I want to paint my boat with something as good or better than my old friend, Z-Spar 99. The hull is planked. Can I spray this hull and expect decent results that will be as good or better than brushing? What do you recommend as the best paint for this job?
"Let us spray!" That's what mama skunk said to her baby skunks when they encountered a coyote on the garden path.
There is a reason they use a spray gun to put paint on cars, besides speed of application. You can do a pretty good job rolling and tipping but for perfection spray. But do you really need an Imron-like finish? On the other hand, there is a trick to blowing paint so some (most?) of us will do as well rolling and tipping. How's that for a definitive answer.
VP of Other Things
If you want most of the paint to go on the boat, brush it. If you want most of it to go somewhere other than on the boat (and the surfaces you're covering) then spray it.
Try Briteside ( the white is a whiter white than the blue-glo although the blue-glo will cover better), or Epifanes Nuatiforte. The Epifanes enamel is supposed to be good too, but I can vouch for the other two. They stay much cleaner than the 99 and will even have no waterline bow stain. The 99 will stain like crazy. It may have been good at one time; I'm not sure. The Briteside drys very quick (half hour at about 80 degrees or so), the Nuatiforte is much slower. The Nuatiforte has a slight grayish tint similar to the 99. I would like to know myself how the Epifanes enamel holds up on a hull.
Now Ken, I've told you a million times not to exagerate. For sure don't let the wife park down wind of the job if you are using high pressure spray equipment. I don't have experience with the low pressure system but I think it has less overspray.
Senior Member
If you're really good at brushing, your work should already look "sprayed on."
The biggest advantage of spraying is that you can apply a thicker coat and save yourself a lot of work. I find that the only way to get a really smooth brush finish is to thin the paint a lot and apply very thin coats. Not so with spray.
I don't think it much matters what paint you use. Kirby's is great stuff, but it's very thick and if you use the gloss it'll take some fussing with thinners and Penetrol and some good brushing skills to get a really fine job. It's probably the most durable and scratch resistant oil-based paint I've ever used.
The basic Interlux Gloss White Yacht Enamel is probably the easiest paint I've ever applied by brush. It flows and levels beautifully, is very durable and resists stains pretty well. It's also a lot less expensive than the foreign imports.
There is a learning curve to either method, rolling & tipping can give your a great finish. Spraying with an HVLP gives a great finish but there can be a bigger learning curve getting the right visocity & application techinque. We use two spray systems in the shop, the Kremlin spray system is incredible, very little overspray and more product on the item being sprayed, the HVLP not quite as good but acceptible. Basically, if you have experience spraying and get a decent system go for it. Most of the marine paints will require some thinning to spray, some also for brushing depending on temps. Interlux Brightside is very easy to roll & brush and get topnotch job. Kirbys is great. Anyway, there have been alot of discussions on the forum about different paint products, pick one and stick with it, they all have their own characteristics. Having made alot of mistakes learning, I am a strong believer in following the manufacturers instructions and sticking with there recommended primers thinners etc. Easier to do it right once than the alternative.
Good luck
I agree with B.Marks. Experience in spraying is a great asset. The learning curve can be steep. The hvlp is a good system to use but there a many tip sizes and air nozzles. Getting the right one with the right viscosity can be a bit difficult. I would recommend that you mix up enough paint to do the job as once you finally get the right setup you don’t want to start over.
I guess my question should have been more informative and specific. I have painted several antique cars using an HVLP system and have achieved much better than average results. My big concern with spraying over brushing is maintaining a wet edge. My boat is a 57-footer with LOTS of hull. Spraying would eliminate the wet edge concern. My real questions (finally got around to them) are: Has anyone sprayed their wooden hull and been convinced that it is THE way to go? What paint was used and how was it thinned?
43.50.918 N, 69.38.583 W
I know nothing about spraying paint, but what I think you mean to say is that the learning curve is shallow, i.e., it may take a long time to learn how to spray paint well. A steep learning curve means that it would NOT require much time.Experience in spraying is a great asset. The learning curve can be steep.
Proficiency is the vertical axis, time the horizontal. At least that's the way I learned how to plot efficiency charts, for what they are worth.
Senior Member
Originally posted by Matriarch:
"Has anyone sprayed their wooden hull and been convinced that it is THE way to go? What paint was used and how was it thinned?"
Very good question Skipper. I don't spray because I'm a masochist. This is not a joke.
If you roll very frugally (very thinly), you are spraying without the 50% waste.
Warren.
Fill up the pressure pot and spray it. Again, it is a matter of which product you use, a conventional alkyd thinned to the right viscosity would be easiest due to slow drying time. You may have to do an extra coat to get a good film thickness due to the amount of thinning you may have to do to get the paint to flow and atomize correctly. The paint manufacturer will be able to give you some information, but it will be trial and error after that. The manufacturers are not real good on specifics regarding thinning, they are walking a tight line with the EPA and have taken most of the solvents out of these paints. Kirbys would be first choice in alkyds, although have not sprayed this product in a while. Have sprayed Brightside Poly, not thrilled with the coverage, but extra coat got it there. Good luck.
Senior Member
I sprayed some Kirby's gloss last week. It sprayed very easily and was not at all finicky about thinning. It leveled like glass.
I've had the most difficulty spraying the semi-gloss and satin finishes. The additives (i.e., rocks) in the paint seem to inhibit the leveling. Anyone have any tips?
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