want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

[tallcanadian]

i'm restoring my boat over the winter and considering painting with gelcoat. would love some advice on doing so. i'm going with a white on white. any advice would be appreciated. thanks

 

[andy6374]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

First thing is to completely clean and dewax the boat. Dawn works good as a first cleaning. I usually wash once with Dawn then the dewaxing cleaner sold by US paints. Then wipe down with acetone and a tack cloth

Then go around the boat and circle and high/low spots with a pencil. Get some 80 grit paper on DA and sand the whole boat (make sure you keep the DA flat) making sure you hit the low/high spots and then recircle them. Then wipe down with acetone and a tack cloth. Get a preimum polyester glazing putty at the autobody shop, as you can't use epoxy if you are going to gelcoat. Now go around and fill all the low spots you already circled.

Now break out the hand block and hand block sand the hull entirely flat. Use some spray paint as a guide coat if necessary.

Then you can either roll the gelcoat with a foam roller or spray it.

Then you have to wetsand, compound, polish and wax the gelcoat.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Unless you want an original restored look, use paint not gel coat. Re-gel coating is lots of work, painting is faster, easier and less costly, plus the color and gloss will last much longer.

 

[Bondo]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Ayuh,.............

New boats are Built with Gel-coat,..........

Old boats are Painted,......... Preferably,... Sparyed with a 2pt. Ureathane.........

 

[andy6374]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Unless you want an original restored look, use paint not gel coat. Re-gel coating is lots of work, painting is faster, easier and less costly, plus the color and gloss will last much longer.

Agreed!

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

thank you all for the advice. as far as paint goes, what would you all recommend for a good high gloss paint?

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

and what about primer?

 

[andy6374]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Really depends on how much money you want to spend.

-Awlgrip is (IMO) is the best. You have the 545 primer and the topcoat. Awlgrip is very expensive though.
-People have been spraying boats with Imron forever as a means to save money over awlgrip.
-AlexSeal
-Interlux Perfection.

You want some with a chemical cure. None of that one part crap.


Have you tried compounding and polishing the existing gelcoat. You may be surprised how the shine comes back!

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

unfortunetaly, the boat has been painted. not sure when or how many times. i appreciate the feedback, thanks.

 

[biggy boy]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

as you can't use epoxy if you are going to gelcoat.

How come you can not put gelcoat on top of epoxy?

Thanks
glen

 

[ondarvr]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Gel coat ( and polyester resin) will not stick to epoxy very well, sometimes it almost just falls off, even when the epoxy has been sanded with 80 grit sand paper.

 

[i386]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Dang, you guys have me spinning in circles over poly/epoxy & paint/gelcoat.

 

[andy6374]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

That's why if you go epoxy you CAN'T go back. But you can always epoxy over polyester

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

and what about primer?

Id say a good primer is essentail, getting the surface (to be painted) smooth as a glass mirror is the desired goal. Most primers have build qualities, that is they help fill small imperfections and create a material you final paint will have the best chance to adhere to.

I wouldn' be so quick to discount one part paints, i am right in the middle of finishing a boat with brightsides and in my opinion the results are beyond any expectation i could ever have expected. Secondly you have said the boat has already been painted, and i dont believe mfg's of two part paint's recomend using there paints on or over a previously painted surface.

Take a close look at Interlux brightsides and there prekote primer, cheap and if you put a good effort into creating a smooth surface the results will stun you im sure.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

wow. great info guys, thanks. are you spraying, rolling or brushing your paint, tail gunner?

 

[KRS]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

and what about primer?

I wouldn' be so quick to discount one part paints, i am right in the middle of finishing a boat with brightsides and in my opinion the results are beyond any expectation i could ever have expected. Secondly you have said the boat has already been painted, and i dont believe mfg's of two part paint's recomend using there paints on or over a previously painted surface.

Take a close look at Interlux brightsides and there prekote primer, cheap and if you put a good effort into creating a smooth surface the results will stun you im sure.

Let us know how that one-part hold up over time. A new restoration is one thing... but over time will tell.

Factory one-parts are applied in factory conditions... difficult to duplicate in the backyard (constant temp, humidity, particulates, etc.).

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

and what about primer?

I wouldn' be so quick to discount one part paints, i am right in the middle of finishing a boat with brightsides and in my opinion the results are beyond any expectation i could ever have expected. Secondly you have said the boat has already been painted, and i dont believe mfg's of two part paint's recomend using there paints on or over a previously painted surface.

Take a close look at Interlux brightsides and there prekote primer, cheap and if you put a good effort into creating a smooth surface the results will stun you im sure.

Let us know how that one-part hold up over time. A new restoration is one thing... but over time will tell.

Factory one-parts are applied in factory conditions... difficult to duplicate in the backyard (constant temp, humidity, particulates, etc.).

Well said, it is all about prepping the surface for the paint ie a very well cleaned surface, using the right primer, and painting under good temp's and moisture condition's. Now as to how hard this paint is............. that does remain to be seen yet i cannot wonder other than gel coat what paint can stand up to a very hard bump against a dock. As to particulates it does take a hour for bright sides to dry, your not going to paint in open air that is for sure.

 

[andy6374]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Time well tell

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

Time well tell

Hmmm sound's like poltic's do you have some definitve answer here, id like to knowif you do.

 

[andy6374]

Re: want to gelcoat my 76 sunray bowrider

I am not trying to get into an agruement here. Clearly there is a difference in quality between a 2 part linear poly paint and a glorified enamel. The fact is is that while Brightsides is one of the best one part paints it is not nearly as durable as a 2 part like Interlux perfection or Awlgrip. The 2 part paints are harder and are much much more difficult to scratch up.

I think of all the work required to prep a hull for paint and then money spent on the paint itself....to me it boils down to simple decsion and that's to go with the better paint. It may not fit everyones buget, that's fine go with something else. It WILL look great for the time being.