A "Refit" year, final decision.

[Ed Schenck]

Progress, small tho' it be.

Stole some more hours to go to the lake. I used the grinder to get the loose stuff out of the bad spots in the recently soda blasted keel. Then one coat of Interlux 2000E. There are just a couple of spots on each side that need fairing. Then four more coats of 2000E. Also managed to get the starboard bootstripe painted.

Strange weather day in Ohio. A huge storm dropped over 1.5 inches of rain at home and kept the temps under 80. Ninety miles north and west I worked in 88 degree sunshine.

 

[Bill1565]

Nice that you were on the sunny side.

 

[Jim Legere]

Re: Progress, small tho' it be

Stole some more hours to go to the lake. I used the grinder to get the loose stuff out of the bad spots in the recently soda blasted keel. Then one coat of Interlux 2000E. There are just a couple of spots on each side that need fairing. Then four more coats of 2000E. Also managed to get the starboard bootstripe painted.

Ed: was that "loose stuff" you ground out rusty? I know it sounds crazy with a lead keel, but when I stripped mine a few years back, there were a lot of "rusty pock marks" that required grinding and fairing. Only thing I could figure was that Hunter used a lot of old wheel weights when melting the lead for a keel pour...

 

[Ed Schenck]

Right you are Jim. There were both pieces of loose lead and those deep pockets with what looked like rust. Some of those pockets were too deep and narrow to really get clean. So I epoxied right over them.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Yesterday was perfect for boat work with a north wind off the lake keeping temps in the 60s. I put the first fairing coat on the keel, washed the topsides, and almost finished waxing the starboard side. The marina moved my mast next to the boat. I had forgotten how big and heavy it is. I just had time to remove a couple of the tang sets, the uppers and those for the running backstays. Popped right off.

Now I am wondering how anyone manages to refinish a 500 pound mast while it sits on horses or, in my case, barrels. No way can I turn that thing. Do you do one side then go for help? Should it be laying not on a side but on the front or back?

And I still need a solution for paint that does not require stripping the mast bare.

 

[Bill1565]

Ed, I rolled my mast using a spreader. I was able to scoot one end at a time to the edge of the saw horses, then roll into the middle. I sanded by hand, used some aluminum primer from ACE Hardware 'cause it was white, not that sickly green color on the bare spots, then I rolled some Interlux 1 part on with a 3 inch roller. Had to sand off a couple of runs, but not a lot. Put on 2 coats of primer sanded between and after, 2 coats of Brightside (I used Matterhorn White). Up real close, there was some orange peel effect, but from 10 feet away, it looks fine.

 

[Bill1565]

At 60 degrees here, the earmuffs and gloves come out

 

[Ed Schenck]

60's means no sweat on the glasses, love it. I'm too close to that wall for spreaders Bill. And all the hardware will be off. But maybe I can make a lever to attach to the masthead. Still not sure I understand how I will paint where it sits on the four barrels.

I want to use 2-part Perfection but read here that it will not adhere unless started from bare metal. Cannot understand why a good sanding followed by primer coats would not work.

 

[Bill1565]

You might be able to bolt something to one of the spreader mounts. Don't need two. If you can roll it you can paint the part where it sits on the barrel. Just give it plenty of time to harden after it is dry before you roll it back.

You will need to check the barrel diameter to see if it is big enuff. I rolled mine right off the saw horse at one end, Fortunately it was the rotten end that I cut five inches off.

 

[Roger Long]

Now I am wondering how anyone manages to refinish a 500 pound mast while it sits on horses or, in my case, barrels.

Simple, if you can remove the masthead. Cut four blocks of wood the length and width of the inside and cut the corners off so they slide easily into the mast. Drill a hole in each one the diameter of a piece of 1 - 1 1/2" pipe. Thread the blocks on to two lengths of pipe and tape in place. Clamp, screw, or nail two short scraps of 2 x 4 to sawhorses. Slide the blocks into the mast with the pipes sticking out and set the pipes on the sawhorses. You can then turn the mast easily.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Two problems Roger. One is that the top does not come off. Two is that the mast is too long and heavy to support just at the ends I think. I like the idea of making a "spit" out of the mast though. Other problem is that I could not put anything long enough into the top to take out the bend. The upper shroud bolt hole has a welded in spacer.

 

[Bill1565]

I didn't think about the shroud hole. You could try a piece of rebar thru the mast to turn it

 

[Ed Schenck]

Then there is the issue of the sail track which is the cover for the wiring channel. Did you remove the cover or paint over it? Seems like painting over it would almost cement it to the mast forever. Or if you did remove it after wouldn't it tear the paint? I am thinking that I will remove it and try to mask the channel so that I can slide the cover back on. Any paint in the slots will make it really hard to reinsert.

The more that I write about this the more I think that I should touch up the bare spots and forget it.

 

[Bill1565]

I coudn't get my sail track out. It had already been cemented in. So I painted over it. Touching up the bare spots is fine.
Most projects expand as you get into them. nice to have one get simpler.

I am going to pull my all chain rode into the anchor locker this AM and see where I can mount the windlass, then cut my anchor locker door and glass the front pice in place.

 

[guidera48]

Ed.

You could build 2 temporary saw horses about 6 feet high with 2x4 and screws and hang the mast under them in order to spray all at once. One over the baby stay mast fitting and one over the winches. 2 vangs and you can raise the mast as high as you need to. Just cover everything you dont want to spray with paper and tape. I have automotive painting tools but I get my best results with an old Wagner LPHV gun that I bought years ago for 80box. It still does a great job, sprays any paint and just plugs in. No need for compressor.

I am also in the process of painting my mast. I stipped it completelly. The P.O. had 15 mast steps on it and I did not liked them. So I took the mast to my neighbour in my industrial park (Southern Fabricators) and had him plug all the holes left by the removal of the steps. 6 per step, for a total of 90 holes. (4 pizzas and copious adult beverages later). Good thing I was driving a forklift.
I could see the headlines: Conway resident arrested while driving intoxicated a forklift, and carriying a 53 ft pole.
I can flip the mast by grabbing the winches and turning it while on the saw horses. It is not that bad. I hung the mast from a shackle inserted at the yankee shrout point on the mast and looped it to the winches. I can lift the mast that way and spray over and under it. I have an unfair advantage of having a forklift with a 12 ft boom on it. But it is still an adventure.

 

[Ed Schenck]

OK Jose, I am checking to get a shipping cost to your place. That forklift is exactly how the mast got from the rack to beside my boat. Seeing your pictures reminds me that I could hang the mast from something put through the shroud bolt holes. That would give me a top and a mid-point support. At the bottom just a piece of tubing inserted up into the mast.

How did you deal with the sail track?

 

[rardiH36]

2-Part Perfection on Boom Info/Outcome

I want to use 2-part Perfection but read here that it will not adhere unless started from bare metal. Cannot understand why a good sanding followed by primer coats would not work.

Ed:

Below is an exchange that I had with interlux technical service before I painted my boom with Perfection. Might help. But also to report on the outcome about 20 months after the job:

- The epoxy Primecoat and Perfection have adhered well to the original mast paint job (believe the original factory finish) and to the sanded clean bare aluminum . There has been no peeling at all. The finish looks great. Application was by brush.
- However, in all spots where the aluminum had become pitted and oxidized deep enough that I couldn't get it back to shiny aluminum with the sandpaper after only several months the epoxy primecoat and Perfection began to "bubble" up. However, so far, these bubbled up areas haven't chipped off. Obviously I should have used some etching acid and/or special aluminum primer on these areas before applying the epoxy primecoat. However, I think one part primer is likely to dissolve and crinkle when the higher order solvent based epoxy is applied over.
- Be careful not to paint Perfection on your mast too late in the day. Because aluminum cools off so quickly at night, condensation will readily form on the just painted surface. If the 2-part Perfection reaction hasn't fully kicked-in, then in the morning you will find a blotchy shine result ... flat in some areas and glossy in others. Doesn't look very good. This happened to me on the first day when I finished just before dusk. I did the second coat earlier in the afternoon.

Also, when I first bought my boat, after painting my cabin top with Perfection, had found that I had just enough left for some mast work. This was a spur-of-the-moment decision and application. No real thought was given to it. The mast was up on the boat, so I just painted as far up as I could reach with a step ladder. I didn't prime the OEM finish at all. Just gave it a cursory sanding. Four years on, the Perfection is still well-adhered. However, same problem with the pitted areas as on the boom.

regards,
rardi

-----Original Message-----
From: Smida, Jay [mailto:Jay.Smida@akzonobel.com] On Behalf Of Interlux Technical Service
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 11:20 AM
To: richsuejardi@sbcglobal.net
Subject: RE: Epoxy PrimeKote & Aluminum

​

HI Richard,
I would make sure that everything is thoroughly sanded with 120-220 grit and all sanding residue has been removed. Since you have small bare areas, you should be fine to apply the Epoxy Primekote direct over both bare and existing finishes and still maintain sound adhesion. After you apply 1-2 coats of the Epoxy Primekote, you can then move onto your Perfection. If possible I would recommend prepping all surfaces and applying 1 coat of Epoxy Primekote the same day to ensure sound adhesion. Hope this helps to clarify any questions or concerns.

Regards,
Jay

​

From: jardines@mv [mailto:richsuejardi@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 12:57 PM
To: Interlux Technical Service
Subject: Epoxy PrimeKote & Aluminum



Hi:
I have some of your epoxy Primekote and Perfection left over from a cabin top painting project. (Came out well!)
My aluminum boom has lots of chips and some wearing through of its original white finish.
A small test patch with your Primekote reveals the finish does not soften/wrinkle with Primekote.
I am not looking for a new boom result. Just to make it look better.
My plan is simply to remove the boom hardware, sand and then paint (brush) with primer and then interlux.
Question is: Is epoxy Primekote ok to go directly over the small patches of bare aluminum that will result after the sanding? Or do I need also to use another pre-primer? Alternatively, can I just paint with the Perfection without a primer?
Thanks and regards,
Richard Jardine

 

[Ed Schenck]

Thanks Rardi. Just the kind of painting information I was hoping to find. I guess I could have called Interlux but nothing like real world confirmation. If I understand your post I start from the bottom with your query and then read the Interlux answer. Only questioning because the timestamps read the other way.

I think I will test my understanding on the stayrsail boom in the garage. Then do the main boom, also in the garage. By early fall I should be ready to tackle the mast. Maybe I will even have it suspended. Still wondering about the sail track(wire track cover).

 

[guidera48]

Ed
The sail track came out easily. I found a 12ft plastic piece at the bottom, another aluminum piece about 15 feet long and then a very long one that went all the way to the top. I took a small 2x4 block and a hammer and eased them out. They slid out without much fuss. I found very old and hard wires in the slot. They were held by a riveted plastic loop every 15 feet. I am installing 100 ft of 16/3 wire. One run to the new steaming/deck light and one run to the top for the new anchor light and wind vane LED. Also 2 runs of coax, one for the VHF antenna and one for the wind speed/direction unit. It,s going to be a full slot.
Jose

 

[Ed Schenck]

I wasn't clear about the track I guess. I have had the sail track out and have rewired the mast, 2001 I think. My concern is about painting the mast, track in or out? With it in I could be "welding" it in place, never to come out again. If I paint with the track out I'll have to do something to keep the slots clean.

I did the same thing, a heavy three wire cable plus the wire for the anemometer. I have a tri-color on top. I also noticed that my steaming light lens is shot. Maybe time for LEDs too.