topside paint/wax procedure "cure time"

[chaddemler1980]

I just got done compounding and painting my boat. question: i used petit easypoxy one step topside paint "poly with silicone added". I DID NOT paint the entire boat just roughly a 2 foot wide stripe. I just got done painting it yesterday. heres the problem, I have swirl marks and light scrathes in the hull and want to use a 3m product called "finess it ll" to get rid of the small scratches before i wax the entire boat. can i use this product over the paint or will it "eat it up"? also will be using 3m liquid wax over the entire boat and again can i apply this to the paint. lastly since petit customer service is not the greatest "cant get ahold of anyone to ask" how long before this stuff cures enough to use the "finess it ll or the liquid wax"? and how long before i can put the boat back in the water? the can says dry to touch in 3 hours and recoat 16hours but says nothing about a full cure time or anything else regarding using a wax over it, most people i asked said no to the finess it ll and yes to the wax BUT only after 30 days of cure time in outside conditions. what do you all have to say? id love to be able to use both these products in bout a week "paint has some through swirl marks". and everyone says 1 week is enough cure time to hit the water again.

 

[TheWoodCrafter]

Re: topside paint/wax procedure "cure time"

That paint could take weeks to fully cure. I would not be trying to pollish it till then and would not wax it either. I think 30 days for wax is a good time period.
I'm sure I read somewhere for that type of paint to wait 7 days before you put it back in the water.

 

[gcboat]

Re: topside paint/wax procedure "cure time"

Leave the fresh paint alone for 30 days. No wax, absolutely no compound during that time.
The 7 day wait time refers to not launching if you have painted the bottom using that product.
If you have just painted a stripe then you should hold off on launching for a day or so.

 

[BillP]

Re: topside paint/wax procedure "cure time"

I don't know how soon you can compound over easypoxy but it seems to stay "fingernail green" for a week or so here in Florida's climate. Waxing should be very safe after waiting that long. I splashed an easypoxy painted hull and bottom 2 days later and didn't have a hint of a problem running it 35 mph.

About compounding...I've only compounded old easypoxy and old brightsides to prep them for a fresh coat. Both were done with coarse & medium DuPont compound with a bonnet on top of a foam pad. I buffed at 2500 rpms and triggered it to slow everything down as the compound dried. Keep it very wet...don't let it get dry or you will burn or scratch the paint. Final results make both paints look new and the job goes very much like compounding gelcoat...but easier. Finess II is very mild compound compared to what I used so you should be ok with it, but I'd wait a month before compounding to make sure the paint is totally cured.

bp