Outboard Cowling refurbish - how hard is it ?

[smidsy]

Here you go smidsy, don't be too hard on Cobbo as you really need to know some history of Gazza (has he been banned twice ir three times).

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sho...i-Boat-Rebuild

Gazza has a good heart but Professor Google reigns supreme and all good advice he's been given in the past he has usually ignored to his detriment.

Either way, I don't want this thread to become a shit fight, rather keep it on topic !

[smidsy]

I feel ya pain smidsy.
I once bought a car from a relation who owned a panel shop. Needed a respray after a few years. 'How hard can it be?" thought I. Never spray painted anything in my life.

So I bought a little beaver home spray kit and got stuck in.

Bloody thing threw gobs of paint every third pass.
After many months of sanding and respraying about a million times, and countless cans of paint and primer, and reams of sandpaper, showed it to the original owner.
He was mightily impressed and offered me a job in his shop.

Not so politely told him where to put his job. Lol

Never again!!!!!

Ps. It wasn't 2pack and no clearcoat but I did use cutting compound at the end successfully.

Cheers
Gurn

Sounds exactly like me, but if I leave it as a mess, I will ruin my whole boats look.

Everyone values a boat based on how the engine cowling looks, we shouldn't, but we do.

And looking through Facebook at all the squid and fish people are catching, while I'm here sanding & cursing doesnt help !



Anyway, I'm very nervous about the next steps.

I'm afraid of dulling it, or creating inconsistencies by accidently removing too much clear coat.

I'm undecided what to do next.

[Dignity]

Either way, I don't want this thread to become a shit fight, rather keep it on topic !

The link was for a recent project Cobbo did to show you he knows what he's talking about.

[Noelm]

I see nothing has changed.

[TheRealPoMo]

As I said at the beginning of this, I am eager to see how this goes because despite what the makers if the rattle cans and various Utubers say, you can't get a decent finish with just spraying. Well, I can't...
I would think flattening with fine wet emery paper followed by cutting compound then clear coat, then probably sanding and cutting that too would be the go. I was told though that rattle can paint is too soft for this.
Here to learn.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Cobbo1]

I see nothing has changed.

Thought you were out Noel?

[Noelm]

Thought you were out Noel?

Thanks for that, I am certainly not logging back in again now.

[smidsy]

If it’s not flat before you use the cutting compound, the cutting compound won’t flatten it, it will only bring back a shine from a dull finish, orange peel can only be sanded out, I’d suggest soapy water and 3000 grit paper, and work slowly, only focusing on flat areas and staying away from edges and corners. Clear coat from a can will never go on thick and sanding through it will happen easier than you think, slow and steady is the way.

This is where its at...

20220705_065437.jpg

Right, this is what im thinking.

1. Gently rub it with 3000 grit, using my hand, feeling for lumps, until smoot. (the top of the cowling in particular will need this, as it was very difficult to even spray, as the can was at an angle)

Question: Qill I be able to see if its flat, and will I see if Iv sanded through the clear coat ?

2. Using polisher machine, use cutting compound on nonwoven bonnet(?), but not aggressively, and buff off using machine with terry bonnet (?)

Question: How do I know when to stop, or how hard to go? Will I get results at this stage ?

3. Wash bonnets, dry, then using polisher machine, use marine polishing compound

Question: If I dont have a mirror finish at stage 2, will this produce a mirror finish ?

4, If all goes well, spray & wipe with Windex, apply decals.


My concern is....... I experimented with that earlier on on the base coat(originally I was told not t use a clear coat), using 1500 wet, then hand pads for cutting compound, then wax. I did this on the handle, while watching tv, so took my time on it.

It wasn't cured though, but it had been about 24 hours since spraying.

It became dull and looked sh1t ! After waxing, it was shiny, but it was still dull, like a light dark, rather than a deep dark, kind of hard to explain?

Any thoughts or advice ?



Also, as per below pic, I notice when I look closely, I can see the sanding marks on the base coat. Not sure how, considering I finished with 800 wet. But anyway, I'm guessing at this stage there is nothing I can do about it now and I just got to live with it ? Is that correct ?

20220704_183233.jpg

[Cobbo1]

Mate to be fair that’s looking pretty good considering it came from a spray can

[disorderly]

Just stick it back on the motor and go fishing, mate....

Looks a decent enough finish...I doubt too many people at the ramp are going to be inspecting it under a magnifying glass for any imperfections like you are..

5 weeks stuffing around for a cowl on an old motor....geez you sure do have some patience...

BTW how much did all the spraycans end up costing...?

[Cobbo1]

Just stick it back on the motor and go fishing, mate....

Looks a decent enough finish...I doubt too many people at the ramp are going to be inspecting it under a magnifying glass for any imperfections like you are..

5 weeks stuffing around for a cowl on an old motor....geez you sure do have some patience...

BTW how much did all the spraycans end up costing...?

^^^ 100% agree, whack those new stickers on, hell buy an outboard cover for it if you're still worried and it will look brand new, oh and the fish aren't picky, they still find their way onto the deck of my unpainted platey

[smidsy]

Mate to be fair that’s looking pretty good considering it came from a spray can

Thanks for that, appreciate it.

But it got that way, because I persevered and couldnt accept it looking sh1t, due to my lack of skills.

Every time I go fishing, I would look at it and be disappointed !

Thats why I put so many coats on, until I was happy and could sleep at night.

Anyway, I had 2 sets of decals I bought on ebay, one I bought from UK, and a better designed one(although lesser print quality) one I found from Melbourne, and bought one night when on the piss.

Sold the UK one tonight to a marine mechanic this evening, and got chatting with him.

I showed him my cowling pieces and he said they were in pretty good shape, much better than most he sees.

He said, 3000 wet until flat, and cutting compound, she would look like glass he reckons.

Then polish to finish.

If anyone is curious, he said if I had have taken it to him before I started. He would have charged me $350 for the top cowling refub, and another say $150 for the bottom cowling each, plus $100 for the decals, so total cost would be $750. But of course, it would be a professional finish, and would have been done in a couple of days. My total cost of materials for this project is $775, would have been $545 without wasted materials.

Good to know, not kicking myself at all, I swear !

[smidsy]

Just stick it back on the motor and go fishing, mate....

Looks a decent enough finish...I doubt too many people at the ramp are going to be inspecting it under a magnifying glass for any imperfections like you are..

5 weeks stuffing around for a cowl on an old motor....geez you sure do have some patience...

BTW how much did all the spraycans end up costing...?

Problem is - I will know

Besides, out of all of this. I am really learning so much!

Albeit in a painful way, but my improvement in knowledge & skills are showing results.

Its not so much I have patience, probably more perseverance, and a ridiculous capacity for "over thinking" which means I cant relax unless I solve my problem.

The spray cans cost $22 each for Septone primer/filler, $40 each for Moeller base coat, which apparently don't need a clear(if done right), and $45 each for the Yamaha clear top/clear coat.

[TheRealPoMo]

This is why we pay tradespeople.
We pay for their expertise.... their long hours of hard effort and learning, honing their skills over years. To think some mongs with some spraycans from Stupercheap can do the same is quite frankly insulting to their craft. As amateurs we give it a go and should be applauded for that... plenty that wouldn't even try. End of the day professional finishes are done by professionals.
In a previous life a master carpenter watched me in amazement strip out and terminate a 200 pair cable with wires going all over the shop; just shaking his head saying that it looked like a bird's nest to him. Honestly I respected his craft more than mine.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[smidsy]

This is why we pay tradespeople.

Yep, fair point.

To think some mongs with some spraycans from Stupercheap can do the same is quite frankly insulting to their craft.

Your getting a bit carried away there mate, steady on, noone expects a professional job from amateur DIYer.