ernest2

hi!
what kind of equipment do you use in painting big boat? do you use professional airbrush equipment or hobby ones? or do you just use spray paints in cans? i have a badger airbrush, but i don't know if it can do the work. i use it in rendering architectural drawings and my paint bottles are small ones.
thanks!

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

I'd use a touch-up gun. As you know, the air brush would take you forever to paint a large hull. I picked one up recently at one of those mobile tool sales for less than $20.00 .
Yes, you can use rattle cans. The type of paint depends on what you're using for power. Nitro is rough on a lot of paints.

ernest2

so it downs to me looking where to borrow those guns n compressor or buying lots of cans.[]
if i use touch up gun, what kind of paint should i use? it will be a gas boat. will all car paints gas proof?

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Most of the good ones are. Some people have used Krylon with no trouble and I've tried Dupli-Color. The pricier but better way to go is the PPG 2-part paints if you're going to shoot it yourself with a spray gun.

piper_chuck

My Feedback: (12)

If it's any help for estimating, I just painted my little 3.5cc tunnel hull. So far, all I've done is primer and the base color. I did 4 thin coats of each and had almost none left in each can. I can't imagine how many "rattle cans" one would need for a big boat.
What about Klass Kote epoxy? I've seen several people say it works well. http://klasskote.com

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Klass Kote would be a good choice. I was trying to find their booth at the Toledo show but the place is hard to find anything, even with a map. I wanted to check out their paint before I got my Sport 40 shot.

subsinker

My Feedback: (61)

Ernest,

Well, the answer to your question lies in another question. How much are you willing to spend, how big is big and how much time & effort do you want to spend? Your definition of big may be different from mine. I use anything from small paint cans to airbrushes to HVLP paint equipment I use for full sized cars. It just depends on the amount you wish to spend. The better paint equipment will cost you more money upfront but once you have it its yours to keep. I also find painting a boat, say the size of your average gasoline powered size, is considerably easier, faster and get better results than with other types of equipment. You will tend to have less problems and you can control the speed of "flash" (how quickly the paint dries between coats) Here you also have a choice. You can go with a B/C type paint (preferred) or you can go with a single stage type paint. DuPont Centari, Imron, Cronar works very well for a single stage paint. I really like and use DuPont Chromacolor/Chromabase. With that, you can get different gloss levels of clear. Obviously, the more shine the more money it costs. PPG is also an option but it tends to be more expensive than DuPont. Really, the sky is the limit. As for shaker cans, if you are doing a smaller boat then that is certainly a cost effective way of doing it. I have gotten very good results using Kylon. I just wet sand between coats and believe it or not, the finish comes out very nice. I do not believe Krylon is glow fuel proof though. You will have to clear it with something.

best regards,
Pete

ernest2

pete, my boat is roughly 46x24x4. its an airboat. my brother in law had a spray equipment, i'll just have to make sure its still working though. is it hard to spray paint? i have never done it in a big equipment, only experience were airbrush painting.

subsinker

My Feedback: (61)

Ernest,

Thats pretty fair sized. In that case, I won't tell you what to do but I will tell you I would shoot it with a paint gun. I would suggest to you though, practice on something you don't mind screwing up (piece of wood, cardboard box,etc.) so you will get the knack of it. Painting with a gun is really no more difficult than painting with a spray can. Just take your time, keep the area clean and you will do fine. If you have a Napa or Carquest around, someone that mixes paint, they can be of enormous help. They can set you up with the items you will need.

Good luck to you!
Pete

ernest2

i guess i can have a practice by painting with the primer first. thanks for all your help, hope the equipment still works.

lzvagias

I painted my 48" deep v with Krylon laquer spray paint and frequently i got a crinkle effect between coats that would even penetrate the coats beneath it all the way to the god awfull lime green gel coat. It was so frustrating that is pissing me off right now a year later thinking about it! I tried every thing! I sanded properly, I cleaned the surface using alcohol, amonia, and soap and water, did'nt help. I thought maybe i was'nt drying long enough between coats, so i tried longer and longer drying times all the way up to 2 weeks! didn't help. so i have given up on paint for now until i can afford to buy touch up gun and real auto paint. oh yeah i sanded all the old stuff off and and now it looks like total sht! people of course are drawn to you when you run a big gasser to ask ?s or just see it up close and i'm just think what a getto lookin piece it looks like. are we all using the same krylon? i did also try enamel with the same results.

DONS BOAT WORKS

My Feedback: (3)

Do not use lacquer spray paint on boats. Lacquer will crinkle over enamel base paints.
Lacquer will not take the temperature change from hot to cold. Enamel is more flexible.

Hydro Junkie

Ernest, one other thing nobody has metioned yet is to be sure to seal the hull BEFORE you shoot it with primer. Everyone that paints boats in my area seal the hull with epoxy, followed by a thorough sanding. I'm guessing you built it out of wood, so here's the reasoning as to why. Wood grain tends to expand when it's painted, making it show up through the paint. The coat of epoxy prevents the grain from showing through the paint as well as proteting the wood from water seepage if the paint gets scratched off. Just a thought

Sawdust48.5

I have a woodshop and understand a bit about aplying a finish to wood. It's true that the wood expands when a finish is applied...if the finish is waterbase. To avoid the expansion (what happens is tiny fibers of the wood's grain flares up. Good example is the afternoon shadow of a man's face after shaving that morning. To avoid the shadow, wipe the wood down with a damp rag, let it dry. then sand quickly and lightly with about a 300 grit. this will virtually eliminate the shadow! As we say in the woodworking world, try it on scrap first!