-o... can you post some pics of your boats with the years since painted listed? I'm interested in the results and durability. Also summarize your prep work and cleaning if you would.

Ayuh,... I'm sorry Eric,... I looked this morning when I was writing that post,... I will post the poor pictures I do have..
My blue starcraft is holding up very well as far as the paint, the aluminum, the weather, etc...
The Major problem is it broke free year before last,+ spent the night Bashing against the concrete dock...
Yes, it's Scratched beyond belief, but that's in No way the paints fault..

here's a picture of the starcraft with 9 or 10 years on it,... No waxing, No nothing,... except for the Dock rash..

This 1 is the Hi-liner going into primer, I don't have a shot of the finished product...Although I might be able to get something later today,... I'll see...

Also summarize your prep work and cleaning if you would.

Just like paintin' anything else,...
Sand, fill, Sand, fill, Sand, clean, Sand, fill, Sand, clean, Sand, clean, Primer, Sand, clean, Sand, CLEAN, Paint....

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

I gelcoated the transom of my boat last night and it came out great, It was much easier than I expected. So now I think I will be doing the whole boat. My question is my old gelcoat is is pretty good shape so do I have to remove all the old gelcoat or can I Just recoat after sanding the old gelcoat?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

I gelcoated the transom of my boat last night and it came out great, It was much easier than I expected. So now I think I will be doing the whole boat. My question is my old gelcoat is is pretty good shape so do I have to remove all the old gelcoat or can I Just recoat after sanding the old gelcoat?

Ayuh,.... What did you do to prep the transom you just did,..??

I'd think a fairly course sanding,+ cleaning should be Good,...
I think we D/a'ed with 320 for paint,... Maybe 240 or so for Gelcoat...

I took a couple shots of the Hi-liner today,..
This is As is came from sitting in the St.Lawrence since I painted it in June... No wash, No wax, No nothing,.. on the trailer to the warehouse..

 

[SKIBUM1M]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

I used catalysed glazing putty for some small nicks then used 80 grit on the da then acetone and sprayed the gelcoat with my hvlp. I was told it was fine to just rough the old gelcoat so I left it. I am open to any tips and suggestions on gelcoating as this was my first attempt and I want to do it right especially if I am going to do the entire boat.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Ayuh,... personally,.. I think 80 is fine to knock down filler,...
Preping for coating, as I said earlier, would be in the 180/ 240 range....
Knockin' off the gloss is Important,... flat,+ smooth is up to you...

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

yeah we Da'ed up to 320 before painting. Let me add that some marine paints like interlux perfection can't be polished or buffed out. You will lose the gloss. One of the things we did not become aware of after i scratched our boat

Don't get me wrong great paint and AWESOME company to deal with in customer service, just wish the paint was more easily repaired.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Very pretty, Bond-o.... I bet that looks as good as any of the interlux paint jobs. Is that a dive scooter in one of the pics?

One other question - can you let us know what hardener, reducer, etc you used? I've got a lot of black, red, and clear acrylic urethane paint that I could use sometime, but it never seems to harden very well, or stay shiny.

Erik

 

[Bondo]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

Ayuh,... I just buy the paint at the local Napa,...
The Paint Guy piles whatever I need in a box,+ I go paint...
This new Prism stuff is great,...
I'll see if I can find out somemore about it today,...

Yes,... Bob, the guy with the 50' Scarab is also a diver... That's the bow of his barge in the background...

 

[saacmk1]

Re: Marine Paint Sugestions

The Revolution from Supermarine Paint is wetsandable and buffable. While installing the deisel we dropped it in the cockpit by accident gouging a big piece out of it. I filled it with Bondo then wet sanded and buffed it. The repair is virtually invisible.