Painting my boat???????

[armymike63b]

I am wanting to paint my boat and my neighbor paints cars so he can help me do it. What is a good qaulity but not to expensive paint and gel coat. Does anyone have any tips for painting a boat ?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Hey there wheel vehicle mechanic...... I will move this to restoration. Fiberglass boat? How old? Many people have used automotive paint with a gun..... the ultimate low cost is rustoleum..... and belive me when I tell you that some of the BEST finishes are done with a roller and paint brush using the roll and tip method!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Okay, so I am retired Army and remember the MOS's..... former 62E, 62N and 00R

 

[gcboat]

Re: Painting my boat???????

First off paint and gel coat are two entirely different critters. Please don't confuse them.
If you are going to paint your boat then the proper prep is your keyword to a good, long lasting finish.
Go to the Interlux site ( yachtpaint.com) and do some research. There are many other products that will give you years of protection and they can all be found on the net. Do a search for 'boat paint' and you'll be reading for awhile.
Again - your prep is the most important step in assuring a really nice finish.

 

[armymike63b]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Don't you paint it first and then put the gel coat over it ? I have no clue what I need can someone please tell me ?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Mike the Gel coat is what contains the color. Here is a site that explains the process. It is easy but, if it dries too fast you will get pinholes in it.

http://www.valsparcomposites.com/gcapplication/1introduction.jsp

What type of boat? How old? How long are you going to keep it? Many people can spend more money on finishes and never see an end to it

 

[brian_mcwhirter]

Re: Painting my boat???????

If you haven't done gelcoat, forget it. Gelcoat is the first layer, sprayed into the inside of the mold, when laying up a fiberglass boat. It's what gives the boat it's color. It is not typically self-leveling so it's not conducive to being applied as a topcoat.

When I painted my boat, I used a good automotive primer and poly-urethane paint. If your neighbor paints cars, hit him up for help. The process is the same. You just need a way to suspend the boat off the trailer, so you can paint it all at once.

Good luck!

 

[5150abf]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Ya, do some research first and figure out for sure what kind of paint you want then that will help determine how you do it.

I did mine this winter with base clear(car paint) and it came out really nice, it isn't too expensive and if your neighbor paints maybe he can set you up with some paint.

As stated it isn't really hard it is just really time consuming, I work in a body shop as a side line and I will spend 8-10 hours prepping a car and maybe an hour actually painting.

 

[armymike63b]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Where can I get samples of colors online and is there a site to see what it would look like on your boat. Does anyone live near fredericksburg,VA

 

[armymike63b]

Re: Painting my boat???????

What is meant by "Bottom boat paint"

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Painting my boat???????

Mike if it is trailered.... bottom boat paint is not needed unless you want a color change...... like a tow color boat. If the boat is going to be left in the water (salt or fresh) it is important to use bottom paint so it cuts back on "fouling" and barnacle growth (salt water).

Depending on the paint you are going to use..... automotive shops have samples, interlux has chips on their website.

 

[armymike63b]

Re: Painting my boat???????

What kinda price am I looking at to get my boat repainted back to factory ? Does anyone know what color options it had ?

1987 Glastron conroy Z-16

 

[dwyork@hotmail.com]

Re: Painting my boat???????

The cost of having factory gelcoat re-sprayed is going to really skinny your wallet...your best bet is to spend a ton of time on the prep and then hit your neighbor up to shoot it for you. I used Rustoleum Marine paint on mine and applied with the roll and tip method It turned out perfect and it is holding up very well. Here are some pics and it cost me less than $100 for all of the supplies for prep and painting.

 

[rngale]

Re: Painting my boat???????

If your buddy paints cars, he has access to several different types and brands of paint. I would look into Imeron or a 2k polyurathane with an epoxy primer. If he has a wholesale access to sterling or awlgrip i would go that direction.(they are both 2 part polyurathanes)

Prep is the key no matter what your paint choice is.