Hello, i bought anew boat and need alitle help in the paint .

[mokaa]

Hello,
I just bought a new boat here 's the photo.

It's made from wood covered with 6 a layer of fiberglass .
The Paint type 's gel coat .

I want to start to add a new look, i was thinking to spray the black Hull with gel coat metal flake, or change the black color to white color. Any suggest!

i have Gelcoat Equipment (Da sander - spray gun (HVLP) 1.8 ,1.4 .1.2mm nozzle etc... )

Also The seller give me ( 80 K.g of clear gel coat and 40 k.g of PVA and hardener, pigment black , white, red...etc ) :happy:

I have a little idea about spray gelcoat supposed to be followed: correct me if I'm wrong!

1- sanding all the Hull with DA sander 80 or 120 grit
2-MEK with a cloth wiped and clean it's so good
3-Use a 1.8 nozzle for first two coats providing buildup
4-Final coat with a 1.2 nozzle and at a higher ratio of thinning (8% styrene thinning to gelcoat by vol)
5-Spraying PVA over gelcoat ( i waiting 24h before spraying PVA)
6- Wash the hull with water and soap (after 48h)
*There some Changes in the steps if i use metal flake:correct me if I'm wrong!
1- sanding all the Hull with DA sander 80 or 120 grit
2-MEK with a cloth wiped and clean it's so good
3-Use a 1.8 nozzle for first two coats providing buildup (with color i choose)
4-Mixing the clear gelcoat with metal flake as well
5-Use a1.4 nozzle for spraying the clear gelcoat it's mixing with metal flake
6- After 24h Use 1.2 nozzle for final coat it's clear gecloat
7-Spraying PVA over gelcoat ( i waiting 24h before spraying PVA)
8-Wash the hull with water and soap (after 48h)


Thanks for every one taking the time to answer my questions and help me out

 

[DeepBlue2010]

Gelcoating a boat this size will consume your life for very long time. Sparying the gel is only the begining, it is sanding and blocking is what brings the luster. Paint it and get it over with.

 

[Woodonglass]

Attempting to Spray Gelcoat on a boat this size with a small HVLP gun is FUTILE!!! You'll need a large POT gun at the minimum and more like 3-4 of them. I'd guesstimate you'd need 50 gallons of gelcoat to do the job. Trying to do MetalFlake, especially for a first timer, would NOT be advisable, IMHO. I agree 100% that a good 2 part urethane paint would be a much more practical solution.

 

[mokaa]

Attempting to Spray Gelcoat on a boat this size with a small HVLP gun is FUTILE!!! You'll need a large POT gun at the minimum and more like 3-4 of them. I'd guesstimate you'd need 50 gallons of gelcoat to do the job. Trying to do MetalFlake, especially for a first timer, would NOT be advisable, IMHO. I agree 100% that a good 2 part urethane paint would be a much more practical solution.

Thx for replay , i have Pressure Pot (HVLP) 2 gallon , Also i have big Air Compressor,
i don't have idea about urethane paint, but i will try to ask suppler.

 

[Woodonglass]

OK a 2 Gallon Pot gun is good but...Gelcoat flashes off in 15-20 minutes and that means you MUST get it applied and then shut down and do a thorough clean out of the equipment before it sets up. Then have more Gelcoat ready to pour into the pot and ready to spray before the previous area has started to cure. This "Wet Edge" is important in order to create a good bond just like when painting. Having 2 Pot guns would make it much easier and less problematic especially on a boat this size. From what I understand, Most big water boats of this size are painted. The paint used IS expensive but very durable.

 

[mokaa]

OK a 2 Gallon Pot gun is good but...Gelcoat flashes off in 15-20 minutes and that means you MUST get it applied and then shut down and do a thorough clean out of the equipment before it sets up. Then have more Gelcoat ready to pour into the pot and ready to spray before the previous area has started to cure. This "Wet Edge" is important in order to create a good bond just like when painting. Having 2 Pot guns would make it much easier and less problematic especially on a boat this size. From what I understand, Most big water boats of this size are painted. The paint used IS expensive but very durable.

Thanks for taking the time to answer me , I Already have 2 of my friends will help me in the paint , we have a good experience in spray we was work in paint shop.

i love gelcoat , i did it before on my old boat and it's living to much. and was so good .

Is the step i write it on the topic Right ?

Also i called the suppler he have epoxy is it better then gelcoat ?

 

[Woodonglass]

Your gelcoat steps are off just a bit. You will need to apply 2-3 heavy coats and want to acheive about a 30 mil coating. A 2.0 - 2.5 mm tip might be a bit better than a 1.8mm. Using the 1.2 mm tip with highly thinned gelcoat as your last coat can be done but can also cause issues with acheiving a good bond. This is just what I have learned from the experts here on this forum. I am NOT a Gelcoat GURU or Expert. Just passing on what I have gleaned from my research and knowledge gained from the guys here. You will apply the PVA just as soon as the Gelcoat starts to tack up and cure. You do NOT wait 24 hours. Gelcoat is Air Inhibited cured, meaning, it must be totally blocked from the air for it to cure properly. When it starts to get sticky and tacky to the touch is when you should apply the PVA.

 

[sphelps]

I just sprayed a little 15 ft boat with gell coat ... I used a n hvlp with a 2.5 tip ... And it was a job ... The only way I would even think of attempting to spray a boat this large with gell would be to use a dump gun with a large compressor .. Then if you want it to shine it would take a huge amount of sanding /compounding/buffing ...
Your gunna need to put a lot of gell on in a very short time frame .. As was mentioned it would be much easier going with the 2 part paint ..
Not trying to scare you away from gell coat but that would be one heck of a lot of work ...
Good luck mokaa which ever way you decide !
And welcome aboard ! :welcome:

 

[zool]

With a vessel that size, I would seriously consider a linear polyurethane or hybrid. They can be a little tricky to apply due to the slow dry time needed to coagulate the surface film, but they go on as sprayed, so no buffing or cutting needed or recommended. They also don't require ANY waxing to maintain the finish gloss. just soap and water. Systems like Awlgrip, Alexseal, or Imron will give the closest durability to gel... Prestigious manufacturers like Hatteras, Hinkley, and some others use these systems right from the start, and decades later, they still look ok. Off the top of my head, I think Hinkley uses Awlgrip, and Hat uses Imron.

That pressure pot would work great spraying over an epoxy primer.

 

[mokaa]

I just sprayed a little 15 ft boat with gell coat ... I used a n hvlp with a 2.5 tip ... And it was a job ... The only way I would even think of attempting to spray a boat this large with gell would be to use a dump gun with a large compressor .. Then if you want it to shine it would take a huge amount of sanding /compounding/buffing ...
Your gunna need to put a lot of gell on in a very short time frame .. As was mentioned it would be much easier going with the 2 part paint ..
Not trying to scare you away from gell coat but that would be one heck of a lot of work ...
Good luck mokaa which ever way you decide !
And welcome aboard ! :welcome:

Thx for your replay ,:cheerful:

I have question , if i used spray gun HVLP 1.2or1 mm tip Do I will need sanding /compounding/buffing to get it shine ?

Thx again.:love_heart:

 

[mokaa]

Your gelcoat steps are off just a bit. You will need to apply 2-3 heavy coats and want to acheive about a 30 mil coating. A 2.0 - 2.5 mm tip might be a bit better than a 1.8mm. Using the 1.2 mm tip with highly thinned gelcoat as your last coat can be done but can also cause issues with acheiving a good bond. This is just what I have learned from the experts here on this forum. I am NOT a Gelcoat GURU or Expert. Just passing on what I have gleaned from my research and knowledge gained from the guys here. You will apply the PVA just as soon as the Gelcoat starts to tack up and cure. You do NOT wait 24 hours. Gelcoat is Air Inhibited cured, meaning, it must be totally blocked from the air for it to cure properly. When it starts to get sticky and tacky to the touch is when you should apply the PVA.

Now i have good idea about gelcoat thx for you :biggrin1: , but when i was discuss with the seller he told me they spray gelcoat direct to the fiberglass without primer it's problem ?

 

[sphelps]

You will have to sand and buff any gell coat application . You will need to build a thickness of around 35 mills or so then sand a few mills off then buff to shine ..Duratech is an additive you mix 50/50 to your gell that will make it spray smoother that is an option .. No matter how you spray you will get orange peel that will need to be sanded ..
With a color change you sure would need a good thickness to start with .
In my opinion do yourself a favor and just paint it .. Much easier with less hassle ...

 

[Woodonglass]

Now i have good idea about gelcoat thx for you :biggrin1: , but when i was discuss with the seller he told me they spray gelcoat direct to the fiberglass without primer it's problem ?

The Primer was referencing "Painting" your boat, NOT Gelcoating. There is NO PRIMER needed when Gelcoating. You should sand the old Gelcoat with 60 grit sand paper to rough it up first to give the new Gelcoat something to "Bite" into. If you decide to paint, you will also need to prep the gelcoat by filling any gouges and cracks and then sanding to a final surface of 220 to 320 grit and then apply the recommended primer according to the Paint you choose.

 

[Swoosh3]

I would have to agree that taking on the job of Gelcoating a vessel of that size would be,,,tremendous.
If it were me, and it isn't, I would be using Imron.
I was in the field of industrial Equipment painting for several years.
Although it may not require to be stated, I will. Use appropriate equipment when spraying materials
containing isocyanates..Nasty stuff.

Question: Curious, Are you turning this into a Pleasure Yacht or is it for Commercial use?
Either/or it is...Grand.

 

[mokaa]

I would have to agree that taking on the job of Gelcoating a vessel of that size would be,,,tremendous.
If it were me, and it isn't, I would be using Imron.
I was in the field of industrial Equipment painting for several years.
Although it may not require to be stated, I will. Use appropriate equipment when spraying materials
containing isocyanates..Nasty stuff.

Question: Curious, Are you turning this into a Pleasure Yacht or is it for Commercial use?
Either/or it is...Grand.

It's Commercial use (Fishing boat) we will use mustad auto line system.