Tom: first you are getting the old gelcoat/fiberglass/resin 'roughed up' so the paint makes a mechanical bond. the finish sanding grit will be defined by the product prep information (see the paint's product data sheet). second you are making the area 'smooth' and taking out the imperfections. all scuffs, 'wobbles' and warps will STAND OUT after painting because the new finish will be nice and shiny. :: Dave Scobie --- On Tue, 2/26/13, Thomas Buzzi <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> wrote:
Dave, By "Lots of sanding in the prep stage" what did you mean? What am I sanding to accomplish? Just making everything smooth so I would have to use progressively finer sandpaper and go over the same areas several times? thanks for the info. Tom B.
On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 2:26 PM, W David Scobie <wdscobie@yahoo.com> wrote:
both Interlux and Pettit have primers designed to fill minor, very fine, cosmetic cracks before putting on the final topside paint. larger cracks should be corrected using something like thickened epoxy, finish sanded, and then primed (a long discussion could be had on how to correct cracks ... Don covers the topic well in his book).
look at Pettit 6149 EZ Prime and Interlux Pre-Kote.
for a good finish you will need to do LOTS of sanding in the prep stage. you will not have any fingerprints left ... lol ;-)
in painting a 'good old boat' the first coat will be 'the one you mess up' and need to sand out the drips and runs. the second coat is where you almost get it right. the third is when you know what you are doing ;-)
Interlux has a good support forum and you can call their support line (see their site for links to both).
remember, if you are taking off all the deck hardware consider filling and re-drilling all the fastener holes 'while you are at it'.
:: Dave Scobie
--- On Tue, 2/26/13, Thomas Buzzi <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> wrote:
Sounds like deck painting is the way to go. Any thoughts about fixing up gelcoat spider cracking before the painting? Would filling the cracks with a two part poly putty work?
On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 10:08 AM, W David Scobie <wdscobie@yahoo.com> wrote:
for worn through gelcoat you can consider one of the topside polyurethane paints made by Interlux and Pettit (there are also other manufactures). if the worn area is non-skid you need to add a 'gripping' agent such as Interlux's 'no skid compound' or Pettit's '9900 skidless compound'.
you may be able to 'spot fix' if you can find a good color match ... this is an esthetic issue.
redoing the entire deck and non-skid is a big task as you need to remove all the deck hardware. this will look better than a 'spot fix'.
i can't remember, as i don't have the mags at the shop, but i believe last month there was an article in PRACTICAL SAILOR or GOOD OLD BOAT about refinishing a boat's deck ... i'll need to look when i get home.
if the location is very very very small, like less then a square inch, you can consider just applying gelcoat. color match can be difficult do to the age of the boat. after lots of wet sanding with progressively finer sandpaper you can get close to the gloss match of the current deck.
get the worn area covered soon as UV will eat up the glass/resin that is not protected by gelcoat.
:: Dave Scobie
--- On Tue, 2/26/13, Thomas Buzzi <thomaspbuzzi@gmail.com> wrote:
Anybody got any ideas about replacing
gelcoat on the deck
that has worn down to the glass beneath?