Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

[spidc60]

I just had a friend tell me that I could not paint my fiberglass boat. He said that it had to be gelcoated because the paint would not move with the fiberglass. I have paint that has epoxy in it and it says it is for fiberglass. My understanding is that I needed to clean the hull and then sand it with 80 grit or so so that the paint would stick. I was told to use primer, but this is an old boat and I don't want to spend a mint on it...anyway who is right my friend or I?<br /><br />Thanks in advance!

 

[tengals123]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

your friend is incorrect. 80 grit is way too harsh though. Try a 180 or 22 grit. clean it fist. Check out my thread below for a little more detail.<br /><br />cheers

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

Time for a keyboard clean tengals?

 

[lark2004]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

180 to 22? what hardware do you get 22 grit from? I couldn't see it bunnings....<br /><br />

 

[fishingdan]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

David,<br /><br />The paint job is only as good as the prep work. <br /><br />You need to clean the hull with a solvent first. This will remove any old wax (silicone or natural) on the hull. It is important to do this before sanding. <br /><br />Then sand with 180 or 220 as suggested. <br /><br />You should prime the hull with a good primer compatible with the paint you will be using. The primer fills small imperfections and provides a stable surface for the paint. Probably 2 coats of primer with a light sanding after each coat.<br /><br />Then paint. <br /><br />Good luck

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

When people say paint won't stick well to gel coat (fiberglass), it's because the prep work was poor on the boats they have seen with the paint peeling off. Gel coat is a very good surface for paint to bond to, with or without primer, primer will help if you are trying to fill imperfections in the surface, but is not needed for most paints to get a very good bond. You will need to sand it very well, if you miss a spot, that spot will soon flake off.

 

[hyp75]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

Hello!!! its ok tu use epoxy paint as last finish under the sealine... but epoxi dont have this UV protektion!!! after a few years it becomes white! This is what u should do! Step one. Sand the surfase 220 is ok! Step two clean it up with epoxy thinner. step three. paint it 2 times with epoxy. Step four. sand it with 300-400. Step five. paint it with polyurethane painting. ( about 200 € 5l.) Remeber that u have 6-8 hours to paint the finnish after the last epoxy painting!!!

 

[hyp75]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

I forgot to tell u that i paint ships for living!!! I know what im talking about!

 

[tengals123]

Re: Fiberglass - "To Paint or not to Paint, that is the question."

opps!<br />have now cleaned my keyboard. <br />as you all know i meant 220 grit <br /><br />cheers