OK, from my recent centerboard rebuilding experience, here's my personal advice on repairing your Monty and getting it to match the original gelcoat. Use West System Epoxy to repair any fiberglass that needs it. The stuff is amazing. You can thicken it to any consistency that's required by using several different thickening agents. Or you can use it unthickened to lay down fiberglass material. I used their fairing compund to rebuild the leading edge of my centerboard. Then I used a rasp to reshape the edge--best shaping tool there is. Then, I rough sanded the whole thing with 100 grit. Then I encapsulated the repaired edge in a couple of layers of fiberglass using unthickened epoxy. When cured, I used the rasp again to cut off excess, and sanded again with 100 grit and then 200 grit. Wash with water to remove epoxy 'blush'. Then clean the surface with acetone. Now, the best part. I found a product that's easy to use as a final finish layer that matches the gel coat color perfectly. Interlux Perfection--two part polyueuthane--premixed CREAM color. You can get it at West Marine. But here's a link to a supplier's page simply to show you what the product looks like; http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/ak/Paints/Topside_Paint/Interlux_Topsid... I omitted the primer coat and applied it directly over my epoxy repair. A little goes a long, long way. And I found that I could use it straight from the can without using any thinner. You can roll it on and it looks as though it's been spray painted. I used one coat, although it probably could have used two. But that's only because my patch job was a dark color due to the kind of fairing compound I used. Since it was my unseen centerboard, I decided one coat was enough. The main purpose of the coating is to provided UV protection since epoxy will break down in the sun. But keep in mind that epoxy provides a superior moisture barrier and is much stronger than polyester. It takes a couple of days for the Interlux to cure depending on temperature. I applied it in 50 degree weather, although I used a space heater to warm up the centerboard before applying. And I've been reheating it from time to time. It seems to produce a very hard surface now that it's cured for a couple of days. And it's really shiny. I sanded it a bit to knock the sheen down. Be careful out there! Interlux polyurethane fumes are toxic, and it is flamable. Try to apply it outside on a warm, dry, day. And keep the dust down --Bob Olson Howard Audsley wrote:
So if I want to spiff up my 1978 boat, I should prep it for painting, then take it to an auto body shop and have them shoot on a couple coats of white and some clear cote? And maybe not white. Heck....going the automotive route opens up all kinds of color options. Maybe I could get a deal on Mary-Kay Pink in a metal flake? Wouldn't be too many of those out there!
Seriously, if the automotive paint is an option, it changes the equation a great deal. No reason at all to have a ragged looking boat.
On my stitch and glue dinghy, I have been planning to use a water based 2 part LPU paint from System 3. Perhaps I should give the automotive paint a try. One of our local auto parts stores has an automotive paint section. Hard to imagine it could be that easy.
On 4/18/05 11:42 PM, "jerry" <jerry@jerrymontgomery.org> wrote:
I better way on an older boat is to use a two-part polyurethane. Rather than LP (linear polyurethane), an automotive type is better because you can sand out any runs, and it stands up to UV better. You can spray it over gel-coat (prep just like you would when using gel-coat, then wetsand out the edges and buff. It'll be the shiniest spot on the boat, esp[ecially ten years later. The best auto-type polyurethane is Deltron, made by PPG. You can't get it many places now in CA because of harrassment from the air quality people, but it IS still legal for boats and airplanes.
Jerry jerrymontgomery.org
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