There was a 1972 58ft Yachtfish here at our marina for a long time. Owned by an oil company and professionally maintained. They repainted at Georgetown Yachtbasin on the upper Chesapeake and used AWLGRIP in the old Hatteras Off White color that looks creamy.
All I can say is WOW. What a perfect job. AND it was all done roll and tip with the boat in the water vice any sort of shed. I would have sworn it was a spray booth job. Finish looked a foot deep.
Owning an exact sister ship from same year I was always envious. So I started doing my own AWLGRIP roll and tip work on topside stuff that needed it most. This is tediously difficult to do for the prep and base coat work. Only thing really hard about the finish coat work is getting a close paint match to the older stuff. Matching AWLGRIP to AWLGRIP for same color across different years and batches is reliable.
For roll and tip, AWLGRIP has a high build sanding base formulation that you put on roll and tip then sand smooth and recoat. Two coats are required but three or more and careful sanding can get you a glass smooth finish with no hint of orange peel.
Now for the hitch. Doing this when it is too hot or too cold or too much full sun can mess up the final finish with bubbles in the heat or sags and runs in the cold. If you are working outside, and unexpected rain can ruin a coat.
But if you are cheap or poor and have the time, you can do this yourself.
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Thread: Awlgrip or Imron
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09-05-2009 09:23 AM #31Senior Member
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- Mar 2006
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Re: Awlgrip or Imron
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Re: Awlgrip or Imron
Two-part paints like Imron and Awlgrip don't "dry"- they chemically cure or polymerize, essentially into one large sheet of crosslinked molecules. Or maybe it's one very large molecule, but they will not become functionally useful coatings until they are cured by adding the activator. I think this is one reason you have to mix up the paint ready to spray and then let it induce for a while before you begin to apply it with the gun- the reaction has to begin in the pot before the paint is sprayed onto the surface you are finishing.
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Re: Awlgrip or Imron
I have some dulling going on. How do I know what paint is on? If it is awlgrip I guess i can't buff it out? I used to paint cars and also custom paint jobs, so I know that the finish can't be any better than the prep. I guess if there was a run or problem using imron that can be fixed, but not awlgrip, right? I never have used awlgrip. I also purchased a gallon of BTS which is a protection. They say it is better then the best wax? So not being in the business for quite a while I need to know how to find out if awlgrip or imron or something similar. Thanks
Capt. Chuck
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Re: Awlgrip or Imron
"DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN
Endless Summer
1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
ex Miss Betsy
owners:
Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
Richard F Hull 1974-1976
Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present
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Re: Awlgrip or Imron
AwlGrip is made with a brushing/rolling converter and thinner. Imron does not have that AFAIK. Interlux Perfection also has a rolling/tipping converter from what I hear but I have not used it. I have heard people say they can roll and tip Imron. I don't know how you could without the right converter and thinner as spray solvents flash off very quickly, but I have never tried it. It's kind of pricey stuff to experiment with.
If you have a section you can tape off, you can AwlGrip just that section using the roll/tip method. If I did it, anyone can. I did put a thread up this summer on this. You cannot buff AwlGrip and you cannot spot it in. The shine is on the surface, not all through like it is in Imron.
Really this depends on the area you need to fix. I got surprisingly good results- I would say it is an acceptable ten-foot job, closer than that you start to see the runs. The gloss is excellent- whatever else you may say ab out AG, it IS shiny....