What paint and primer for aluminum 68 Crestliner

[Woodonglass]

Like I previously stated, you don't shoot primer with a 1.4mm tip. It won't work unless you thin it. A 1.8mm or 2.0mm tips is what's recommended for primer. Length of hose has no impact. Either thin it 10 to 20% or get a larger tip.

 

[gm280]

For what it's worth, primer isn't supposed to look shiny and flawless. That isn't what primer is all about. Primer is simply the adhesion between the raw surface and the top coat of paint. It's purpose is to help them adhere to each other. So regardless what your primer looks like presently, start sanding it out and see what it looks like after that operation is finished. For a really great final finish, sand the primer with 600 wet/dry sand paper with a long board and sanding diagonally. Avoid sanding lengthwise or even vertically. Chris-cross patterns sanding in an "X" pattern formation is the best approach to achieve a very nice smooth finish. Also use some guide coat to show the low areas as you sand out the primer. Once you have the entire hull sanded where there are no longer any low areas (guide coat showing) and no sand through, you are ready for the top coat. JMHO!

While I am thinking of it. Yes, a larger tip opening does make a difference. Like WOG stated, primers are usually shot using a 1.8 - 2.0 mm tip. If you've been doing lots of painting before, you can get away with using a 1.4mm tip. But then you also have to adjust the viscosity of the primer as well. Not thinning the primer forces that thicker fluid out a very small opening and not laying down as it would with a larger opening. Primer is extremely thick compared to paint. And that is the reason for different sizes of outlet tips. For your top coat(s) or even clear coat(s), a 1.4mm tip is perfect, everything else being the same. JMHO!

 

[utfyrfytr]

Waterman, Wood and GM, thanks for the info. I know that primer is not suppose to be smooth and shiny and what it's purpose is, however I didn't expect it to feel like 40 grit sand paper either. Wood's, "I told you so" is probably well deserved. Live and learn. So tomorrow I start sanding. GM I can't sand diagonally because of the lapstrake hull design my only option, I think, is going to be lengthwise. What is guide coat? Is that just another color so you can see low spots as you sand?
When I am ready for color and topcoat what are the ratios of paint, to reducer and thinner? Wood says I should get 5 quarts of spray ready paint out of 2 quarts so I am just trying to figure out the ratios.
Thanks for all your help, stick with me and I'll make it work.

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

What is guide coat? Is that just another color so you can see low spots as you sand?

Yes just mist not even a full coat on in a contrasting color.

 

[gm280]

The guide coat I use is actually a dark powder material you apply with a pad like you would with car wax. And then as you sand, the low areas will not get sanded showing them up really well. The reason I stated not to sand horizontally or vertically is because those two methods yield sanding marks and ridges. The diagonally sanding pattern removes all those marks and provides the flattest, smoothest results for the top coat of paint.

As for the mixture of the paint/top coat, whatever type paint you decide to go with should have the thinning options provided on the container. Some paints get a 50/50 thinning while others are 10% mixtures. So see what the manufacture recommends and follow their instructions. If you are going to use a hardener, then only mx up what you plan to shoot at that time. Because if you mix the entire material, you have to use it up before the time frame catalyzes and makes the material unusable again. JMHO!

 

[Watermann]

The amount of paint needed depends on how many coats you plan on applying. All of the alkyd oil based paints I've used call for an 8:1 reduction with only the reducer type being the variable.The Rusto topside called for xylene while the Van Sickle paint I've been using calls for VM&P Naphtha.

 

[utfyrfytr]

Thanks guys, I have the sanding finished and things look pretty good, (in my opinion). We are taking a few days and going to the lake with other family members so I won't be getting back to the boat for about a week. Hopefully my nest post is after the first top coat spray and all is good.

 

[utfyrfytr]

This probably is a dumb question but how can I sand the primer smooth on the rivet heads? If I barley touch them with 400 grit wet sand paper the metal is almost immediately exposed? There are less than 20 but I would like to be sure they are as smooth as everything else.

 

[Watermann]

Just about any type of cloth fabric will polish them without removing too much primer.

 

[utfyrfytr]

Thanks, this isn't rocket science but there are a lot of tricks. Family in town this week so hopefully I can do some painting next week. Thanks again.

 

[gm280]

Thanks, this isn't rocket science but there are a lot of tricks. Family in town this week so hopefully I can do some painting next week. Thanks again.

No it isn't rocket surgery (I like surgery better then science), but like you stated, there are some interesting things to help make the efforts easier that others have already experienced. That's the great thing about these forums. And raised heads, be it a rivet, bolt or whatever, presents situations that are a little different from flat surface sanding. It is so easy to sand through the primer/paint because they are raised, and so are corners as well. So either little dust over them, or leave them alone all together. Once you shoot the top coat or paint, it covers without any problems. So work around them or just extremely little sanding is all it takes on those heads. JMHO!

 

[utfyrfytr]

First coat of paint this AM. Do I need to do a light wet sanding between coats? I think I will do 3 coats and thought maybe doing two light coats before sanding the first time then sand. I have some 800 grit wet n dry sand paper I am planning to use, will that work ok? I lost all of my pictures on my cell phone last week but I will try to get some others up before long. Thanks for all of the advice.

 

[gm280]

First coat of paint this AM. Do I need to do a light wet sanding between coats? I think I will do 3 coats and thought maybe doing two light coats before sanding the first time then sand. I have some 800 grit wet n dry sand paper I am planning to use, will that work ok? I lost all of my pictures on my cell phone last week but I will try to get some others up before long. Thanks for all of the advice.

It really depends on the type of paint you used and if there are any issues with the first coat. If you used a paint that has to be recoated in "X" number of hours, then you may have to slightly sand between coats if you exceeded that time frame. But if not then you can recoat whenever you like without any sanding. So what did you shoot? Read the directions and see if it states anything about recoating.

 

[utfyrfytr]

I used Valspar tractor and implement paint with hardener and thinned using Naphtha. It says to wait 24 hours before re-coating. I don't have any issues with my first coat, (that I have seen). If there are no problems I need to fix can I do the 3 coats I was planning on and then wet sand the final coat after it is dry? Will the 800 grit work for the final sanding?

 

[gm280]

I used Valspar tractor and implement paint with hardener and thinned using Naphtha. It says to wait 24 hours before re-coating. I don't have any issues with my first coat, (that I have seen). If there are no problems I need to fix can I do the 3 coats I was planning on and then wet sand the final coat after it is dry? Will the 800 grit work for the final sanding?

I don't see why you can't apply the other two coats. However, I don't know if I would use 800 grit wet sand for the final. I'd go at least 1000 grit or even higher and wet sand if that is what you want to do. But then you would need to go with a polish to bring out the glass shine. Otherwise even if you went to 2000 grit and wet sand the finish would have a sheen but not a shine. When you go the extra wet sanding option, you have to buff it out with polishing compound for that glass shine. And you also have to use a controlled speed polisher and not a drill or angle grinder with a polishing pad. Don't go high speed when polishing or you will burn the finish. Some of the more quality polishing compounds state on their direction the speed you need to polish at. I use 3M compounds with a Makita 7" variable speed polisher.

 

[Woodonglass]

I'd recommend using a GREEN Scotch Brite pad between coats. Using "Wet Water" (put some dishsoap in it). Wipe it down with Mineral Spirits and then shoot the next coat. You only need to knock the nubs off between coats.

 

[utfyrfytr]

Thanks guys for all of the info. If I do a light sanding between coats then do I need to sand after my final coat?

 

[gm280]

Thanks guys for all of the info. If I do a light sanding between coats then do I need to sand after my final coat?

Again, that all depends on what you want to do. If the final coat looks good and you like it, then NO, you don't need to do anything to the final finish. If you want to go that extra mile, then wet sand with high grit wet/dry paper and polish. I would certainly use at least 1500 to 2000 grit and wet sand if I were to do that. And you really go over the finish lightly to only remove and nubs and any little imperfections and smooth the surface. Then polish. JMHO

 

[Watermann]

Some of us like me don't sand anything, I hate sanding and only do it to the bare AL prior to applying the SE primer. I shoot the SE, 2 hours later I shoot the base primer. The next day I shoot the first paint coat and 2 hours later shoot the top coat and done. My boats aren't trailer queens for show to win a 7 dollar plastic trophy at the local parade, I use them and that means the paint gets blemishes sooner or later so my home paint jobs are perfectly fine for fishing boats and my cruiser.

 

[gm280]

Some of us like me don't sand anything, I hate sanding and only do it to the bare AL prior to applying the SE primer. I shoot the SE, 2 hours later I shoot the base primer. The next day I shoot the first paint coat and 2 hours later shoot the top coat and done. My boats aren't trailer queens for show to win a 7 dollar plastic trophy at the local parade, I use them and that means the paint gets blemishes sooner or later so my home paint jobs are perfectly fine for fishing boats and my cruiser.

I honestly understand what you are saying. I however, get a lot of self satisfaction when I refurbish things and try my best to make them as nice as possible. But it isn't for the fish, or the public or anybody else. It is simply for me. I have a very bad habit of taking extremely good care of everything I own. Don't ask me why, it is just some mental issue I guess. So each person has to determine what they are wanting to do and then do it to their self satisfaction level. So to each their own. One person that is satisfied with a mere rattle can paint finish is not another person's idea of what he or she wants. And so everybody refurbishes to their abilities and wants. JMHO