Another fool in Portland, ME
Ziggler, I share your pain. I'm in the middle of a paint job on a Wilbur 34 using the same paint and having a similar experience. I chose Pettit EZ-Poxy 2 for it's durability and claimed ease of application. As with alot of these things, there is a learning curve and I am planning to give the final coat tomorrow with reasonable expectations. I have had to restart as well because I was given poor advice by the boat store 'paint expert' who said not to tip the first coat. Big mistake - air bubbles everywhere and this paint is very difficult to sand down. I had to reprime the whole thing and buy more paint. So this is what works for me:
Hull needs to be prepped in strict compliance with the instructions. Use Bio-Blue and scuff with scotch brite pad according to the instructions. Apply 1 or 2 coats of Pettit EZ prime and sand to a smooth surface. I hand sand the primer using a large tile sponge with sandpaper over it. This allows the sandpaper to follow any countours. I'm using 120-150 grit. Brush all the dust off, wipe it down, and then wipe it down with thinner, and then tack rag it.
If you go online, you will see a variety of conflicting recommendations for rolling and tipping. I was having trouble finding someone who could roll the paint evenly or find someone that could do it within my schedule and the weather window I had, so I finally gave up and decided to do it solo. So this is what seems to be working for me:
1. This paint sets up quickly. Although some instructions say thinning may not be needed, that has not worked for me. I am painting outside and I am thinning out to the max recommended which is 10% or .42 of a cup measurement to 1 quart of paint. The paint sets up fast and the thinner proved to be essential to preventing seams and keeping it wet enough until I tip it off.
2. Obviously, don't paint in the sun or right after the sun has passed. Follow the recommendations of between 9am and 4pm. I paint the port side in the morning and the starboard side in the afternoon to follow the sun.
3. Tipping this paint is absolutely essential. You will have air bubbles when you roll it on and the tipping levels off the paint. I'm using the West Epoxy System 7" foam rollers to roll the paint on. I work quickly, and roll on only 2 widths of the roller before I tip. This allows me to maintain a wet edge. Make sure you roll the paint on evenly!
4. Get the proper tipping brushes. You will read about using Badger brushes, but I am using Wooster Flawless Tipping Brushes. The 2.5 inch works best for me. I find the wider brushes harder to work with.
5. The tipping technique. Well that is like when you had your first newborn. Everyone has advice and it is all different and you have to figure out what works for you. But for me, this is now working. Some people will tell you to roll vertically and tip horizontally. That was a disaster as it piles up the paint and leaves a seam. That may work in a controlled environment, but I don't think it works outside. Tipping from top to bottom works best, especially if you are working alone as you are more likely to be able to maintain the wet edge. However, I do start by tipping side to side along the rail one brush stroke wide, and then tip the whole thing from top to bottom. That seems to help to maintain a nice finish at the top and reduces any possibility of sags. When I tip, I go pretty quickly and overlap my strokes a bit every time and keep an eye out for bubbles that might not have flattened out. Then leave it alone!!!! The key is doing small sections at a time.
6. I'm painting a 34 foot boat with a pretty large bow flare. I find that changing brushes 2 or 3 times while painting one side helps alot to get a better finish. As soon as the paint starts to dry on the bristles, drop the brush into thinner and get another one. Some tip with a dry brush others put just a bit on the tip of the brush. I use the latter technique but keep it very light.
7. Prepping for the job is very important so that you don't end up creating a seam because your wet edge is, well, no longer as wet. I have a small table that built and I move along with me that keeps the paint tray at the right height and which holds all of my extra supplies on a lower shelf. I have screwed the paint tray onto the table, ...seriously, because sometimes the wind would blow my tray away. Wear a face mask. Have an extra tray and roller handy, in case you drop it. I have foam rollers of different widths available because I have to work around splash rails. Wear gloves, but wear the light paint gloves so you can better feel your tipping action. Have 3 brushes ready to go and have 3 cups of thinner ready to deposit the brushes as you go. The brushes are expensive but they clean up well. Once you start, don't stop.
8. They recommend 2 coats. If you work quickly you should get a pretty good result. It likely won't equal a spray job, but it should be pretty good. Between coats, you can scuff up the finish with red scotch brite pads.
Good luck!
