paint prep

[danshat]

Just a quick question about the prep. Before I get the new windows installed I am going to repaint. The boat has some surface issues that needed to be fixed so I will be doing a large amount of sanding. Should I take it all down to the glass and not worry about the gel coat? In looking at other threads on this topic it looks like there are two schools on this one so just looking for some input. Thanks as always.

 

[CapetaniosG]

From your post I would surmise that the existing finish is a gellcoat. If that's the case a good and thorough sanding of the gell is all you need, followed with a good cleaning of the surface. You don't have to remove the gell, a very difficult and expensive job to begin with. If your boat is a Hatteras are you sure the finish is gell? It may be paint.

You may wish to consult with paint mfg like Imron to see what they recommend. You will find them all in the Net. They have detail application instructions for their products to various surfaces.


CapetaniosG

 

[Boatsb]

Some of the smaller hatts were left in Gelcoat from the factory but a 1963 model probably was painted before now. Check it out all over before you assume the boat is not painted.

 

[George]

http://www.samsmarine.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1301&ppuser=765

Just had my boat re-painted at Jarrett Bay. What they did was spray a coat of black, then sand until the black was off. It does a couple of things:
1. Focus on the high and low spots to even the boat out
2. lets you know when the boat is properly prepared.

 

[Diver Down]

I just learned a new trick for highlighting the imperfections in a surface being prepped for painting. Rather than using a contrasting color paint/primer like Jarrett Bay applied, or the expensive 3M powder kits, I bought a package of Ritz cloth dye (Navy Blue) for less than $1 and mixed the powder with acetone. Just wiped the surface down with this solution and then sanded until no dye could be seen.

 

[dsharp]

What kind of shape is the trunk cabin in? The last Hatteras like yours that I painted had a ton of blisters under the gell coat that had to be dug out and filled. More blisters came out later after the boat had been out in the sun. The owner kept thinking it was solvent pop but these blisters were under the gell, like blisters on the bottom. They were full of a black liquid that smelled like styrene. All you need to do is rough up the surface and use a high build primer. It takes a tremendous amount of time to get the surface slick enough for awlgrip or imron. Sometimes it makes more since to use a semi-gloss finish.

 

[akintosyali]

danshat,
I painted a 41' 1965 Hatt last year. Myself. (with help on advice from a lot of people)

The paint you currently have and the paint you will use will determine the amount of work you need to do. Not all paint can be applied to all surfaces.

Spend 80% time sanding. Buy 2 makita ORBITAL ROUND sanders. Pay kids you find form craigslist $10-15/hr to do the sanding while you watch and superwise.

Buy only good quality paint, and thin the darn thing! obey instructions. Be patient.

The dye stuff sounds neat, but too complicated to perfect.

My boat came out just fine, so will yours.
80% of time should be spent in preperation 20% in painting. Do not hurry!

 

[danshat]

do i need to dewax before i sand? I'm planning on a really good sand so is it necessary? Thanks.

 

[MikeP]

You should never sand before thoroughly cleaning the surface with Prep-sol or other solvent for this purpose. Sanding before cleaning will cause any contaminants present to be spread and ground INTO the surface. This can cause a serious problem with fish-eyes, etc. Clean with solvent first, THEN sand. If you sand first, you will never get the contaminants out.