Hello, my original fiberglass boxes that hold my tach and auto-pilot, etc. are pitted from all the years and weather. Would anyone have recommendations on sanding and painting these boxes? I have read that you cannot spray paint fiberglass. Would some sort of primer and paint combo be best. Would just like to make things look new again.
Painting fiberglass boxes around steering wheel, O'Day 28 1985
- Thread starter BKParks
- Start date
Do you have pictures of the boxes? I don’t think the 28 came with anything like that originally. In general fiberglass can be painted like anything else. A marine topsides paint would probably work well for that. I’ve used TotalBoat Wet Edge paint, after prepping the surface and using their primer, with good results on fiberglass.
Hello and thank you for reaching out. I am a new sailboat owner and this is my first boat. Working through a few projects and while replacing some electronics I decided to give these boxes new life. I will get some primer and topcoat as you suggested. What grit of sandpaper would you use as well? I had figured brushing would leave brush marks but I did read somewhere about a product for helping with that that I assume you add this to the paint. I had thought I could spray paint them until I started doing some research on the web. At that point I thought I would reach out to the experts on this forum.
That should clean up nicely with some paint. Brushing should be fine for something that size. Paints for fiberglass are engineered to flow out, evening out any brush marks as they dry. They can be thinned to help with that depending on ambient temperature as well. Some high end paints have additives that you can use to help with the flow out even more, but on a surface that size I think any mid range marine finishing paint would be fine. I’d use the TotalBoat just because that’s what I’ve used in the past, but Interlux and Pettit make similar products. The thinning and application steps are always in the product instructions. Check the instructions for whichever product you select, but you’ll probably be sanding with 220 grit, priming, and painting, likely with more 220 grit sanding between each coat.
I’d also recommend checking out the BoatWorksToday YouTube channel. I don’t remember if he has any videos of painting a box that size, but he does have a lot of helpful painting and fiberglass restoration videos in general.
I’d also recommend checking out the BoatWorksToday YouTube channel. I don’t remember if he has any videos of painting a box that size, but he does have a lot of helpful painting and fiberglass restoration videos in general.
Thank you, very much appreciated! I am ordering from Jamestown today. I am going to skip the thinner for this project, save a little money unless you feel its necessary?
And last question, do you just use a white paint for tings like this you do or flat white or off white, etc? This items looks just white and will look better regardless but would like to get as close to original as possible
And last question, do you just use a white paint for tings like this you do or flat white or off white, etc? This items looks just white and will look better regardless but would like to get as close to original as possible
I’ve only ever used it with some thinner, but that was on larger surfaces. You could try it without. Worst case if you see brush marks after the first coat is you’ll have just a little extra sanding, then get the thinner for the second coat. It’ll take a few coats to cover well anyway.
I’d use white, but that’s a matter of personal preference. From what I remember the steering pedestal on the 28 is white, except maybe for the top plastic part that yellows over time. Trying to match the off-white of anything else in the cockpit would be difficult.
I’d use white, but that’s a matter of personal preference. From what I remember the steering pedestal on the 28 is white, except maybe for the top plastic part that yellows over time. Trying to match the off-white of anything else in the cockpit would be difficult.
How often do you replace the antifreeze in your boat motor (I have a Universal 12 10HP)? I am going to be doing the motor maintenance on my boat in the future myself but this year I may have the yard do a few things do to my schedule. The cost for changing the antifreeze is rather high in my opinion. They said they can check it with a strip and let me know but I was not sure on that?
I looked in the manual I downloaded but did not see and recommendations on changing the coolant
I looked in the manual I downloaded but did not see and recommendations on changing the coolant
Looks like you’re in Milwaukee, presumably in fresh water? If so once every several years should be fine. @thinwater has posted about the risk of chloride contamination in coolant, but that’s not really an issue in fresh water. He can correct me if I’m wrong but I wouldn’t worry about going a few years.
If you've got antifreeze (indirect cooling), it doesn't matter if you're in lake or ocean water, they never touch.
If you don't know when it was last changed, change it now so you know its condition from the get go. If you're OCD like many of us, use distilled water to avoid scale build up. After that, every few years is good.
Sounds like you're getting the yard to change the AF at a horrendous price. Give it a try and get in there and do it yourself, only requires a grade four reform school education to change the AF.
1. Drain the old antifreeze into a bottle and save.
2. Make up an amount of new 50/50 AF using distilled water and equal to the amount of old AF you removed.
3. Pour back into the heat exchanger and try to insert all of the new AF. Any you can't jam back in represents air in your system.
4. Run the engine at the dock to get rid of any air and fill the system to the top with left over AF and make up a 1 liter plastic bottle of 50/50 AF and carry on board.
Total price less that $20.00
If you've got chloride contamination in your coolant, that's the least of your worries. Where is the cross connection is occuring and how do you correct it is the much bigger worry when it occurs.
If you don't know when it was last changed, change it now so you know its condition from the get go. If you're OCD like many of us, use distilled water to avoid scale build up. After that, every few years is good.
Sounds like you're getting the yard to change the AF at a horrendous price. Give it a try and get in there and do it yourself, only requires a grade four reform school education to change the AF.
1. Drain the old antifreeze into a bottle and save.
2. Make up an amount of new 50/50 AF using distilled water and equal to the amount of old AF you removed.
3. Pour back into the heat exchanger and try to insert all of the new AF. Any you can't jam back in represents air in your system.
4. Run the engine at the dock to get rid of any air and fill the system to the top with left over AF and make up a 1 liter plastic bottle of 50/50 AF and carry on board.
Total price less that $20.00
Thank you for all the input, very new to this so its all a bit overwhelming at times. Learning what to do and the how to best do it, etc. I will skip them doing any antifreeze work based on your comment, I don't even want to tell you what they wanted to charge.
Question, you say to fill back into the heat exchanger, why would not pour back into the coolant fill cap? And when you drain do you drain from both the heat exchanger drain and the block drain?
Question, you say to fill back into the heat exchanger, why would not pour back into the coolant fill cap? And when you drain do you drain from both the heat exchanger drain and the block drain?
Ralph might mean that for Yanmar style engines, where the heat exchanger is kind of integrated into the manifold with the coolant cap on top. For Universals with their discrete heat exchangers I believe you’d pour into the coolant cap.
I concur with Ralph’s other points about it being good to do once at the start so you know what you’ve got, and that it’s not worth paying a ton for someone else to do.
I'm not a Universal owner so best to refer back to @Davidasailor26 for how to add new AF. Better still, I will pull @Stu Jackson in to provide his expert opinion and resources on this, and maybe even one better, you could search the SBO resources and find the manual for your engine. Worth its weight in gold.
I would imagine you would drain from every drain cock associated with the AF system.
Thank you, I do have the manual. It explains how the system works which helps understand how to complete this project. Appreciate the additional contact you provided as well. I just need to get in and start to do things. Its all very new right now and based on the cost the yard wanted to charge which was all labor I was curious just how complicated a job I might be getting into? They had estimated up to 3 hours (and they know what they are doing, hopefully) which is close to $500. One item I am up against is once the boat is in the water I need to move around 50 nautical miles to its new home so I did not want to make some goofy mistake on the hard which might cause us problems on the way. The plan of course is to sail most of the way but will need the motor at times as well. We will have time to run the boat while it is where it is now before we go so hopefully if I did do something wrong it would show itself during that time. I just need to find the time to get in and get my hands dirty. I am very much looking forward to it though.
Sometimes someone has a tip or a trick which makes all the difference on projects like these.
Sometimes someone has a tip or a trick which makes all the difference on projects like these.
Agreed. I am not familiar with the Universal 12, I have an M25. I wrote this about Burping your engine when you replace the coolant:
Engine Overheating 101 - How to Burp Your Engine (Reply #6) Engine overheating problem (with Instructions "How To Burp!")
And, yes, Yanmars and Universals are different as to where one introduces coolant. Universals go into the manifold, not the HX.
If you're not having the yard do the AF (at $500, not on your life) just ensure your AF system is topped right up and carry a liter or two of 50/50 AF with you before you leave on the 50 mi. trip to the new marina. As you said, run it around near your present location for an hour to ensure all is well. If you've got an IR gun, take a reading off the stat to ensure everything looks kosher before you leave. Maybe pick one up from a big box store as they're cheap enough and you'll use it often in the future.
Chances are, if the cooling system was working before going on the hard, it's going to work now for the trip home.
Thank you that is great advice, I do have an I/R gun as well. I bought the boat over the winter and had a survey done but weather did not permit putting the boat in the water. I do have a short video from the yard of them driving it before they pulled the boat out for the winter and it sounded good. Survey came back decent for a boat that age. Based on what I could learn before I pulled the trigger my gut told me this was a good opportunity to do something I have always wanted to do. My biggest concern at the moment is getting it to its new home without any serious drama. At that point I can start addressing anything else I need to. I do have someone who offered to go with me time permitting and captain my boat that has close to 40 years of sailing experience under his belt.
Once again I very much appreciate everyone's comments, this forum makes doing something like this for the first time so much more enjoyable
Once again I very much appreciate everyone's comments, this forum makes doing something like this for the first time so much more enjoyable
Sounds like you have everything covered. Once you're settled in your new home, consider new hoses and thermostat for the engine. The manual will show you everything you need.
If the AF is reallllllllly dirty, talk to a Universal dealer (free advice) about how to clean it with THEIR products.
May as well do all jobs completely and slowly yourself as they arise and BTW, welcome to poverty. No where near as bad as having some shop do it but still may add up at times. HOWEVER, the fun of sailing will far outweigh the short term costs of maintenance.
Get SeaTow or TowBoat US. You may be able to get a deal for these services through your insurance company. I pay $50/year for SeaTow through Proggressive and they will tow up to 75 miles which would cover your trip
Thanks that is great to learn, just talked to the they are BoatUS now. Will give me some additional peace of mind getting their membership
BoatUS is owned by Geico. I can't say I had a good experience with their auto insurance. Progressives boat insurance seems to have a good reputation