Greg H
10-22-2002, 04:51 PM
SANDING AND PAINTING** **** **
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Do go back and check out the past posts... but, I'll do it once again for old time's sake.
Sand her very fair, preferably to bare wood. Soak her in CPES. This product, by Smith and Company, is the only thing to use. DO NOT use thinned hard epoxy. Use CPES. (A little goes a LONG way. Ask Smiths how much. Check the posts on CPES in here... there's a million of them.) The same day, spray Interlux or Z Spar white undercoat. (If you paint over CPES within about 36 hours, you will get a molecular bond between the penetrating epoxy sealer and the paint and it will stick like nobody's business... this you want.) This stuff has talcum or whatever in it and it will fill some and also sand easily. Spray, because otherwise, you will have nothing but brush strokes with this stuff, or else, you will have to thin it so much that you will have to put fifty coats on to get where you need to go. Use a decent Binks spray rig, or the equivalent. Start working around the hull until you CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT SNOW WHITE. If you spray, it should dry by the time you work around to the start and you can just keep going without down time waiting for it to dry. (Wear sunglasses or you will go snow blind... no kidding!) Remember this... and repeat it like a mantra... "My enamel will NOT cover... My enamel will NOT cover..." Believe me, it will not. That's the base coat's job.
Now, when it's all white, go over the hull with Z Spar Dual Purpose Surfacing Putty or the equivalent, filling EVERY little bit of grain and divit. Then sand again with 120, working down to 220. Make sure the surfacing putty isn't standing proud anywhere. Repeat this mantra at this point..."Every imperfection WILL show... Every imperfection WILL show..." They will. When it is perfectly smooth and there are no dings or anything left to fill with the surfacing putty... and you now know how important that first sanding step was way back when... Spray it with more undercoat, repeating the "My enamel will NOT cover.." mantra. The previous sanding will likely have raised spots that show through, you see.
Now, sand carefully with 220, working down to 320. Use your compresson to blow off all the dust. Then tack thoroughly.
If you want a really decent job and you aren't an experienced painter, find one to help you on the next step... it's important. Mix your enamel. You have to consider the temperature, humidity and phase of the moon. Add Flood's Penetrol to promote leveling. Add the proprietary thinner for hot or cold weather (fast or slow drying). How much is where the experience comes in. If you are someplace like Kansas where they don't have boat painters, maybe you can ask a professional painter, or if all else fails, practice a bit on some scrap wood until you feel competent. (A BAD topside enamel job is a sad, sad, sight!) Your enamel should be about the consistency of light cream or half and half. Now tack again. Kill a chicken as an offering to the topsides gods. Use a good brush that's the right size... six inches at least... (forget that roller and tipping off BS)... keep a wet edge, work fast and let the paint level itself. Put as much on as you can without starting curtains. Work out of a big cardboard bucket. Your arm will love you for this and you won't get paint all over. (If you haven't learned to paint, get a book on the subject and "brush up" on it! No offense, but about one guy in ten who works on his own boat knows how to use a brush properly.) Let it dry. Brush off all the bugs that landed on it. (DO NOT try to remove them when the paint is wet! TRUST ME.)
Now, sand lightly with 320. Put on more surfacing putty on the spots you missed if you have to. (There always seem to be one or two.. it's that snow blindness thing.) If you do this, lay a light coat of basecoat on the putty spot. Sand it smooth and put a light coat of enamel on the patched spot. Sand that along with the enameled hull. (If you just put another coat of enamel on top of the putty, you will get a dull spot there.) Blow and tack and so on. Put on another coat of enamel. Pray that that one looks okay. If not... go for another. At some point, you will either be satisfied or get tired and consider it done. If all else fails, tell yourself you will do better next haul out! LOL OH... and have fun doing it. This is one of the most satisfying parts of the game. Nothing makes me feel better than having my boat in the yard with a brand new topside job and watching the plastic boaters come up and ask me what kind of gelcoat polish I use! LOL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do go back and check out the past posts... but, I'll do it once again for old time's sake.
Sand her very fair, preferably to bare wood. Soak her in CPES. This product, by Smith and Company, is the only thing to use. DO NOT use thinned hard epoxy. Use CPES. (A little goes a LONG way. Ask Smiths how much. Check the posts on CPES in here... there's a million of them.) The same day, spray Interlux or Z Spar white undercoat. (If you paint over CPES within about 36 hours, you will get a molecular bond between the penetrating epoxy sealer and the paint and it will stick like nobody's business... this you want.) This stuff has talcum or whatever in it and it will fill some and also sand easily. Spray, because otherwise, you will have nothing but brush strokes with this stuff, or else, you will have to thin it so much that you will have to put fifty coats on to get where you need to go. Use a decent Binks spray rig, or the equivalent. Start working around the hull until you CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT SNOW WHITE. If you spray, it should dry by the time you work around to the start and you can just keep going without down time waiting for it to dry. (Wear sunglasses or you will go snow blind... no kidding!) Remember this... and repeat it like a mantra... "My enamel will NOT cover... My enamel will NOT cover..." Believe me, it will not. That's the base coat's job.
Now, when it's all white, go over the hull with Z Spar Dual Purpose Surfacing Putty or the equivalent, filling EVERY little bit of grain and divit. Then sand again with 120, working down to 220. Make sure the surfacing putty isn't standing proud anywhere. Repeat this mantra at this point..."Every imperfection WILL show... Every imperfection WILL show..." They will. When it is perfectly smooth and there are no dings or anything left to fill with the surfacing putty... and you now know how important that first sanding step was way back when... Spray it with more undercoat, repeating the "My enamel will NOT cover.." mantra. The previous sanding will likely have raised spots that show through, you see.
Now, sand carefully with 220, working down to 320. Use your compresson to blow off all the dust. Then tack thoroughly.
If you want a really decent job and you aren't an experienced painter, find one to help you on the next step... it's important. Mix your enamel. You have to consider the temperature, humidity and phase of the moon. Add Flood's Penetrol to promote leveling. Add the proprietary thinner for hot or cold weather (fast or slow drying). How much is where the experience comes in. If you are someplace like Kansas where they don't have boat painters, maybe you can ask a professional painter, or if all else fails, practice a bit on some scrap wood until you feel competent. (A BAD topside enamel job is a sad, sad, sight!) Your enamel should be about the consistency of light cream or half and half. Now tack again. Kill a chicken as an offering to the topsides gods. Use a good brush that's the right size... six inches at least... (forget that roller and tipping off BS)... keep a wet edge, work fast and let the paint level itself. Put as much on as you can without starting curtains. Work out of a big cardboard bucket. Your arm will love you for this and you won't get paint all over. (If you haven't learned to paint, get a book on the subject and "brush up" on it! No offense, but about one guy in ten who works on his own boat knows how to use a brush properly.) Let it dry. Brush off all the bugs that landed on it. (DO NOT try to remove them when the paint is wet! TRUST ME.)
Now, sand lightly with 320. Put on more surfacing putty on the spots you missed if you have to. (There always seem to be one or two.. it's that snow blindness thing.) If you do this, lay a light coat of basecoat on the putty spot. Sand it smooth and put a light coat of enamel on the patched spot. Sand that along with the enameled hull. (If you just put another coat of enamel on top of the putty, you will get a dull spot there.) Blow and tack and so on. Put on another coat of enamel. Pray that that one looks okay. If not... go for another. At some point, you will either be satisfied or get tired and consider it done. If all else fails, tell yourself you will do better next haul out! LOL OH... and have fun doing it. This is one of the most satisfying parts of the game. Nothing makes me feel better than having my boat in the yard with a brand new topside job and watching the plastic boaters come up and ask me what kind of gelcoat polish I use! LOL