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Painting topsides


 

Our hull is pretty banged up, but otherwise the boat is in good shape. Today I repainted the boot stripe and as I pulled off the low-tack  tape bits of gel coat came off with the tape! What do I need to do to the hull to get her paintable? I can imagine rolling and tipping an enamel paint and touching her up every few years. Any advice 𳦾ٱ. 
Marty
“PDz𾱻Dz�
Bowen Island BC. 


 

Marty,
I had the same situation on Kiltie.
I sanded the section down to the bare gel , filled big chips with thickened West Sys. and treated with coats of Interprotect 2000 two part epoxy paint.
Then painted with Epifanes mono urethane.
That was 8 years ago and many rough miles sailing the Finger Lakes and up to Canada. I just repainted last week. The areas have held up nicely. I found a few new spots and repaired.
Here are some photos.
John
Kiltie T27 #226
= > ÷


On Sun, May 2, 2021 at 11:54 PM a41967t27 <martylev@...> wrote:
Our hull is pretty banged up, but otherwise the boat is in good shape. Today I repainted the boot stripe and as I pulled off the low-tack  tape bits of gel coat came off with the tape! What do I need to do to the hull to get her paintable? I can imagine rolling and tipping an enamel paint and touching her up every few years. Any advice 𳦾ٱ. 
Marty
“PDz𾱻Dz�
Bowen Island BC. 




 

Forgot. I rolled and tipped.
= > ÷


On Mon, May 3, 2021 at 12:36 AM John Bailey <john.bailey50@...> wrote:
Marty,
I had the same situation on Kiltie.
I sanded the section down to the bare gel , filled big chips with thickened West Sys. and treated with coats of Interprotect 2000 two part epoxy paint.
Then painted with Epifanes mono urethane.
That was 8 years ago and many rough miles sailing the Finger Lakes and up to Canada. I just repainted last week. The areas have held up nicely. I found a few new spots and repaired.
Here are some photos.
John
Kiltie T27 #226
= > ÷


On Sun, May 2, 2021 at 11:54 PM a41967t27 <martylev@...> wrote:
Our hull is pretty banged up, but otherwise the boat is in good shape. Today I repainted the boot stripe and as I pulled off the low-tack  tape bits of gel coat came off with the tape! What do I need to do to the hull to get her paintable? I can imagine rolling and tipping an enamel paint and touching her up every few years. Any advice 𳦾ٱ. 
Marty
“PDz𾱻Dz�
Bowen Island BC. 




 

Hi Marty,

That works. I haven't learned the lessons I should have learned from
all of this but one of the lessons I have learned that seems to be true
is something is almost always better than nothing assuming you don't
call it done and forget about it. The "something is better than
nothing" rule is recursive.

Last year's haul out, I sanded, and was amazed how hot chaulky and dry
the gelcoat was. I think I cut completely through in large patches. I pained
with polyurathane because I was concerned about light shining through the
gelcoat through the polyester and ruining it, but after having the topsides
painting and doing that, I'm now convinced that polyurathane paint is trash.
It looks good for a a year or two if you absolutely do not touch it. Don't
know about enamel but you aren't going to hurt anything. It's good or it
isn't or it's good for a while. Keen to try to play with gelcoat. If I can
catch up with all of the other stuff that needs attention, thinking of playing
with the cockpit sole and seeing if I can make that work.

Any kind of filler is probably fine. The only filler I tried that
I absolutely decided was worthless was Bondo glazing putty. Couldn't
get it out of the tube and in squeezing and pushing and trying to get
it to go, it exploded all over my shirt, shorts, and shoes, and had
separated in to a foul smelling fluid and a near solid brown
substance that I'll refrain from commenting on. Thickened epoxy
definitely works there. Just scrape off everything that doesn't
fill. Cheap epoxy filler is fine. No special brand names are
needed.

Interested in any other experiences with gelcoat. 50+ years is way
better than 2+.

Cheers,
-scott

On 0, a41967t27 <martylev@...> wrote:
Our hull is pretty banged up, but otherwise the boat is in good shape.
Today I repainted the boot stripe and as I pulled off the low-tack
� tape bits of gel coat came off with the tape! What do I need to do to
the hull to get her paintable? I can imagine rolling and tipping an
enamel paint and touching her up every few years. Any advice
𳦾ٱ.�

Marty

PDz𾱻Dz�

Bowen Island BC.�



 

We are just starting our topside, we test painted the transom with epiphanies bootlak enamel.  We are very happy. 
I think we will actually be using Alex seal because of color choice.
But 2 professional painters came over and rolled the epiphanes and were as impressed as I was. 
We actually rolled and rolled on their advice. They do the "tipping" with a second foam roller.

I changed my mind to Stars and Stripes, epiphanes doesn't have a color in that family. 
I have 3 quarts on green unopened if anyone is interested. 
--
Carl Damm
DAMSELv
1976 #593
Stuart Fl