epoxyed plywood painting products

[Bluegill]

I have been reading about painting a plywood boat and I find it confusing. When advertisement reads use this product on plywood, I think they mean plywood that does not have epoxy on it. My plywood has epoxy on it.
The plywood is Okume and Meranti on a 16 foot fishing boat.

Should I use products for fiberglass rather than plywood, because it is coated with epoxy ???

I will not spray paint. I have used single part Interlux Brightside paint on a fiberglass boat, and I was very satisfied with it. I do not want to use dangerous paints.

[Ian McColgin]

I've not had any problems getting almost any sort of paint or varnish to stick to an epoxied surface. Most surfaces, like hull planking, are happy if you sand with 80# but some thin products may require that you sand to 100#. I'd not go finer than that. You may well want to apply a coat or two that have been thinned a little before going for a finish coat, light sanding by hand in between with 120# so you are leveling and not taking off too much paint.

Before sanding for real, you might well wash the surface to get rid of any blush. I'd wash after sanding the epoxy as well as that's better than tacking. It's often good to test the quality of the epoxy job by very light sanding with the paper on a hard block to reveal, or using a cabinet scraper to take down, any epoxy moguls.

Prep for this job will be a good three or four times the effort of painting, and makes all the difference.

[wizbang 13]

The epoxy makes it so that You CAN use paint for fg , but you do not have to .
You can still use one part poly, (Brightside) or alkyd, or even latex.
It's ALL dangerous.
plus one to all Ian said.

[Bluegill]

I've not had any problems getting almost any sort of paint or varnish to stick to an epoxied surface. Most surfaces, like hull planking, are happy if you sand with 80# but some thin products may require that you sand to 100#. I'd not go finer than that. You may well want to apply a coat or two that have been thinned a little before going for a finish coat, light sanding by hand in between with 120# so you are leveling and not taking off too much paint. Before sanding for real, you might well wash the surface to get rid of any blush. I'd wash after sanding the epoxy as well as that's better than tacking. It's often good to test the quality of the epoxy job by very light sanding with the paper on a hard block to reveal, or using a cabinet scraper to take down, any epoxy moguls. Prep for this job will be a good three or four times the effort of painting, and makes all the difference.

Should I use Interlux PrimeKote epoxy primer prior to using Brightside paint ? I plan to use Z-Spar FLAT white on the inside of Bluegill fishing skiff and some of the outside. I will use Brightside topside (single part) or equilvalent for the bottom. This fishing boat will be dry sailed.

[Ian McColgin]

It never hurts to follow the manufacturor's directions. That said, I've used lots of different products regarding the epoxy (usually CPES but sometimes WEST) as the primer/sealer. Products do change from time to time and chemistry is always interesting, so none but the bravest would say, flat out, forget the PrimeKote. It's my experience that well cured epoxy sanded with 80# provides good mechanical adhesion for all paints I've used and I don't quite see what more you get with the brand name primer. But since it's been years since I used anything except either exterior latex or Kirby's, what do I know. You really should ask a yard or boat painter in your area to be sure.