Metal flake repainting advice.

[mgrimsley]

Hey everyone,

I just bought a 1976 Ranger 175i/o bass boat and trailer for $300. Its gonna be a project but I'm already having fun with it. The Topside of the boat is red metal-flake with clear coat typical of a bass boat. The clear coat has peeled off on about 20% of the boat. I would like to repaint the topside with a solid color but I'm unsure if I should sand off the metal flake or just the loose clear coat and rough the surface. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank in advance.

 

[Ezrider_92356]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

if the clear is pealing id sand it down to the color coat everywhere to be sure that the old clear wont peal off underneath your new paint leaving chips

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

that was one of the problems with metal flake. it got double exposure to the sun. direct from the sun, then reflected back by the metal flake. get it off, then paint.

 

[MarkV_Deep6]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

I've got this stuff on the side of my boat in the form of a long lightning bolt. I guess it is like mine. The explanation of the double sun exposure would tell why this area has deteriorated faster than the rest of the exterior gel coat.

Mine is so pitted that wet sanding did not bring it back.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

The peeling clear is most likely paint, clear gel coat doesn't normally peel off if it's the original surface. Remove the peeling paint and then sand, prime and paint. Clear gel coats don't weather as well as colored gel coats do, gel coats rely on the pigments help protect them from UV rays and with no pigments in clear there's less protection for it.

 

[mgrimsley]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

Thanks Guys,

I Have most of the clear scraped off. I have the kids workings the edges with a plastic paint scraper. I am wondering if I should remove the flake or just get to stable surface and then use a premium primer/sealer. I am thinking of going black on the to replace the red flake and using gray carpet. The gel coat on the sides is white with the bottom being red. I would use black bottom paint to cover the red even though the boat will seldom be left in the water for more then two days at a time.

Any thoughts of my ideas are appreciated, good or bad.

Thanks again.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

i've had black, on the deck and hated it. it gets hot in a hurry in the summer, the girls don't like their tushy burnt.

 

[wire2]

Re: Metal flake repainting advice.

As mentioned, the clear you're working with is most likely an automotive finish sprayed over over the gelcoat. The metalflake is IN the gelcoat. You'll be sanding a loooooong time to get through the flake.

Just sand enough to get the oxidation off, finish with 220, prime & paint.