Painting with two-part.

[Ed Schenck]

After many successful years of brushing on one-parts like Brightside and Toplac I decided to heed your advice. Everyone seems to get amazing results with two-part epoxy paints like Perfection. So I bit the bullet and bought a quart of epoxy primer and a quart of Perfection.

My first coat of the primer on the small staysail boom was a disaster. It was too thick and seemed to set before I was half done. More thinner(2333 I think) and the second coat was better but still required a lot of sanding.

Now I am thinking I might just cover with a one-part and sell the $50. quart of Perfection. And do you use a new $15. brush every coat? What cleans a brush with an epoxy paint?

 

[RAD]

About 30 years ago I restored a Chris Craft and 2 part had just became popular and I followed the directions to the letter including using the proper thinners and discovered that in warm weather more thinner is better.....I did my project in May so I had perfect weather and the results were perfect. (rolled & tip)
The owner of the marina called me on the Monday after I painted the boat and gave me hell about bringing in a pro and I had to explain that I did it
myself and he'd have to ask a bunch of people who witnessed the operation

 

[rardiH36]

Hi Ed:

You and I have exchanged Perfection info on the Cherubini forum on a few occasions ... not particularly about the Interlux epoxy Primecoat, but I also found that even following the the thinning directions, it set up very quickly and left brush strokes that were very hard to sand out. They are still there under the Perfection topcoat on my cabin top. Notheless several years later, I am pleased with the result. Let's see what other respond with.

The two-part Perfection is very durable and lasting. Worth the effort. Particularly for a mast. Also, even with some brush strokes visible, they shouldn't be that objectionable particularly if your brushing is always "with the grain". Give thought that with a one-part, in just few years you might need to do it all over again. Not so with the Perfection.

The right temp and no direct sun condition when applying are really critical with Perfection.

You out there that have done Perfection "perfectly", what are the tips and tricks above and beyond the Interlux instructions and videos?

 

[woodster]

Hi Ed:

You and I have exchanged Perfection info on the Cherubini forum on a few occasions ... not particularly about the Interlux epoxy Primecoat, but I also found that even following the the thinning directions, it set up very quickly and left brush strokes that were very hard to sand out. They are still there under the Perfection topcoat on my cabin top. Notheless several years later, I am pleased with the result. Let's see what other respond with.

The two-part Perfection is very durable and lasting. Worth the effort. Particularly for a mast. Also, even with some brush strokes visible, they shouldn't be that objectionable particularly if your brushing is always "with the grain". Give thought that with a one-part, in just few years you might need to do it all over again. Not so with the Perfection.

The right temp and no direct sun condition when applying are really critical with Perfection.

You out there that have done Perfection "perfectly", what are the tips and tricks above and beyond the Interlux instructions and videos?

your post has covered the bulk of the tricks as it were the only thing i will add to this is make sure your prep work on the primer is as flawless as you can get it ...the better the surface prep the better the paint will go on and level out ....i will prolly spray mine on when that time comes ...but then i have spray painted all my life in one form or another so that is my brush of prefrance.....spraying with quality equiptment and haveing the ability to do so goes a long way ...although i have seensome damn nice roll and tip work out there.......again the prep is one of the majior keys to this ...

regards

woody

 

[tommays]

SPRAYED 2-1/2 GALLONS OF 545 epoxy primer

ROLL & TIPPED

Its a bit of work BUT so worth using two part

Spraying is better BUT to much waste on a 29' hull as it only took 48 oz of mixed paint per coat to roll & tip

On the deck i am very happy with how interdeck one part is holding up

 

[RAD]

Nice job Tommays.....gives me some encouragement if and when I redo my Oday

 

[RichH]

You out there that have done Perfection "perfectly", what are the tips and tricks above and beyond the Interlux instructions and videos?

Don Casey's (famous boat maintenance guru) method of obtaining the correct thinner to paint ratio (vs, temp vs. relative humidity) will give the best results. Do websearch: "Don Casey" + roll + tip
This method uses a vertical held large glass plate (to test and adjust the leveling qualities of the paint) onto which you brush the Perfection, etc. and wait for the 'leveling' without brushstrokes ... you add wee bits of thinner progressively until you get a perfect leveling. Not enough thinner you get sags, too much you dont get coverage .... very easy to visualize on a flat glass plate held vertical. Then only once the correct/precise ratio is determined you then paint. This method will result in a finish 'close' to a good spray job.
If you follow the 'label directions' of mixing ratios ... you wont get 'outstanding results'.

Do NOT paint late in the day or when the dew point / relative humidity is increasing. You want the newly painted surface hard and full cured before any moisture (dew) settles onto the surface. Settled-out moisture will cause the new paint to turn - satin to dull. Paint only in the morning on a dry day, but do NOT paint in full sun conditions as that will cause the paint to 'kick' too fast.

Single part paints are OK ... but they really dont last all that long; so, why do the same job over and over and over again when you can use a good 2-part that will last years and years.

Caution: Never ever never shrink-wrap a hull that has be 'painted'.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Thanks guys. That's enough encouragement to at least finish the booms. Especially since I have until next April. Might have to heat the garage though.

Not painting in sunlight is going to be a problem with the mast. Around Huron it is sunny or it is raining. I only have six hours one time a week so scheduling an overcast day is a problem. I need to finish it so I can get the new furler and standing rigging out of marina storage. They might start charging me.

I do finally have a plan for turning it while painting. I'll do it in three sections. First the keel to partners, the paint line will be in the deck and unseen. Then to the spreaders and finally to the top. So I can always have the barrels out of the way for painting.

P.S. - never got an answer about the paint brush. How do you clean a brush used for two-part?

 

[tommays]

The brushing solvent works good for cleaning the brush and about the turning thing

Your time time-frame is NOT good as you have to etch and prime on the same day and you will go way-out side the topcoat time window and have to do extra sanding

one

two

three if your following the directions

the lid does NOT come off the part two worth a dam

And i was the test dummy during the recall glad it was only a 35; mast or it would have been a really big pile

 

[Ed Schenck]

Your turning idea does not work for me Tommays. The 52' mast has a welded masthead to start with. It is too long and heavy, close to 500# I think, to suspend just from the ends. I am going tomorrow with a jack and lumber for moving the barrels. I'll do the bottom seven feet without any interference. Turning it will be a problem however. Your saying that the expensive 2333 should clean the brush?

 

[Fred Villiard]

I use acetone or laquer thinner to clean my sprayguns when spraying perfection, they should work for brushes. Just clean them before the paint trips or you will need to use one of the harsh paint strippers.

Fred

 

[Rick Sylvester]

After ten years of UV my Awlgrip toreador red bootstripe

had faded to pink.

I'd like to think I'm in touch with my feminine side but this was way too much.

Rolled-and-tipped it with three more coats. Really fussy stuff in June Florida heat.

No primer, just block sanding.

I used cheapo Home Depot foam brushes. They work okay. Not great. I HATE cleaning brushes. I much prefer to pitch it when I'm done.

I could never get Brightsides to work for me. I much prefer EasyPoxy.

I think both one part and two part are perfectly good systems used in sensible applications. The other posters have pretty much nailed it IMHO.

 

[RichH]

Here's a fragment of Don Casey's method of checking / adjusting the precise mix ratio of paint to thinner to achieve a 'perfect' job when using the 'roll & tip' method for 2 part boat paints. A lot of this is better gained through one of Don Casey's famous boat maintenance books. http://www.boatus.com/boattech/TipRollingTipping.htm

 

[Ed Schenck]

Well today I tackled the mast with the two-part epoxy primer. After sanding for four hours I decided to do just what was in the shade of the hull. There is no way, working alone, that you have time to turn the mast. I used a jack and lumber to place the barrels. Then after a final wet sanding I rolled the mast onto the sail track. I painted a section from the spreaders to within two feet of the masthead because there was a barrel there.

What I learned is that two-part has to be a lot thinner than you would think. As soon as you start applying it sticks. Not thin enough and you leave brush strokes. Even as thin as I had it I still had trouble keeping a wet edge, it sets so fast. And I am having to go under the boom to get the sail track side. Then you end up thinning as you work. And if you don't mix enough paint(I didn't) try mixing more before your edge sets! Not a fun project. Hope its worth the effort. Pictures show how bad it is.

 

[tommays]

Its worth the trouble