This is driving me crazy (Paint)

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BoyoBoyle

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I've been looking around trying to find exactly what to do when painting a boat, and i keep finding bits of info here and there, but I'm still confused. If you guys can help me out... that would be great!

Ok, this is what i got.

18' jon boat, I sanded the whole thing down using Aircraft stripper and sand paper. Its down to the aluminum, just the outside, for now.

What is the next step? Somebody told me in order to paint aluminum i need "Aluminum etch primer". Well i found some at an auto store but it was 80$, and I'm on a budget, so if there is a way around this, it sure would help. If not, I'll just suck it up.

Now for primer, I'm planning on painting my boat a dark blue or navy blue, so I'll need gray primer (I got one thing right). Now do I need certain primer for aluminum and/or marine?

And the paint... what type do i use for the outside of a boat? oil-based? Marine paint?

Im not too worried about having a professional paint-job, I just want something that will stick, is navy blue, and not cost me and arm and a leg.

PLEASE... i repeat... PLEASE feel free to post ANY links to etchprimer/primer/paint that you would prefer/recommend. Also, I do have a spray gun that i can use. Also, how many quarts/gallons should i need?

Thanks guys, i hope you can share some wisdom. Oh... its a freshwater boat!
 
to remove the paint?

Well... Aircraft stripper isn't really that expensive, you can get a gallon for 30$ and that should be enough for a whole boat if you use it sparingly. I applied a decent coat on an area, would wait about 15-25 minutes and then scrape off the paint with a putty knife or wire brush and then sand down to metal. And before i sand, i apply another coat to the next area, so it can cure while i sand.

I would say it can take anywhere from 6-10 solid hours. or more, depends on how much detail you sand. I got a big boat, and im removing almost every spot of paint, so it's taking me a while. but definitely get the aircraft remover! it helps a lot, it removes most of the paint, so it makes sanding much quicker.

So you'll need about 30$ for stripper (get at Autozone or other autostore) and about 15$ on sandpaper.... and about 10 hours of labor. I just spend a couple hours on it everyday and it was done in a week.
 
Thanks, I started another thread on sandblasting. I have a professional company that will do my 1648 for $150 so if I spent $50 on stripper, paper, rags, gas, ect. it might be worth the extra $100 to have it blasted. You have helped me alot, thanks!
 
Good news.... you got the hard part done =D>

If there is a Walmart in your area, go to the Auto section, and you will find this. I think walmart only wants somewhere around $5 a can. I have a 14' boat and it took 4 cans to get two good coats on the outside.0321102319a_308777.jpg

Once you have it primed you can shoot on your choice of paint...... there are a lot of options, I too was on a budget so I used Rust-oleum paint, and it worked great. There is also marine grade paints like parkers that spray well.... I don't know if you can get navy blue though. Then there are Interlux paints if you want to spend some dough.

After you spray your first coat of color on, let it fully cure, and then sand it with 600 grit lightly...just enough to knock off the imperfections. Now wipe off all the dust you can or spray it off with the air hose. Now wipe her down with Acetone and let dry. Your now ready for the second coat. Now just repeat the steps untill you have the finish your looking for.
 
Check out my thread. I used Rustoleum High Performance Royal Blue mixed with black to make a shade of navy. Its not very expensive. You could add more black to get a darker color. I used 1 quart of royal blue with 6 oz of black, so it doesn't take much to make it darker.
 
:eek: *Weight lifting off shoulders* (for now)

Thanks!! And it doesn't seem too expensive! That way, it all peels off in the end i wont be too disappointed :D

I'll probably pick up six or seven cans for my 18 footer though, but still... i hope it works out nice.

Cavman.... THATS the color im looking for!
 
Glad I could be of some help. Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions.


I guess I should try to get a patent on my Blue, then I could just market it to yall. :mrgreen:
 
I used the Rustoleum Topside paint from Home Depot. I went with the Navy Blue gloss, if I was going to do it again I don't think I would use gloss. You can get 2 quarts for $29.97; I used most of it and put on 4 coats. I also used three cans of the self etching primer from Walmart.

https://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xit/R-202041210/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

3f0ea9dd-e1d4-4ec7-8ee7-756265750297_300.jpg
 
Self etching primer in the auto section at Walmart - $6 a can, I used 4 cans

I did not want gloss because of the poor condition of the aluminum on my boat. I bought an outdoor oil enamel at Sherwin Williams in satin and tinted it the color of red I wanted. Cost about $30 for 2 cans.

Prep is where the work is at. I sprayed the paint on with an airgun HVLP setup and a compressor. You can also roll it on or use a brush.
 
Pettit Alumaprotect Primer <--- Link

I use the Pettit AlumaProtect Primer. It is built for marine applications and can be rolled on using a high density roller very easily. You can see it in my PolarKraft build. $65 for a half gallon that will proly do your whole boat plus some. Make sure you clean the Aluminum before you apply the primer. Alu. reacts very quickly and will build a layer of oxidatin that will not bond well with the primer which will cause failures. Use a good Aluminum cleaner just before applying the primer. Acetone works okay, just beware of recycled Acetone as it contains oils that will not evaporate away and also cause failures. I use Dynaflux Aluminum cleaner, Dynaflux Aluminum cleaner <--- link. This is hat we use before we weld Aluminum, cleans it up good.

After that you can use any topside paint that suites you.
 
You should use the Search option here for many paint related answers, if you are on a budget, you have to make some choices do you really need color? thats expensive, spraying on parker duck boat: https://www.cabelas.com/p-0006070.shtml ,Is not, and gets great results. Good luck with your project
 
Howard said:
Devilmutt- did you spray or brush? How has it held up?
I sprayed the first two coats and was not happy with them, gun issues I believe. I rolled the next two and got a finish I can live with. The paint has held up great...boat hasn't left the garage. :cry:
 
Im glad i saw this, because i was gonna start a topic myself on it.

First off, I would recommend that you wash it down with TSP cleaner before you put primer/ paint down. You never know what kind of film that aircraft stripper may have left behind even though you would think it wouldnt. We have TSP at our local ace hardware store.
Its in a clear jug with greenish liquid (concentrate i think) at our hardware store.

Im with you on the question concearning primer. My friend and myself custom painted ATVs and motorcycles and we used some good stuff for primer that wont crack and its flexable and whatnot. The only thing that gets me is it needs to be ok underwater. I havnt looked into it but blackcats primer is one that we used sometimes. (check out gallery at www.smalltowncustoms.com) Bulldog adhesion promoter and primer will stick to virtually anything including glass and will stay.
As far as paint, im stuck there too. I dont know if I would need to do a standard basecoat clear coat like painting a car, or do a single stage "tractor paint" application or something specifically for a boat or what.
 

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