Painting saga about to begin

[jim rosenthal]

I forgot to mention that the next part of the work, once I get a second coat onto the bridge front, is to finish sanding and some small repairs to the bridge deck itself; there is at least one area which needs to be dug out a bit and leveled with epoxy and filler. I have removed all the hardware that hold the aft awning; although the front part of the awning actually covers the tail of the cabin roof, and the paint there is in fairly good shape, it is easier to remove all the hardware including the rail stanchion bases, clean up everything, paint the entire cabin top, and then rebed all the hardware and screw it all back down. It will look better that way, and also be less likely to leak into the core, and also hold tighter.

I am still going to try the spray reducer. I think that was a good idea, I can't recall who suggested it, but thanks. It's on the list for the next Donovan order. I'm running out of rollers and brushes...

And now I have a new set of items to add to the list- clean out the vents tubes for the head an galley vents. Fortunately, Blue Note is too small to have a dryer.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Here's another interesting aside: one of the things we did today to prep the front of the bridge was to remove the trumpets from the Raritan (actually Fiamm) horns. The base units for the horns were still in place. I always wondered how such a dinky little compressor could make so much noise. So I picked up one of the horns and blew into it as if it were a trumpet (I'm not a brass player, but I can get some noise out of brass instruments)

Wow! It doesn't take much air to get them to make a LOT of noise! So if you were at PNYH today and looking for the boat backing out of its slip and didn't see it.... that was us having fun with the horn trumpets. I am easily amused, I guess.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Some photos from today. You can't see how shiny the paint is, but it's there. Getting a gloss with this paint does not seem to be a problem.

 

[Boatsb]

Jim I'm not a roll and tip expert but it is a 2 person job. Also remember reducer is temp sensitive and the hotter it gets the more you will need.

 

[jim rosenthal]

You're right. Unfortunately most of the time I have one person. I was lucky today. I am going to try to do all the sanding and prep work (which doesn't require more than one person) myself, and try to do the painting when someone is available to help. Not only with tipping, but spotting places I've missed with the roller. It is hard to see the paint as it goes on, especially since we are recoating using the same color as before.

 

[Fanfare]

Gee, I was thinking about visiting..... See you next year!

 

[34Hatt]

YIt is hard to see the paint as it goes on, especially since we are recoating using the same color as before.

Well since it seems to be a few days in-between coats you are sanding in-between right?

 

[jim rosenthal]

On this one I will probably have to. On the previous area I was able to recoat it within 24 hours, but I have to work this morning, so I can't get over there within 24 hours. So I will probably just go over it with 320 or 400 lightly and then recoat it, sanding just to make sure the second coat sticks well. The front of the bridge is one of the areas that gets the most sun, so the paint takes a beating there.

I'm starting to figure out WHY people keep their boats in covered slips. Of course, you get all kinds of bugs etc, and it can be gloomy under there, but the finishes last a lot longer.

 

[34Hatt]

On this one I will probably have to. On the previous area I was able to recoat it within 24 hours, but I have to work this morning, so I can't get over there within 24 hours. So I will probably just go over it with 320 or 400 lightly and then recoat it, sanding just to make sure the second coat sticks well. The front of the bridge is one of the areas that gets the most sun, so the paint takes a beating there.

I'm starting to figure out WHY people keep their boats in covered slips. Of course, you get all kinds of bugs etc, and it can be gloomy under there, but the finishes last a lot longer.

Good and you will find it easier because it won't be shine on shine!

 

[jim rosenthal]

Honestly, Dan, there wasn't much shine on the front of the bridge left before we sanded it, and we sanded all of it down to 320 before washing it off, tacking it, and rolling it. It's just hard to see under the shed, the light is kind of diffuse and dim. But it's a hell of a lot better than painting outside in this kind of weather. It's 96 here today. I don't think I could add reducer fast enough in this kind of heat.

 

[34Hatt]

Honestly, Dan, there wasn't much shine on the front of the bridge left before we sanded it, and we sanded all of it down to 320 before washing it off, tacking it, and rolling it. It's just hard to see under the shed, the light is kind of diffuse and dim. But it's a hell of a lot better than painting outside in this kind of weather. It's 96 here today. I don't think I could add reducer fast enough in this kind of heat.

Jim Big Lights you need them and you will need to move them around the job with you. I know what you mean about the shed I have done work in them but you get to chose where you want the light. Outside you your stuck real bitch moving the sun

 

[jim rosenthal]

Oh, I am not even going to try to top that one.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Okay, some progress today. I sanded the front of the flying bridge, and rolled on another coat of paint. And, since it was just as hot as before, I added more reducer, which helped (thanks!) That completes the part of the job that is the most difficult to reach, and I was able to do it alone, which I did not think I could do. Most of the tape is off on that part. By tomorrow, I hope that the paint is dry and that I can work near it. The next step is a structural repair to an area of the bridge deck next to the ladder, and once that is done, to sand and paint the cabin top, bridge deck and sides of the cabin. Some of those areas are already sanded.

Something I didn't exactly figure on- with the cabin rails off, it is much harder to move around the boat and get to stuff safely. I think I am going to do one cabin side at a time, so I have one walkway with a rail to get from the foredeck to the aft. I don't fancy ending up in the water, and I fancy even less hitting the boat or the dock or the boat next door on the way to the water.

Photos to follow- it doesn't look different, so I didn't bother today. But when I get a cabin side done, there will be some cause for rejoicing around here.

BTW, anyone in the MD area who wants to stop by an kibitz is welcome to do so. PM or email me. I don't have much information to share, but anyone is welcome to whatever I have.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Sometimes progress doesn't actually make things look much different; I spent today (it was 102 here and I didn't move real fast) grinding out and filling the crack in the flybridge deck, and then got a fairing coat on it. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I could get some primer on; too bad.....

Also worked out the boundaries of the next area to be painted- the cabin sides, cabin top outside the bridge, eyebrow on bridge deck front, and the lower triple windshield area where the canvas doesn't cover it. The cabin sides actually reach back to the cockpit coaming surround, so all of those areas will get prepped and done as one continual section. Then the bridge deck, with nonskid in the paint. This method will preserve the nonskid areas that are already marked out.

One of the things I have to keep in mind is that the paint needs several days to really set up, so I have to make sure I can get on and off the boat without contacting recent paint. Even after it is try to the touch, it is still curing and still soft- and can still be damaged.

 

[sportfish 45]

Get yourself some X138 acelerator and add around 6 drops to a mixed quart. It won't efect the aplication 0r air dry but it will be hard enough to walk on or tape after an overnight dry.

 

[hyperfishing]

Jim, PM sent..earlier the better, to partly beat the heat.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Well, foam brushes work better than I thought they would. And they cost a LOT less than bristle brushes, like about one-tenth as much. I started painting the cockpit coaming today. We'll see how it looks in the morning. I also mixed too much paint, so the leftover is in the freezer; we'll see if it's still usable in the morning.

Foam brush seems to work well- I am a bit surprised. Paint lays down real nice and no bristle marks.

 

[holtcl]

I'm a big fan of the foam brushes especially for small jobs, or something that's not the "money coat" (aka: final coat). I also use them for small varnish jobs and they work great for that as well.

I was told to put them in a zip lock bag in the fridge overnight and then you can re-use them for a few days. That works great then you can stretch them, especially for little jobs when you're just doing one coat per day, it's a shame to throw them out every day.

Let us know if you were able to save the paint. I wasn't ballsy enough to try that.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I watched a pro roll and tip a boat. He used foam brushes but wrapped blue masking tape around them leaving about 3/4" exposed. He said that kept them from getting too soft and sloppy as the chemicals attack the brush. You might try that trick Jim. He just puts about 2 wraps around the whole brush, leaving the tip plus a little bit exposed.

 

[jim rosenthal]

The paint was fine!!! It spent the night in the boat's freezer (which probably isn't all that cold) and the next morning it was still liquid, but thick. I stirred in more reducer and used it and it was good.

I'm working my way around. Today I did the starboard side of the cabin and a second coat on the brow, except part of it looks dull, I think. We'll see. When this side is done, I'm going to put the rail back on and then turn the boat around to use the finger pier to do the port side. then some more small repairs to do and begin the deck and toe rail areas.