MacDaddy21
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2011
- Messages
- 280
Well I decided to take the time to paint my old 16ft Lowe aluminum boat. Its a 1979 model, and its been around. At first I was going to do a cheapo spray can job. But after reading about all the issues associated with the primer and paint adhering, I decided to just break out the HVLP gun and the compressor and do it right. My dad and I got the boat off the trailer by jacking it up in the rear, and setting it on jack stands, then using a tow strap and a come-along to lift the bow up off the trailer and pull the trailer out from under the boat. Then we lowered it back down on jack stands.
Here is the boat on stands.
Another view, with a few rivets drilled out and all burs removed with a grinder.
After a day of paint removal. I tried the Aircraft Paint Remover that you spray on and scrape, then wash off. It was not as great as they made it seem. It got some of the white paint off but it had trouble with the original green paint. I found another stripping product, Tal strip (I think) that worked very well. In about 30 seconds of sitting on the paint it was bubbling up and falling off. It was also cheaper than the Aircraft Paint Remover. Lesson learned. After spraying all that stuff on and scraping the paint then washing it off, I sanded the entire boat down to almost bare aluminum.
That picture shows the inside before I finished sanding it. I got all that black off and most of the white. Then I washed the entire boat down with warm soapy water, then came back after it was dry and wiped down with automotive thinner.
As for paint, I was torn between Gray, and the OD green. The boat has gray carpet as you can see in the pics. So after talking to the guys at Tasco Auto Color, I decided gray would be best. They thought green would look funny with the gray carpet, and I agreed. I went with an Epoxy primer and hardener in a 2:1 ratio. I bought enough to do 2 coats, and I was able to shoot the first coat yesterday. After it set, I came back with some bondo and covered the drilled out rivet holes. Today I'm hoping to sand the bondo down and come back with a second coat of primer. When I get a chance I'll post pics of the 1st coat of primer. So far it is going very good.
For those who are wondering, I am using an HVLP gun from harbor freight. It is a 15 dollar gun, but it is very good for the price. We used them a lot several years ago when I was in high school, and they lay down some nice paint. Also, you can pay 4.99 for an additional 2 year replacement plan. Anything happens with it in 2 years plus the 90 days you get at purchase, you bring it back and they give you a free replacement, no questions asked. I have mine set up with a regulator, followed by an oil/water filter. My dad's compressor has some water accumulated in the bottom and every now and then it has a little that comes through the line. I didn't want any of that water to come out in my paint, as that can really mess up a paint job.
Constructive criticism is welcome! This is my first time painting an aluminum boat, or anything aluminum, so I am sure I'm not doing everything perfect. I have painted plenty of trailers, metal projects, replacement bumpers I built, and 2 vehicles, so I am not new to the art of painting. By no means am I a professional, but I have spent many hours learning and trying to get better. As far as the bondo, I know there are some uncertainties associated with using it on aluminum, but I'm hoping it will stick. I think the epoxy primer will help it adhere, but I guess time will tell.
Here is the boat on stands.
Another view, with a few rivets drilled out and all burs removed with a grinder.
After a day of paint removal. I tried the Aircraft Paint Remover that you spray on and scrape, then wash off. It was not as great as they made it seem. It got some of the white paint off but it had trouble with the original green paint. I found another stripping product, Tal strip (I think) that worked very well. In about 30 seconds of sitting on the paint it was bubbling up and falling off. It was also cheaper than the Aircraft Paint Remover. Lesson learned. After spraying all that stuff on and scraping the paint then washing it off, I sanded the entire boat down to almost bare aluminum.
That picture shows the inside before I finished sanding it. I got all that black off and most of the white. Then I washed the entire boat down with warm soapy water, then came back after it was dry and wiped down with automotive thinner.
As for paint, I was torn between Gray, and the OD green. The boat has gray carpet as you can see in the pics. So after talking to the guys at Tasco Auto Color, I decided gray would be best. They thought green would look funny with the gray carpet, and I agreed. I went with an Epoxy primer and hardener in a 2:1 ratio. I bought enough to do 2 coats, and I was able to shoot the first coat yesterday. After it set, I came back with some bondo and covered the drilled out rivet holes. Today I'm hoping to sand the bondo down and come back with a second coat of primer. When I get a chance I'll post pics of the 1st coat of primer. So far it is going very good.
For those who are wondering, I am using an HVLP gun from harbor freight. It is a 15 dollar gun, but it is very good for the price. We used them a lot several years ago when I was in high school, and they lay down some nice paint. Also, you can pay 4.99 for an additional 2 year replacement plan. Anything happens with it in 2 years plus the 90 days you get at purchase, you bring it back and they give you a free replacement, no questions asked. I have mine set up with a regulator, followed by an oil/water filter. My dad's compressor has some water accumulated in the bottom and every now and then it has a little that comes through the line. I didn't want any of that water to come out in my paint, as that can really mess up a paint job.
Constructive criticism is welcome! This is my first time painting an aluminum boat, or anything aluminum, so I am sure I'm not doing everything perfect. I have painted plenty of trailers, metal projects, replacement bumpers I built, and 2 vehicles, so I am not new to the art of painting. By no means am I a professional, but I have spent many hours learning and trying to get better. As far as the bondo, I know there are some uncertainties associated with using it on aluminum, but I'm hoping it will stick. I think the epoxy primer will help it adhere, but I guess time will tell.
