Boat painters
 

I was looking at funrcboats.com and saw some hulls from aeromarine that I liked but they don't come painted or with any graphics. Where do some of you guys take your boats to get painted and the graphics. Also what does it usually cost? Thanks

<<<Moderator edit...moved from Nitro boat section to General discussions as this topic is better suited here.>>>

RE: Boat painters
 

You have several options...we'll keep a typical 48" to 60" hull in mind

1. Find a custom painter and pay him $800 more or less (probably more) for a tricked out paint job.
2. Dealership or body shop. I've heard anywhere from $200 to $400 for a solid color with clearcoat.
3. Spray yourself with the same products availible at a paint jobber at a cost of maybe $150 includes prep materials, basecoat/clearcoat.
4. Rattle can from autoparts store. $4 can of solid color, $4 clearcoat...wetsand and buff.

Here's a pic of a rattle can job I recently did to a plug just before I took a mold of it. This is my own Dreamin' CS just after I wetsanded and buffed the upper hull before I covered it with layers and layers of fiberglass to make moulds. The sides don't look as nice because this boat is only a plug and I already finished the mould for the lower deck and sides.

Take your time and you won't have to spend mega bucks for a nice paint job.

RE: Boat painters
 

How much experience do you have painting? This would be my first paint job is there anything I should expect going into it?

RE: Boat painters
 

Well, I sort of used to work for a body shop part-time while in college. Did a little painting on my own after that and still enjoy spraying cars, motorcycles....boats ;). The most important thing for a good paint job is preparation. Only paint when your surfaces are free of blemishes, defects,... Do your final sanding with at least 320 grit. There is just so much to know if you really need details. Just keep it simple, take your time and your results will be fantastic.

-Scott

RE: Boat painters
 

My paints cost me less then that!! try under 80.00!!!! Thats for base color and clear with hardner!!! Plus you want to use 400-600 for final prepartion before paint. Oh dreaming HEMI do you have clear coat on that??? If not I bet if gas or nitro hits it,it will lift it! If your going to do a rattle can paint job you better use automotive clears over that.It has a catalized/has hardner in it. This help protect the clear and paints from UV rays and fuel spillages and you can beat the show room finishes eather. I would charge alot less then these shops would do them for!! I'm doing one for mopartybob.He's got a blackjack thats needs bodywork&some customizing and paint work done!:D It will be tricked out.:D Heres some of my boats,yes there nitros,I do have one gas cat I'm going to get back started on soon. The Oberto I'd used Dupi-Color spray paint on it and used NAP's crossfire clear coat on it. I use Dupont NASON paint system and NAP's crossfire paint systems both are great and save you alot in your walet too!:D

RE: Boat painters
 

Yes, I always end up with Dupont clear. Probably 3 coats, wetsanded/polished:D

RE: Boat painters
 

Oh mr bigbucks!!!!:D what dupont clear did you use on it? I wont use much of there croma base clears,because in the late 80's-90's they had a proublems with them pealing badly!! So thats not a big fan on the croma base clears.

RE: Boat painters
 

lol....not hardly..just know where to spend money when needed. Paint shows off the final product, so for me, it usually has to be one of the best. I've just started using DuPont ChromaClear G2-4500S, the second generation clearcoat. So far, it's given me an easy application, great appearance, easy wetsand/buffability and an extremely fast cure time. I've only painted 2 of my hulls so far for buyers of my Dreamin CS locally and I've been nothing but pleased. Only problem I have with Dupont is you can only purchase clearcoat in gallons, unless you find a jobber who will open a gallon up and quart it out...good luck. At nearly $100/gallon, it hurts, but that gallon covers like 30 hulls?? Maybe more?

RE: Boat painters
 

My crossfire clear is 18.00 a quart and 1/2 pint of hardner is 8.00! You see with crossfire paint system base coat and clears share the same reducers!!! Duponts doesnt you have to buy reducer for base and reducer for clear. I'd use the snap clear that dupont sells. It 50.00 aquart and 20 for a 1/2 of hardner!! Drys fast!! you can wet sand to buff in 4 hrs. The Nason clear a quart with 1/2 pint of hardner is 35.00.

RE: Boat painters
 

I'm sure a lot of those paints are nice, but most of us do not have the tools for painting. ie...air compressor, spray guns, paint booths, etc.

I have done what Dreamin' has done on most of my boats. It will take some time and you'll be sick of sanding when it's done, but it can look very nice. I usually wet sand after each coat to ensure that it'll be flat. When I'm satisfied with paint, I then spray on an automotive top clear coat and wet sand between layers. When the wet sanding is done on the clear, buff it out and it'll shine like crazy. I usually make a paint booth out of plastic from ceiling to floor in the garage. I'll take a spray bottle of water and wet everything down inside the booth to ensure no dust is flying around. ...and start painting.

RE: Boat painters
 

You must have seen my shop.....;)

RE: Boat painters
 

sanding between coats is a big over kill! no need for that! That the old lacqure paint jobs![:'(] To much work and chips easy.[:@] All most painters spray the base coat and clear it and if it needs to be wetsand then do it. Most of my boats arent wet sand and buff,I shoot mine like glass!;) You should see the garage I use!!! It's a wood working shop!![X(] I do wet the floors to paint real cars. For tools?? you can get a cheap small compresser & small touch up HVLP spray gun. ;)

RE: Boat painters
 

Heres a few shots of a hull I painted just this evening. No access to my usually paint booth at the dealership...(helps to know people :D) so I just did this quick job for a buyer of one of my hulls. Since he wanted a simple paint job, I went back to my usual standby clear...for the price, you really can't beat it. Sorry the pictures are bad, low light conditions make for crappy shots, and the hologram flake I added to the first layer of clear messes with the flash. I'll take more in the sunlight tomorrow.
Definately no need to wetsand at all with base/clearcoat. Here I have only 2 very wet coats of clear. No need for more unless you want to wetsand.

RE: Boat painters
 

You couldve used the high performance spot pannel clear in those boat! It curse quicker and you'll get the same results too.;) So how do you like the crossfire system?? Been using NAP's Martinseniors paints system since 1991. There top line paint is tech base.then all of the paint companys started to come out with there buget lines paints systems ib the mid 90's.[8D]

RE: Boat painters
 

This product that I used here is very nice. You can definately tell that it's not one of the premier product lines....like many other less expensive clearcoats, you cannot build it up the way you can a good DuPont, or PPG. However for these boats, it's perfect. I mean, come on...I just paid $31 for an entire GALLON of this clear! The big can of hardner was also well priced, like $14?? The end result is really good. This particular job I just noticed a small run on one side [:@]. Oh well, nothing a quick razor edge scrape/wetsand/polish can't take care of! Gotta love clearcoat, now try doing that with basic enamel!

RE: Boat painters
 

oh yes you can build it up!!! You got to know how to lay it out wright.:D I use three coats on my boats. To buy that cheap,that might be old stock they sold you. I know for a quart of highperformance spotpannel clear is 18.00 and 1/2 pint of hardner is 8.00. But a quart of the same hardner is 28.00. I use the NASON&Crossfire systems on my customers vehicals and had no complants and exclent committs about the finishes. Buy saving money on these paints I pass the saving on the customers.That why I'm cheaper the most shops.:D I charge 800.00 to do a basecoat/clear coat on real cars. I'll post some cars I'd done tonight. two of them are resto's.;)

RE: Boat painters
 

hey guys my name is chad and i own a place called the kandy shop, if anyone needs help, or would like to price a job i can be e-mailed at [email protected], i will try to post some pics.

RE: Boat painters
 

hey guys, my name is chad and i own a kustom shop called the kandy shop, we do all kinds of work from rc boats to cars and trucks custom bikes banshee's helmets, murals, pinstriping, just about anything that u can thing of when it comes to custom toys, i have posted a few pics in my gallery, if i can help any one out questions or pricing my e-mail is [email protected].

RE: Boat painters
 

depending on what paint stores are around u, and what brands these stores carry, but if u are looking for a cheaper clear there are a few differnt options that u could use, nason$120 a gallon, shop line $120, refinsher's solution $55.00 a gallon, select $80.oo there are alot of differnt brands that are still good but cost effective, all of these clears are 4-1 mixes, as far as laying it on, i like to clear all my projects a few times to bary the lines from the graphics, i will clear 600 and clear, this will be done 4-5 times on some jobs, check out my gallery to see what the end result looks like.