Painting My Boat

[Aspaguy]

Hello to All,
I have a 1989 Glastron Sierra 199 19ft cuddy cabin boat. I have been replacing the stringers and bulkheads due to rot. I have already replaced the
transom. I have been looking at the general condition of the paint. The paint has the common haze. I am thinking about painting it. I was told by a
friend that if I do not leave my boat in the water I really do not have to use antifouling paint. Could someone advise on the type of paint I should
use for painting the bottom of the boat. I will use the boat next season and it will not be left in the water but pulled out after each use. I will be
using it in salt water as well as fresh water. Thanks for your assistance.

 

[ingalp01]

Re: Painting My Boat

Ok Here's my recommended formula for Rustoleum Paint for Roll n' Roll and for Spraying.

This Should yield one THIN coat on a 14-16 foot FIBERGLASS boat hull.

For aluminum boats, Acid wash the boat (lots of guys just use 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water) then use a Self Etching Primer

on ALL bare aluminum spots and then coat the entire boat with Rustoleum's' Bare Metal Primer.




If you have Deep sides you may need to adjust the amount of Paint you buy. I recommend Rustoleum's Topside Primer. IF your boat is NOT left in the water for MORE than 3-4 days at a time, this will work fine. This is NOT for boats left in the marina for the season.

This is for Roll n' Roll Application

Final sand with 180 grit and wipe down with acetone.
Two coats of Primer. Roll n' Roll technique is the same. Thin coats!!!

2 cups Paint
1/4 cup of ACETONE or if the temp is over 80 degrees use Mineral Spirits
1 oz of Hardener (1/8 cup/2Tablespoons)(Sold @ Tractor Supply Stores)

Wet roller with paint an roll out about 4-6 sqare feet. If you can HEAR the paint (Sticky Sound)you are rolling too long. Put the first roller in a Plastic bag and use another roller. wet it out but wring out almost all of the paint and then Re-roll the area you just painted. Use a very LIGHT stroke and the paint should lay down with NO Bubbles!. Put this roller in the bag and use the other roller again. Repeat this process untill the boat is painted. Always do the re-roll with a damp roller with very little paint in it and LISTEN. You will hear the sound that lets you know when it's time to stop. It's kind of a sticky sound.


For Spraying.

Final sand and wipe down with acetone.
Two coats of Primer. Use HVLP spray gun with 1.4mm Tip. Thin coats!!!

1 qt paint

1 1/2 cups of Acetone 1/4 cup of Mineral Spirits (In High Temps use ONLY 1 1/2 cups of Mineral Spirits or substitute Acrylic Enamel High Temp Reducer sold at some Auto Supply stores. I used Acme Finish 1.)
2oz of Hardener (1/4 cup/4Tablespoons) (NOTE: Only add Hardener to the amount of Paint that you will use in an 8hr period.) DO NOT use after this 8hr period.

This yields two coats of Paint.
Shoot first coat in the morning.
Wait 4-6 hours.
Wet sand with ScotchBrite Pad LIGHTLY to knock down any nubs or bugs.
Dry.
Tack cloth off with Mineral Spirits.
Dry.
Shoot second Coat.
Let dry over night
Repeat wet sand and Tack cloth
Shoot 3rd and 4th coat if needed.

HINT: If you want a COLOR that you cannot find, then you can use Acrylic Artists OIL paint from any Art supply store that you buy in tubes. Thin it with Acetone and mix it with the Rustoleum GLOSS WHITE. You can get ANY Color in the Rainbow and it works GREAT!!!!
​

 

[ingalp01]

Re: Painting My Boat

PS. I CANNOT take credit for the above information. It comes straight from Woodonglass's resto thread. If you need more information, I suggest reaching out to him. His formula is what I intend to use on my Cabin Cruiser when I reach the paint stage, but he has the most experience with this application. Hope this helps. Good luck...

 

[Aspaguy]

Re: Painting My Boat

thanks ingalp01. this is the type of info I was looking for. I can paint my boat with this advice. I will post some pics before and after shots.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Painting My Boat

I used his formula to mix my paint and I am pretty happy with it, the tan is only like 4 days old and its as hard as nails.....I wont know how it holds up[ to trailering or being in the water yet, but It looks good! pics are in my thread

 

[Aspaguy]

Re: Painting My Boat

Hello ingalp01,
To make sure I got this right, use the primer rust-oleum first, then apply the rust-oleum enamel with the enamel hardener. Just want to make sure to use the right products in the right order. I know this sounds like a dumb question but I have to check it out.

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Painting My Boat

You don't add any hardener to your primer, just to your top coats, each one, be sure your primer is sanded smooth, and wet sand between coats it will come out nice!

 

[Aspaguy]

Re: Painting My Boat

Thanks JDA1975. I was looking online at the paint and found that there is also a Rust-Oleum Marine Coating top paint. The paint in the above thread is a rust-oleum protective enamel paint. Did you use the rustoleum top paint or the one pictured above?

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Painting My Boat

I actually used the Marine Topside, but I believe wood prefers the one he listed in his thread. He swears by his and I cant tell you how well the topside is going to hold up once i start beating it up, but figured it is designed for marine use so who knows...I just plan to leave it in the driveway looking pretty anyways...JK, live less than a mile from several private lakes so I cant wait to get it splashed

 

[Aspaguy]

Re: Painting My Boat

Thanks again JDA1975. This is a terrific forum for info.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Painting My Boat

The Topside Paint is basically the same but... The Rustoleum Techs will not tell you that you can add the hardener to it. Conversely the Professional or Industrial Oil Based Enamel that I recommend IS and DOES have a hardener for it but Rustoleum does not make it available publicly only commercially as far as I know. But I was told that any Acrylic Enamel Hardener would work. Valspar also makes an acrylic enamel paint for restoring old tractors and makes a hardener for it. If you compare their spec sheet with Rustoleums it is almost identical. Using their Topside Primer for Wood and Fiberglass and then finish coating with the Industrial Acrylic Enamel with the hardener will yield a high gloss and very durable finish that any DIY'er can and will be proud of.

 

[Aspaguy]

Re: Painting My Boat

Thanks Woodonglass, I found the rustoleum gloss white with no problem. I could not find a place near me that sold the Valspar hardener. So I ordered it online. I found a place that sells the rustoleum marine coatings primer. I will drive out there on monday to pick it up. The acetone and mineral spirits were no problem. Since I have the back end of the boat all taken apart, I will paint the back end first this way I can put the engine and outdrive back on the boat. I will spray this on with a hvlp paint gun with a 1.4mm tip. I will post some pics for the before and after look. Thanks again.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Painting My Boat

Make sure and mix the hardener well and let it "Cook" for 30 mins before you spray it. Also make SURE and wear a mask and googles. Don't want to breathe this stuff.