Outboard Cowling refurbish - how hard is it ?

[shaungonemad]

Well the reason for my misery the other night wasn't just my DIY disaster, or my excessive alcohol consumption....

Attachment 125754

So now I got 7 days at home to fix this ,

This is where I'm at....

So basically my cowling "refurbishment" has become a "restoration", partially thanks to poor quality spray paint, but mostly thanks to spraying in poor conditions.

Basically an inexperienced unknowledgeable painter who screwed it up.

Sanding back was a pain because the paint was powdery soft gunk, I don't think time would fix that, it had already been 2 or 3 days.
The paint was f**ked, I'm guessing it was the moisture in the air more than anything else.

I had to use the flap disc, it was the only thing that worked. But I accepted the compromise that it would cause damage gouges, which would have to be filled and sanded.

Sanded back to gel coat(?)
Attachment 125756


After first primer/filler...



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So I sanded this back, which was pretty easy this time. And it started to look good. the primer/filler was doing its filling job. This gave me confidence to repeat the process a bit further.

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I put lots and lots of this on

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Then sanded back, but this time sanding was very different.

I was sanding by hand only, based on sight and feel, using 120 grit on big rough bits using my thumb or finger only, then 240 grit, then 400 grit, then 400 wet, then 600 wet. Finishing off with a 1500 wet

This was a lot less painful than the other day, as progress was easy to see and my patience was rewarded, and the final finish felt really nice to touch, something like marble

Attachment 125760

Now I just got to wait for a break in the weather, and nervously spray.

I would be weary about sanding so fine, 1500 would be like glass and may not stick.


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[bobfromblacky]

Now that you have a good u/c base, try the wet coat system, be aware that tack time can be as little as 5 minutes at 20 Celsius

[smidsy]

Smidsy, might be me but your photo's arent showing up for me.
Great to hear your getting somewhere though.

Do they work now ? Probably doesn't make sense without the pics.

[Dignity]

Do they work now ? Probably doesn't make sense without the pics.

Working now. Oh and you can stop testing for CV19 as it will show up for at least another fortnight even a month.

Good luck on your final finish, also 1500 wet is fine to paint over, the binding agents will react with the base coats, just be aware that finer coats may be needed. On concrete floors I've polished repaired sections with 1500 diamond discs and while it looks good it needs 3000 to get it to a polish finish.

[gazza2006au]

How are u going smidsy have u got a undercoat down cured and sanded smooth?

[smidsy]

How are u going smidsy have u got a undercoat down cured and sanded smooth?

So, had a chat with my neighbour, who was a carpenter for 50 years. He was telling me he has the exact same experience when he was trying to fix a dent in a panel in his car. Sanded for hours and hours, first coat goes on and it looks like shit. He gave up, and paid a panel beater to fix it. He is an experienced tradie, so made me feel a lot better knowing its not just me

Fact is, with my level of experience, even using natural light a damp cloth, and using your fingertips, you cant see how good or bad a job you did filling and sanding, until that first coat of primer goes on.

Anyway, I put the 2 coats of primer on. There were significantly less dips, but there were still some. They weren't too bad, and there was on a few of them, but I would see them. So I decided I wouldn't forgive myself if I just did a half ass job after getting it to this stage, and this was a lot more manageable. I accepted that I would have to buy another can of primer, thats over $60 in 3 cans of primer, but cant really skimp on it now...

So I heavily sprayed primer over the bumps, dry & repeat, to build it up, even of that meant getting run offs.

20220625_133514.jpg


Then, very very gently sanded back. I repeated the process until it was close to perfect. Then I sprayed a final coat of primer/filler and sanded the whole thing to 600 wet, ready for painting. I was nervous about its being cured before painting given the conditions, so I left it in my house over night and started paint the next day.

There is this slight imperfection, but its very difficult to find, unless you get the light perfect.

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Final product

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First 2 coats & sanded back

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Can someone tell me if this is normal, should I be sanding this perfectly smooth after every coat, or this pic is the norm ?

A friend told me this is normal, but I left it cure a bit over night, and weather was too poor to paint tody, so I gave it a proper sand to almost smooth today using 400 wet, finishing with 600 wet.

2 more coats and she should be done, fingers crossed.

Finally, how do I finish this off to get a mirror finish ?

Once the coats are dry, I have 1500 I could run over it wet. I also have some car cutting compound, and some car wax handy.

I'm not sure I will do anything or if it will need it, any ideas ?

[gazza2006au]

You want to go to a really fine wet and dry grade sand paper your using to course a grade and its leaving big scratches, your almost there see all those dark dots in the paint u want to wet sand really fine grade sand paper u want to sand it all back flat so u can't see those dark low spots

This is why u go light coats on the paint but u go a few coats as the later sanding your doing now doesn't sand through the colour

[gazza2006au]

Hard to tell if you went a primer than a gloss base coat or if your going a primer than a flat base colour than a clear coat?

[smidsy]

You want to go to a really fine wet and dry grade sand paper your using to course a grade and its leaving big scratches, your almost there see all those dark dots in the paint u want to wet sand really fine grade sand paper u want to sand it all back flat so u can't see those dark low spots

This is why u go light coats on the paint but u go a few coats as the later sanding your doing now doesn't sand through the colour

Thanks, Yea, I think that was mid sanding, I finished with these, first dry then wet.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/uni-pro-...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

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Hard to tell if you went a primer than a gloss base coat or if your going a primer than a flat base colour than a clear coat?

So I'm using this stuff as the primer, went through almost 3 cans after last fill ....

SCA_33189_hi-res.jpg

and as much of this as I need, cost $40 each, very good quality, almost through 3 cans though, might need a 4th...

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I bought this in a specialist marine store. The guy who sold it to me was a shipwright. Originally he said you don't use a primer or a clear coat with this, if all your doing is sanding the existing paint back so this can key to it.

But obviously as I needed to sand off the shit paint I used, I went back to gel coat, and needed a primer. I would have preferred to us a clear coat anyway, but they don't stock it, as they say you don't use clear coat, said its not the same as painting a car.

I called the local Mercury dealer, they said they don't sell a clear coat either, as they don't use a clear coat, just the official Mercury paint as a top coat. The official Mercury paint is $40 also, I didnt know that was available in Perth. Anyway the Moeller is doing a good job anyway.

Anyway back to the job......


I'm not fu*king around anymore, and the weather is shit for painting, so this was going to go on for weeks. I decided to empty my little shed, put an oil heater in there with a extension lead, and do 1 piece at a time.

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And as its so small, I set up a curing room with a heater in my living room. Once its tack dry, it goes in here.

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Result after 2 more coats, top cowling needs at least 1 more, which would be 3 in total for that, the bottom ones have had 4 coats, and all have had 3 coats of primer.....

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Stating to look good, but I'm still getting very mild orange peel.

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I have enough paint to do one last coat on the top cowling.

Question is, how do I get a mirror finish ?

Should I ...

1. Go buy more paint @ $40 a can, sand and apply another coat? Or is this the best its going to get ?

2. I have 1500 grit I could use wet, and I have car cutting compound and car wax.

So I'm wondering if I keep painting, or accept this is the best its going to get, and start using the cutting compound and give it some wax ?

I still have to paint the top cowling again, so I'm going to experiment with a small section of just the cowling handle, using 1500 wet. I should have enough paint to give it another coat if I don't like the finish. I tried it yesterday, but I don't think the paint had cured properly, and it was rougher than I wanted.

I wont be waxing the top cowling yet, as I still need to apply the decals.

[gazza2006au]

Using that paint is as best you're going to get it, the orange peel is from using a spray can unfortunatly u wont get a deep gloss that paint is about as good as it gets

I cant see anywhere on that spray can where it says "semi gloss" or "gloss", you really get a deep paint job when u go the 3 stage painting process and u use a 2 pack high gloss clear its what they use in automotive industry

[smidsy]

Using that paint is as best you're going to get it, the orange peel is from using a spray can unfortunatly u wont get a deep gloss that paint is about as good as it gets

I cant see anywhere on that spray can where it says "semi gloss" or "gloss", you really get a deep paint job when u go the 3 stage painting process and u use a 2 pack high gloss clear its what they use in automotive industry

Its an acrylic lacquer.

I've been thinking about it, and im very tempted to put a clear coat on anyway.

Been watching youtube vids, and it really makes a difference.

Problem is I cant get an outboard clear coat.

So I was thinking about using 2K, but where do you buy that ? I can only find it online ? And how would it go in saltwater ?

My original paint wasnt a gloss finish

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Attachment 125858

Current finish after curing a few days

Attachment 125857

Its obviously not the same, but with a wax it wont be far off.

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I'm undecided.

[Dignity]

Pics not appearing again. Any decent paint shop has or can get 2k paint, Haymes paints near me supply it.
The 2k finish will give you a sturdier finish.
The orange peel can be from a whole variety of reasons, there is one well know brand of paint that says it will even bond to plastics supposedly can be recoated after 48 hrs, bs, will orange peel on the second coat even a week later. I trialled it on a piece a month apart and it still did it, no matter what I did. In fact it could only take a light second coat, a wet on wet would only lift most of the paint like paint stripper.
The joys of using spray cans.

[smidsy]

Pics not appearing again. .

I'm getting sick of this forum, its very glitchy and clunky. I can do the same thing over and over, and 50% of the time it will work, but if the tide is out and the moon is in line with Jupiter it wont.

Try again , it should be working now

[smidsy]

Pics not appearing again. Any decent paint shop has or can get 2k paint, Haymes paints near me supply it.
The 2k finish will give you a sturdier finish.
The orange peel can be from a whole variety of reasons, there is one well know brand of paint that says it will even bond to plastics supposedly can be recoated after 48 hrs, bs, will orange peel on the second coat even a week later. I trialled it on a piece a month apart and it still did it, no matter what I did. In fact it could only take a light second coat, a wet on wet would only lift most of the paint like paint stripper.
The joys of using spray cans.

No where in Perth can I find 2K clear coat in a can, I can buy it from QLD and get it posted, but that's 2 or 3 weeks delay.

From my research, there is no Mercury or Moeller clear coat available anywhere in Perth, and the marine shops and Mercury suppliers says it not needed.

HOWEVER !! I managed to find this ....


Attachment 125862

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I figured, fu3k it, Its not Mercury, its Yamaha, but its an outboard clear coat, its not going to do any harm !

Its $45 each, and I bought 2 cans.

Turns out, this stage is by far the fu3king easiest, considering my dramas !

I suppose logically, by this stage, almost all problems have been fixed, so its just a matter of spraying, and as Ive set up my improvised spraying factory, spraying wasnt going to be an enviromental challenge.

Also, I couldn't find any advice about sanding between applying clear coats, so I didnt.

Again from my research, clear coats are applied quickly, as in 10 minute intervals, and only 3 maximum.

Additionally, I found that clear coat hides imperfections, rather than highlighting them as base coat does.

However, I did find clear coat loves to run, even when applied lightly, but these runs can be sanded individually with wet 1500 and a delicate finger, and next clear coat makes this light buffing disappear ! Meaning, you dont have to buff the whole coat, just the wrong bits.

Anyway, Before pics.


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1 before.jpg
2 before.jpg
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5 before.jpg
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After 3 coats of clear

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3 after.jpg

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4 after.jpg
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6 after.jpg


Interestingly, if you look at the before of the cowling handle, it looks pretty sexy. So, it does prove that of done correctly, you don't need a clear coat like the shipwright said.

But a clear coat smooths over noob errors like I have and makes it look so much better !

Cowling handle after a couple of hours of curing, cant complain, but would be nice to get the rest of the cowling look like this


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The camera makes it look better to be honest, doesn't look like this with your eye only.

[gazza2006au]

There is quiet a few different web links to this site best i found was going to google type in "ausfish mobile site" click the link that says mobile should be first link

You previously mentioned u had a cutting compound i would avoid this, its designed to cut dull paint

Just give her a good polish it should come up nice

2 pack (2k clear) is designed for a 3 coat process as previously mentioned, primer than flat base coat, than clear coat

The way you went was 2 stage, primer, than a semi gloss base coat

You outboard would have been shiny the day it was bought new