Painting fibreglass boat

[den001]

Hi,

Would like some info if possible from all the educated people out there on certain types of paints for spray painting

I have a 21 ft yalta Odessa and have stripped back to Bare hull for a complete rebuild.

I've sanded it all down and done some bog work where required and am getting ready for the paint process.

I can get aircraft primer and paint given to me but am skeptical about using it. It is used on aircraft aluminium and designed to withstand extreme speeds and temperatures

Will this suffice for a trailer boat?? I don't want it to peel and I want the finish to be of a good standard. Not expecting a show car paint job but I do want it to look good.
All info appreciated
Thanks

[DM]

Honestly, just do it right the first time. Use a epoxy 2pack primer. You'll get a 5ltr kit for under 100 bucks and known it'll work.

[Zippidy]

Am also nearly up to the painting stage of a rebuild so subscribed to this thread for further education :-)

[chris69]

I you had a tiny or plate boat and had the right etch primer id say go for it,but being fiberglass go the 2pack epoxy and primer you have put the effort in to strip it back for the rebuild so why take a chance,if you take the marine out of your product its a bit cheaper theres some good industrial 2packs out there wattly u400 and pr230 and protec AU625 and epotec408,have fun .

[odes20]

I used the Jotun 2 pack Hi build Epoxy primer on my Yalta incidentally, and finished with the Jotun 2 pack Ultra Polyuthane.
I would still use the finish paint offered to you, it will be of top quality to go on a boat, if it can go ona plane. in respect of 2 pack finishes, I dont think they are just a one specific use, they are just hard, and maintain their gloss in all situations. And good one are expensive. Do you know the name of the topcoat offered to you?

Just make sure you are using an epoxy primer for starters. The key is to get the viscosity right when spraying, to avoid an orange peel spray look from the paint being too thick. You probably know that anyway.

Cheers!
John


Ill post up a pic of mine which in my view still looks amazing 3 yrs later.
Attachment 97715Attachment 97716

[Rip it up]

I am a huge fan of the juton 2 packs. After numerous large one off boat builds done with it during my apprenticeship in boat building. I think it is the easiest to spray correctly.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1384197396.780601.jpg
My latest hobby rebuild. Done at home in a closed shed. Full respirator etc etc.

Gelcoat is a great substance to spray onto. Fix all your flaws perfectly because every nick and stretch will show through. It is a very thin paint finish and can and will show up 240grit sanding marks in your epoxy primer.

Like it is said time and time again. The paint system is only as good as the prep job.

[Andrew M]

Mate the aircraft paint will be fine & it is the right price. You will find that the primer will be an epoxy primer & the top coat will be a two pak polyurethane. I have painted plenty of boats in out of date aircraft paint & never had a problem. As Rip it up said make sure your prep work is spot on& it should turn out alright.

Cheers Andrew.

[fandtm666]

i am also a jotun fan , i used it in my re-build and very happy with the results

IMG_0610.jpgIMG_0691.jpg

[den001]

thanks for the advice guys...

i think im going to re antifoul the bottom in white. is there any particular anti foul i should be looking for?? and can i roll and tip it straight onto thebottom that has been sanded with 60 grit?

[cormorant]

Are you storing it on the water? If not why are you considering anitfoul?

If storing boat in the water as a moored boat you need to ensure the bottom finish is done with epoxy barrier as both FG and gelcoat are porus and you will end up with FG cancer , osmosis . Anitfouls are not waterproof. For antifouls you need to say where it will be moored and usage to determine the correct AF as they all have different characteristics .

You have done the prep so don't not do the final coatings correctly in the right gear.

[den001]

The boat will be mored sometimes. In port stephens.

ATM the boat has a shocking layer of antifoul on the bottom. I've sanded 2/3 off with 60 grit on a orbital.

I was going to use hard white antifoul and roller it on but thanks for the info, I was totally unaware it's not water tight.

Secondly there is a hell of a lot of prep work to get the bottom to a top finish with primer and paint and I'm already paying for a storage facility near my joint. So rollering the bottom was a easy option for me as i could do half and then the other half whilst on the trailer. I was then gona hire a booth and spray the rest of it.

I really don't mind loosing a few knots of speed. I plan on fitting a 200 direct injected optimax so it's really not going to hurt performance where it would become a problem.

Can anyone tell me what I have to do now to the bottom before I roll the foul on?? What products should I use?? And would the ultra hard international antifoul be the correct paint?? I've read it can be sanded and buffed to look pretty schmik.
Cheers
Denis

[cormorant]

Couple of things

be a lot careful sanding old antifoul. Should always be done wet and with masks etc as it has nasty biocides and if older paint tin and other heavy metals.

If only mooring occasionally for a week at a time in between use if you could be bothered we on smaller boats just buy a bunnings poly tarp and slip it under and tie it off. Stops all growth and staining and only takes a few minutes at end of day if we are avoiding the ramp. Not much sticks to a good paint job and polished hull.

There are 3 types of antifoul. Hard soft and ablative ( and a whole lot of combinations inbetween rated for different speeds and durability) You need one that will survive out of the water as many will degrade out of the water. Each brand will have one suitable for boats that are drystacked and for a planing hull over 20 knots. Each antifoul with have a undercoating system and usually made up of a epoxy sealer coat before antifoul application. For moored boats we do it in a different colour so we can see when the antifould is worn or getting thin..

Fine acetone epoxy proof rollers give a fine finish on the bottom and a light wet sand to burnish the surface if you are fussy afterwards.

[den001]

thanks for the reply mate,

if thats the case i will just paint the whole boat properly.

cheers

[den001]

Well I'm thinking if painting this myself so I would like to ask if my finishing is ok??

I have 60 grit the bottom of the hull as it was coated with real old anti foul.
I have 240 grit the rest of the boat.

Can I primer high fill over these grits and then sand again and paint?
What grit should I use on the high fill to prepare for paint?

[Darren Mc]

240 grit is fine on the random sander or by hand to prim over. 60 grit is a bit to coarse. If dry sanding, sand the primer with 500 grit on a random sander and 800 if sanding fiddly bits by hand.
Keep in mind 500 grit on a random sander gives you a finer finish than 500 grit by hand. Be sure to make sure there's no shiny bit's of gelcoat left before you prim or those bit's will be a weak point in your paint job where the paint could lift up and peel or flake off down the track.


Cheers and have fun with it...