Spraying Marine Urethanes

[drewpster]

I was very pleased with the finish that the Interlux Brightside yielded on my deck. However I have allot of painting left to do and I want to try my hand at spraying the finish from here on out.

I bought a mid priced ($150USD) gravity feed HVLP gun with the largest tip it came with. Just for kicks I tried to shoot some primer (Interlux Pre-Kote) with the gun. I thinned the primer 10% with the recommended 216 thinner per the maximum on the primer directions. It would not flow no matter what setting I tried. I was not really surprised as Pre-Kote is very thick and has balloon fillers. Also the gun I bought is based on what Interlux recommends for the paint, not the primer. So, no problem, I just rolled it and tipped it off.

I was limited on time so I did not try the gun with the paint. This paint is expensive so I am trying to beat the learning curve a little. Has anyone got any recommendations on setting up to spray Brightside Paint with a gun like mine? I used Interlux's recommendation to select the gun when I bought it so it should work. If I can get a technique down well enough, I am planning to shoot the outside of the hull using Perfection. Any recommendations here as well? I am not against roll/ tipping to apply the paint, I however I think shooting it would make it look even better.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

What is your nozzle size? I sprayed interlux brightsides with my HVLP gun. I think I used either the .15 or the .18 nozzle. It was only in the bilge which I had done rudimentory surface prep, but it came out beautiful.

 

[i386]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

If the OUTSIDE of my boat looks half that good when I'm done I'll be thrilled.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

I was very pleased with the finish that the Interlux Brightside yielded on my deck.

Show some pictures of your deck drewpster. I am trying to decide what paint to use for my deck, gunwales, interior and doghouse.

I've narrowed it down to either automotive catalysed acrylic urethane or interlux brightsides. The problem with brightsides is it takes too long to tack up and if you are painting outside, that is not good. It also has limited colors.

Everything else is waaaaaaaaaaaay too expensive for my old scow. On second thought, they are waaaaaaaaaaay too expensive for any purpose.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

The experience that is have had with Interlux has been good, i used a very cheap HPLV sprayer, the tip size was variable so one could actually make a huge tip.

Compared to shooting varnish (wood experience only) it takes litte skill to use this type of paint, just watch how much product you laying down and keep the over lapping to a minium and the paint will level itself, kinda amazing.

If you going to spray Perfection your going to need a way above average respriator, they use some nasty chemical's. I also found using the 333 burshing additive worked better than the 216 thinner, the 216 actually caused a minute orange peel.

Using Bright Sides i mixed 1 part 333 to 4 part's paint in 80 degree weather and low humidity, it was tack free in a couple of hours. The next day i smoothed her down with 400 grit, acetone bath and reshot it again, it took 3 coat's to get the desired finish but it was truly a great finish for a amature such as my self, i was so impressed that i went back and redid the boat, this time ive done my best to take all the little imperfections and waves i could find out of the boat.....prep will determine everything here the paint will hide nothing.

Yes BY is right about the complete cure time, it will harden up in about 8 hours but it takes 10-14 days for the paint to fully cure.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

Geeeeeeeeeez TailGunner, you are s'posed to mask things like trailer fenders. Unless of course you're trying to make them match your boat.

I think you need one of these to get the waves out of your surfaces. It was only 19.95 at HF. I just saw one at the local paint shop for 139.95. I was going to get one the other day but realized I didn't have the air to make it work. I had to take my doghouse over to a friends house just to get my 6" DA sander to work good.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

8) Yepper's you right on both accounts 1. i to have one (sander that is) Harbor freight special. 2. That's just a the rustoleum rattel can base coat on the trailer...she's going yellow in the end so for now i just let rip and will let it fall where it may.

There's how that trailer started life, and that's the only origanl pic i have of this restore..........and when i trully discovered the beauty of a angle grinder it just cut the paint off that rusty old trailer like butter.........

 

[drewpster]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

Here is a pic of the deck you asked for Boomyal. Its not a great pic because it was a little overcast that day. This is after the first coat. It has had a second since then. I will be adding a third after the canopy uprights and windshield get finished. I will add some better pics when I get some better light.

Some of the project,
nullhttp://s136.photobucket.com/albums/q187/drewpster/?start=0

 

[drewpster]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

BTW Boomyal, Your bilge looks great! I will be shooting the enclosure for the battery switch panel I have been working on very soon. Maybe that will make me feel better about shooting the rest of the stuff. I really hope it works out. Given the look of that bilge, I am really looking forward to seeing the paint after spraying it. I am not sure of the tip size of the gun I bought. (forgetfulness abounds) It's out in the shop, but if memory serves its a .18. I do remember it is the largest for this series gun. I also have another lower priced gun I bought several years ago. I have never used it. My friend has it. He been using it to paint his toy below.

Its off topic. But I had to show it off. He did a great job.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

Maybe you ought to grab that gun back drewpster. That plane looks dynomite, at least from 30 feet away.

On the nozzle, I almost think I used the .15 nozzle, having thinned the Brightsides with medium automotive reducer. If the nozzle is too big it will splatter.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

Carter has been flying as a hobby for 20 years. His mother, bless her, says He's going to outgrow it any day now.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

boomers..you have a LONG way to go to be considered a professioal..take your AirFile and thow it away.

IMO you dont know what your talking about..that prep job looks like it was done correctly..or would you rather see everything be consitant ? ( you will burn through on a pain job like that depending on bulk heads, air voids and other things..dont think that the yellow boat is done incorectly

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

Im all ear's, Plz feel free to point out how it should be approached...........Ive worked wood but doing a boat is by far different.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

Hey Yacht Doc, cut me just a little slack, back off just a wee bit. I don't claim to be an 'expert' but I'm always trying new techniques to improve or speed up the job. In the case of the above sander, some form of long block will definitely 'flatten' out the surface and if a DA sander, running with a 150 psi doesn't burn the glass, I don't know why the long board sander would either.

As with any tool, especially power, ya have to use a little common sense.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

I read the Yacht Dr. post three times. I still not sure if the Dr. is slamming someone or giving someone a compliment. I am by no means a pro at any of this stuff so if you have something constructive to point out, please do. I will bow to your superior intellect and vast knowledge of the subject accordingly.

I am as likely to use a buzz saw as an air file, I'm quite the bonehead yanno.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

I read the Yacht Dr. post three times. I still not sure if the Dr. is slamming someone or giving someone a compliment. I am by no means a pro at any of this stuff so if you have something constructive to point out, please do. I will bow to your superior intellect and vast knowledge of the subject accordingly.

I am as likely to use a buzz saw as an air file, I'm quite the bonehead yanno.

Beatz me drewpster. I've not used the airfile before but I have learned to use a long block for getting out the waves on a panel. As in most things manual, a long block takes forever but it does work out the wahoos.

It only stands to reason that an airfile? will be more aggressive, as I might add, is the DA sander that I have used, so you have to excercise good control while it applys the elbow grease for you.

For $19.95, if it did not work well on fiberglass panels, I'd move on to the next idea and save the airfile for some other type of project.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

If this person has spent a lot of time in his trade, it is reasonalbe for him to make such statement's. Boom is quite gifted in the work that he does, i work witrh a lot of tradesman and they do take pride in the discipline of there trade.

For now let him post back and let us see his comment's, boom i am quite sure you are confident in your work skill's that you can take his comment's on how to and put them into context........... I certainly am and awaiting his comment's.

In a way he is right, that sander is like taking a club to a misqiuto fight,but then again if you have the skill .......why not.......

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

I really didnt mean to slam anyone .. I actually thought boomers was critisizing gunner in his prep work.

I do sincerely appologize to anyone in the forums that I may have offended.

My point was in the prep alot of times it appears to be sanded unfair. however it is deceptive when you see burns all over.. you cant look to see if its fair..only by trusting in your sander and your feel .

I personally would have taken a 8" soft pad with 120 grit along the whole side..then primed then final board out . but thats my pesonal capabilities.

As with your air file..there is a place for that. but in my experiance with final sanding b4 paint it is much too agressive for many people . A half sheet sander is a very good medium for that kinda stuff.

once again..sorry folkes..I will chill out from now on and try to be more carefull on how i word things .

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

8) No offense here, im a little tired now so i gotta go. but i will ask you this, i have very small waves or ripples from a prior body shop repair......yes bondo and slap happy work, can you suggest a method beyond the air file make it simple as you can i will complicate it....8)


Boom just's bust my ball's at sloppy tech and rightfully so i am a lazy sob........ and lot's of people read this stuff.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Spraying Marine Urethanes

I really didnt mean to slam anyone .. I actually thought boomers was critisizing gunner in his prep work.

I do sincerely appologize to anyone in the forums that I may have offended.

My point was in the prep alot of times it appears to be sanded unfair. however it is deceptive when you see burns all over.. you cant look to see if its fair..only by trusting in your sander and your feel .

I personally would have taken a 8" soft pad with 120 grit along the whole side..then primed then final board out . but thats my pesonal capabilities.

As with your air file..there is a place for that. but in my experiance with final sanding b4 paint it is much too agressive for many people . A half sheet sander is a very good medium for that kinda stuff.

once again..sorry folkes..I will chill out from now on and try to be more carefull on how i word things .

That's ok Doc. Everyone is just trying to get maximum effect with the least time and cost. No real offense taken. I like the long soft block too, but I have been recently been working on some pretty knarly surfaces on the boat that is gonna whip TailGunners scow. I was just trying to give him a leg up so his arms wouldn't be so whooped that he couldn't operate the throttle.8)

Ok TG, the Docs got a point. The long soft block is safe. Your starting grit depends on how much you need to cut to get it flat. 120 is pretty aggressive for a smooth surface but might be necessary if your surface is real wavy. Your picture appears to be the case but then I have never put paper to a hull before. All I know is that the pictures you see of these beautiful yacht hulls that have been painted did not have the wahoos that your sanded hull has. (yours may not be any different than any other runabout hull, but for the effort and the cost of the paint, in my book, the hull better be as flat as a mirror)

You can go down to the local auto paint shop and get a roll of 120 grit, self adhesive paper and a soft block to stick it to, then have at it. The blocks and paper are 2 3/4" wide.

BTW doc, I have used a half sheet sander on the doghouse pictured below. It was so wavy that I started with 60 grit to try to flatten it out. I got so PO'd I took it over to a friends house (big compressor) and used my DA with 40 grit. Even then it was better but not perfect. After the DA, I used the half sheet sander, with 80, then 100, then 150 grit. Then I used a 4 x4 makita orbital electric with 150 grit, then on to a 3x 6 flexible palm sander with 150. That is where I want to leave it for priming.

I still would have like to go after it with the airfile? 'cause it was not flat enough for my taste.